Rest easy, Maryland job-seekers: your social media accounts won’t be scrutinized by any potential employers.

WTOP reports that the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill banning employers from asking job applicants and employees for passwords to social media sites, making the Old Line State the first juridiction in the country to pass such a law. (Illinois has been debating a similar law.)

The intrusive practice has been gaining steam nationally in recent months, but it has particular relevance in Maryland—in February 2011, the Maryland Department of Corrections asked a potential applicant to turn over the log-in info to his Facebook account, allegedly so it could check if he had any gang affiliations. The ACLU was none-too-pleased, and the policy was eventually suspended and later amended.

Both the Senate and House passed the bill by large margins, and it now awaits Gov. Martin O’Malley’s signature. But when it does, don’t think you’re off the hook completely—tweets and wall postings that are open the public can still be seen by potential employers, and common sense should continue to guide what you do and do not put online.