Municipal Appointees and Employees - Financial Oversight - Required Education and Experience

SB 35 requires municipalities in Maryland to ensure that individuals appointed or employed in financial oversight roles - such as comptrollers, treasurers, or those managing municipal funds - meet specific education and experience standards starting June 30, 2030. It mandates 27 semester hours of accounting coursework (including ethics and auditing), a relevant bachelor’s degree, and 5 years of finance/accounting experience (with 3 years in a leadership role). Municipalities must also establish annual continuing education requirements for these employees, maintain public records of their qualifications, and include compliance data in the Legislative Auditor’s annual report. The bill applies to all new hires on or after July 1, 2025, with full implementation for existing roles by 2030.