Property Taxes - Special Rate for Vacant and Abandoned Property - Charter County Tax Limitation PG 408-26
HB 1224 allows charter counties in Maryland (like Prince George's County) to impose a higher property tax rate on vacant or abandoned properties that exceed their usual tax rate limits under county charters. The bill authorizes counties to collect additional tax revenue from these properties and direct it into the county’s general fund, bypassing standard charter restrictions. Counties must annually report details including the number of affected properties, revenue changes, and whether properties are being prepared for reuse. This policy directly affects property owners of vacant lots or uninhabitable buildings cited for housing violations, aiming to generate revenue for county services without requiring charter amendments.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 11, 2026
Last action Mar 25, 2026
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What changed between versions
First - Property Taxes - Special Rate for Vacant and Abandoned Property - Charter County Tax Limitation PG 408-26
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Third - Property Taxes - Special Rate for Vacant and Abandoned Property - Charter County Tax Limitation PG 408-26
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4 edits
MODERATE
This bill adds procedural status information showing it was adopted and read a second time, then reorganizes the text to add a new Section 1 header and renumber existing sections. The core policy content regarding special property tax rates for vacant and abandoned properties remains substantively unchanged, though formatting and line numbering were adjusted.
TECHNICAL
Added committee report status showing favorable recommendation and House adoption with second reading date of March 6, 2026
Reorganized document structure by adding 'CHAPTER ______' header and inserting new Section 1 header before the existing Article - Tax - Property text
Renumbered all section and subsection references throughout the document to reflect new numbering scheme
Added signature lines for Governor, Speaker of the House, and President of the Senate at the end of the document
Floor votes · House of Delegates Mar 7, 2026
How they voted
128–2
Passed · 12 other
Total votes 142
Mar 7, 2026
D
Democratic103
90% Yea
R
Republican39
89% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
8
Key actions
4
Committee
4
Mar 20, 2026
Committee
Referred Budget and Taxation
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable Report by Ways and Means
lower
Mar 7, 2026
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (128-2-12)
house of delegates
Feb 11, 2026
Committee
First Reading Ways and Means
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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