On February 17, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified in support of SB 325 - Land Use - Permitting - Development Rights (Maryland Housing Certainty Act) with amendments.  This bill would overturn existing Maryland case law to establish an earlier vesting standard for residential projects and would adjust impact fee and excise tax payment timing to the issuance of a use and occupancy permit. Counties offer amendments to resolve issues of timing and application, and do…

On February 17, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in opposition to SB 31 - School Construction and Housing - School Zones and Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances.  This bill would require counties to partially process development applications even when they do not meet local Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) standards—diverting limited staff time, delaying projects that are ready for approval, and potentially wasting public resources. "We appreciate the…

On February 17, Associate Policy Director Karrington Anderson testified before the Finance Committee in support of SB 389 – Land Use – Transit-Oriented Development – Alterations (Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act) with amendments.  This bill proposes various changes to land use and taxation in areas surrounding designated Transit Oriented Developments (TODs). The bill would: (1) designate all TODs as enterprise zones; (2) preempt county minimum off-street parking requirements within 0.25 miles of a designated…

On February 12, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the Ways and Means Committee in support of HB 243 – Land Use - Comprehensive and General Plans - Alteration of Elements with amendments. This bill seeks to align certain provisions in Maryland state law governing comprehensive plans with prior legislation transitioning local plans from a “visions” framework to a new “principles” framework. This legislation, introduced by the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP), aims to modernize…

On February 12, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the Economic Matters Committee in support of HB 239 – Land Use - Zoning - Limitations (Starter and Silver Homes Act of 2026) with amendments.  This bill makes several changes to the land use article, including: allowing for the construction of townhouses in all single-family zones; eliminates local ability to meaningfully establish new historic districts; limits single family lot sizes to 5000 square feet; eliminates lot…

On February 11, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko testified before the Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 247 – Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Variances - Alterations.  This bill makes significant changes to when a county can authorize a variance within their share of the critical area. These new, more stringent changes would reduce county flexibility—further straining counties’ ability to support and deliver affordable housing. By reducing…

On February 10, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic Butchko submitted written testimony to the Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 460 – Solar Energy - Construction of Generating Stations in Priority Preservation Areas and Study.  This bill recalibrates guardrails within the Renewable Energy Certainty Act (RECA) of 2025 to better ensure that agricultural land within a county’s Priority Preservation Areas (PPAs) remains in productive agricultural use. One of the most significant—and deeply debated—issues…

On February 3, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko submitted written testimony to the Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 40 – Public Utilities - Transmission Lines - Advanced Transmission Technologies. This bill calls for additional considerations and requirements for the construction of transmission lines. As drafted, HB 40 requires the Public Service Commission and applicants to consider advanced transmission technologies more deeply as a means to avoid unnecessary community, environmental, or ratepayer…