Montgomery County; judge of probate, credit card use authorized
HB 451 authorizes Montgomery County's Judge of Probate to establish procedures for using credit cards to purchase tangible goods or approved services for the Probate Court. It requires the Judge of Probate to create written policies including spending limits per transaction and monthly, secure access controls, detailed record-keeping, and monthly bill reviews to prevent unauthorized charges or fees. Any rewards or rebates earned from credit card use must be deposited into the Judge of Probate Fund. This bill directly affects Montgomery County's probate court operations, allowing streamlined purchasing while implementing strict financial safeguards. The bill became effective immediately upon enactment.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Feb 12, 2026
Signed Mar 31, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Enrolled
·
4 edits
·
Mar 31, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was finalized and enrolled, changing its status from 'Introduced' to 'Enrolled' and updating internal tracking numbers. The core policy regarding credit card usage for the Montgomery County Probate Court remains substantively the same, but the final version added two new procedural requirements: ensuring only the judge or their designee has access to card details and mandating accurate record-keeping with periodic audits. Additionally, a new clause specifies that any rewards or rebates earned from the credit card must be deposited into the Judge of Probate Fund.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains limited to Montgomery County and the Probate Court; no changes were made to the jurisdiction or the specific entities affected.
TECHNICAL
The bill status changed from 'Introduced' to 'Enrolled', and internal tracking codes were updated to reflect the final version.
REQUIREMENT
New requirements were added to ensure strict access control, limiting credit card and security code access to the judge of probate or their designee only.
New requirements mandate the keeping of accurate purchase records that must be periodically reviewed during audits.
FISCAL
A new provision was added stating that any rewards or rebates earned from the credit card must be deposited into the Judge of Probate Fund.
Floor votes
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
16
Key actions
6
Committee
4
Mar 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 882
upper
Mar 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee Second House
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Pending Committee Action in Second House (Local Legislation )
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 736
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
lower
Feb 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Montgomery County Legislation)
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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