HB 590 renames Howard County's Agricultural Land Preservation Fund to the Agricultural Preservation and Innovation Fund and specifies how property transfer tax revenues are distributed. The bill directs 25% of transfer tax proceeds to school construction, 25% to park and watershed projects, and the remaining 50% to be split: 50% (of the remainder) for agricultural programs (including innovation to support farming sustainability), 25% for low-income housing and community improvement, and 25% for fire services. It also requires that any revenue from an increased transfer tax rate be distributed equally among school capital projects, recreation and parks capital projects, low-income housing, and fire services. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 22 requires Maryland's Department of Disabilities to establish affordable and accessible housing programs for people with disabilities. It allows the department to create nonprofit "affiliated foundations" that can partner with businesses, nonprofits, and individuals to raise funds and support housing initiatives, while keeping these foundations legally separate from state government. The foundations may solicit donations but cannot replace state funding, and strict rules prevent conflicts of interest (e.g., department employees cannot be paid by the foundations). This bill directly affects people with disabilities seeking housing, the Department of Disabilities, and potential nonprofit partners, with provisions set to take effect October 1, 2026.
HB 226 requires Maryland's Department of Disabilities to establish affordable and accessible housing programs for people with disabilities. It also allows the department to create affiliated foundations that can raise funds from businesses, nonprofits, and individuals to support housing initiatives, assistive technology, employment accommodations, and community living programs. These foundations operate separately from the state government and cannot be considered state agencies or incur state debt. The bill directly affects individuals with disabilities by expanding access to housing and related support services through these new programs and funding mechanisms.
HB 343 requires housing development projects receiving state funding to offer HUD-certified housing counseling services to prospective residents. It mandates that these services must be provided by counselors employed by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The bill also requires the Governor to appropriate $200,000 annually starting in fiscal year 2028 for community development organizations to partner with approved housing counseling agencies. This directly affects developers receiving state housing funds and prospective residents of subsidized housing projects.
HB 1132 (Keeping Affordable Housing Affordable Act) requires sellers of condominium units or homeowners association properties to provide buyers with specific financial disclosures 20 calendar days before closing - extending the prior 15-day deadline. It mandates written notice of any mandatory fee or payment increases exceeding 10% (or other major changes) after the seller learns of them. The bill affects condo/HOA sellers and buyers by ensuring transparency about future costs like maintenance fees, assessments, and reserve funds. Key provisions include standardized disclosure forms covering current budgets, outstanding dues, insurance, and facility details to help buyers understand long-term housing expenses.
HB 768 modifies Maryland law to clarify how the Department of Human Services (DHS) manages benefits (like Social Security or VA payments) for children in its custody. It requires DHS to seek other suitable representatives to manage these benefits before acting as the payee, and mandates that at least 40% of benefits be used for children’s unmet needs (such as disability services, housing, or education) when they are ages 14-15, increasing to 80% at 16-17 and 100% at 18-20. The bill also requires DHS to document all efforts to find alternative payees, periodically review if another representative could better serve the child, and avoid using benefits to cover state care costs. These changes apply specifically to children committed to DHS custody under Maryland’s Family Law.
SB 180 allows fair housing testers working for specific programs (federal, state, local governments, or qualifying nonprofit civil rights organizations) to legally record oral communications during housing tests to document potential discrimination. The bill creates an exception to Maryland's wiretap law, permitting testers to intercept conversations they are party to if the recording is solely for gathering evidence of fair housing violations under federal, state, or local law. Crucially, recordings made under this exception cannot be used as evidence in court or other proceedings except to enforce fair housing laws. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and directly affects fair housing testing organizations and their trained testers.
HB 523 (Real Property - Residential Foreclosures - Commencement Restrictions) delays foreclosure actions on residential properties by requiring a 90-day waiting period after a default or notice of intent to foreclose, whichever is later. It directly affects homeowners facing foreclosure and mortgage lenders by adding this waiting period, with limited exceptions for fraud, no payments, property destruction, bankruptcy, or vacant properties. Key provisions include mandatory affidavits verifying default details and notice accuracy, a $450 filing fee, and requirements for loss mitigation documentation. The bill modifies Maryland's foreclosure law to provide additional time for homeowners to seek alternatives before a foreclosure case can proceed.
SB 389, the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act, automatically designates transit-oriented development (TOD) areas near rail stations with hourly weekday service (8 a.m.-6 p.m.) as enterprise zones - bypassing normal limits on such designations. It requires Maryland’s development corporation to prioritize loans for projects redeveloping state-owned land near rail stations and delays development taxes/fees for qualifying residential projects. The bill also adds project labor agreements as a scoring factor for TOD funding and adjusts local land-use regulations to support transit-focused development. Directly affecting developers, local governments, and communities near transit hubs, it aims to accelerate housing and infrastructure near rail corridors.
SB 274 updates Maryland's fair housing laws to address discriminatory practices regardless of intent. It defines "discriminatory effect" as actions creating segregated housing patterns based on protected characteristics like race, disability, or sexual orientation, even without malicious intent. The bill requires housing authorities and political subdivisions to actively "affirmatively further fair housing" and prohibits practices with disparate impacts on protected groups. These changes apply to all housing providers, landlords, and government entities involved in housing decisions. The law removes intent as a defense for discriminatory housing practices, aligning enforcement with federal standards.
