Maryland Bills

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1460: Landlord and Tenant - Investor-Owned Single-Family Rental Property - Landlord Requirements

HB 1460 (Landlord and Tenant - Investor-Owned Single-Family Rental Property - Landlord Requirements) limits rent for investor-owned single-family rentals (defined as properties owned by individuals with two or more rental properties in Maryland). It sets a maximum rent at 120% of either the federal fair market rent for the area or the home’s last sale price divided by 12, and prohibits landlords from charging more than documented utility costs or $100/month in mandatory fees. Landlords must disclose the fair market rent, last sale price, and maximum allowable rent to tenants before lease agreements, and the state must maintain a public registry of these landlords. Violations can result in fines up to $10,000, license suspension, or tenant lawsuits seeking triple damages. The bill takes effect January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1436: Office of the Attorney General - Federal- and State-Assisted Housing Programs - Grievance Process

HB 1436 establishes a formal grievance process managed by Maryland's Office of the Attorney General for tenants in federal and state-assisted housing programs (including public housing, voucher programs, and emergency shelters). It requires housing providers to include grievance process notices in leases and annual communications, while the Attorney General's Office must investigate complaints, mediate disputes, and provide legal service referrals. If mediation fails, the Office can take legal action against non-compliant providers or those violating housing laws, and providers must compensate tenants harmed by violations. The bill also mandates annual reporting to the legislature on grievance outcomes.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1331: Maryland Department of Health and Department of Human Services - Public Benefits - Eligibility and Prohibitions

HB 1331 requires Maryland’s Department of Health and Department of Human Services to verify eligibility for public benefits (like Medicaid) through automated data-sharing with federal and state agencies, replacing self-attestation. It mandates monthly reviews of death records, incarceration, and address changes, and quarterly checks of tax filings, employment, and income data to ensure ongoing eligibility. The bill prohibits providing benefits to non-citizens, requires annual inspections of retail facilities for certain programs, and establishes new work requirement compliance reviews. These changes directly affect individuals applying for or receiving public assistance by shifting verification from self-reported information to cross-checked data.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✗ Healthcare ✗ Immigration

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1501: Department of Housing and Community Development - Homeless Shelter Certification

HB 1501 requires Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development to create a certification program for homeless shelters, mandating that all shelters obtain certification by July 1, 2026, or cease operations. The bill establishes a tiered certification system prioritizing year-round shelters (including transitional and medical care shelters) over seasonal or motel-based shelters, with staggered application deadlines for different shelter types. It mandates specific requirements for certification, including organizational documentation, regular on-site inspections, and a grievance process for residents to report violations. This directly affects all homeless shelter operators statewide, requiring them to meet new standards or face penalties for operating without certification after the deadline.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1322: Higher Education - Freedom of Expression on Campus - Protection (Maryland Campus Area Free Expression Act)

HB 1322 requires Maryland public universities to treat all outdoor campus areas as public forums where students, faculty, staff, and guests can engage in expression without being confined to designated "free speech zones." It allows only reasonable, content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions that don’t disrupt campus operations or block spontaneous assembly. The bill prohibits charging security fees based on speech content and permits the Attorney General or affected individuals to sue schools for violations. This directly affects public university campuses and their community members by clarifying free speech boundaries under state law.

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1551: Department of Agriculture - Regulation of Dog Breeders

HB 1551 requires dog breeders who sell or transfer puppies to the public to register annually with Maryland’s Department of Agriculture starting July 1, 2028, paying a $150 fee. Breeders must also apply for a puppy birth certificate ($50 per puppy) within 30 days of a litter’s birth starting July 1, 2029, and microchip puppies born after July 1, 2030. The bill establishes a Dog Breeder Accountability Fund, funded by these fees, to support animal shelters (50%), administrative costs (30%), and education/enforcement (20%). It prohibits selling puppies without valid registration, a birth certificate (for 2029+ births), and microchipping (for 2030+ births).

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1577: Common Ownership Communities - Common Areas - Approval of Alterations

HB 1577 requires governing bodies of cooperative housing corporations, condominiums, and homeowners associations to obtain majority approval from members, unit owners, or lot owners before making major renovations, expansions, or substantial upgrades to common areas. The bill exempts ordinary maintenance, necessary repairs, and projects costing under $1,000 from this requirement. It applies to all three community types and specifies that approval must be obtained through accessible methods for all affected owners. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1486: Workers' Compensation - Average Weekly Wage - Multiple Employers

HB 1486 changes how Maryland calculates workers' compensation for employees injured while working multiple jobs. It requires combining wages from all concurrent employers at the time of injury to determine the average weekly wage for compensation claims. This replaces current rules and also directs the Subsequent Injury Fund to reimburse employers for certain permanent disability payments. The bill directly affects injured workers with multiple jobs and their employers in wage calculation scenarios.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1512: Business Regulation - Rounding Cash Transactions - Remittance to Comptroller

HB 1512 requires merchants to remit the difference when rounding cash transactions up to the nearest 5 cents to the State Comptroller. It directly affects merchants selling goods or services who round cash payments (e.g., rounding $1.99 to $2.00), excluding transactions where customers explicitly consent to rounding for donation purposes. The Comptroller must distribute all collected revenue to the State’s General Fund. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies only to cash transactions (not gift cards or other payment methods).

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1179: Consumer Protection - Application Store Accountability Act

HB 1179, the Consumer Protection - Application Store Accountability Act, requires app store providers (like Apple App Store or Google Play) and developers operating in Maryland to implement age verification for minors under 18 and obtain verified parental consent before enabling certain transactions. It mandates clear disclosures about an app's age rating and content description to parents before purchases, prohibits enforcing contracts with minors without verified consent, and bans misleading parental consent disclosures. The bill also authorizes Maryland's Consumer Protection Division to enforce these rules under the state's consumer protection laws. This directly affects app stores, developers, parents, and minors using mobile apps in Maryland.

Topics ✓ Technology

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1550: Eminent Domain and Condemnation Authority - Repeal (Property Rights Protection Act)

HB 1550 proposes to repeal Maryland’s eminent domain authority by removing the state’s legal power to seize private property for public use. It would eliminate specific provisions across multiple Maryland Code articles (including Public Utilities, Real Property, and Transportation) that govern condemnation procedures, quick-take mechanisms, and redevelopment projects. This bill directly affects property owners who could no longer face state-led property seizures, as well as state agencies and developers relying on eminent domain for infrastructure or redevelopment. The measure also includes constitutional amendments to formally end this authority, requiring voter approval to take effect.

Topics ✗ Housing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1404: Public Utilities - Energy Generation and Transmission

HB 1404 authorizes investor-owned electric companies and electricity suppliers in Maryland to construct, operate, and recover costs for their own natural gas energy generation facilities and related transmission infrastructure. The bill explicitly permits natural gas energy systems to be built, operated, and permitted in the state while requiring compliance with certificate or commission approval processes. It also directs the Public Service Commission to delay certain orders until specific conditions are met and encourages the PJM Interconnection to expedite interconnection for new thermal generation. The legislation expresses legislative support for developing additional nuclear energy in Maryland. These provisions directly affect energy providers and shape how new power infrastructure can be developed and financed within the state.

Topics ✗ Energy

Bill results