On March 10, Associate Policy Director Karrington Anderson submitted written testimony before the Health and Government Operations Committee in opposition to HB 1120 – Department of Information Technology – Maryland OneStop – Required State, County, and Municipal Information.
The bill as drafted requires every county and municipal corporation to make all licenses, forms, certificates, permits, applications, and registrations available on Maryland OneStop by July 1, 2026. Additionally, local governments would be required to update these materials every two months to ensure accuracy.
While increasing public access to licensing and permitting information is a worthy goal, this bill imposes significant administrative and financial burdens on local governments without guaranteeing the necessary resources for implementation. The House sponsor has introduced amendments that slightly limit the scope of the bill to all business-related licenses, forms, certificates, permits, applications, and registrations. Additionally, the amendment, would change updating requirements from two months to one year. Counties still have significant operational and fiscal concerns.
HB 1120 presents significant concerns regarding implementation, funding, operational impact, and county autonomy. HB 1120 does not provide dedicated state funding to support the substantial administrative and technological costs associated with compliance. This lack of financial support places an undue burden on local governments, many of which already face strained budgets.
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