The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on business affairs policy in the 2025 General Assembly session.
Through business affairs advocacy, MACo seeks to protect local regulatory and licensing authority, enhance citizens’ safety, and improve access to regulated services.
Maryland’s 447th legislative session convened amidst a substantial concern over the State’s fiscal situation, with weakened revenues and cost increases for many services at every level of government. Despite the fiscal limitations, a wide range of policy issues received a full debate, with many resolutions arising from the 90-day annual process. MACo’s legislative committee guided the association’s positions on hundreds of bills, yielding many productive compromises and gains spanning counties’ uniquely wide portfolio.
Follow these links for more coverage on our Conduit Street blog and Legislative Database.
MACo opposed HB 1412 – Business Regulation – Retail Stores – Carryout Bags. This bill would have prohibited local governments from adopting or enforcing a carryout bag fee unless it met specific preconditions, including exemptions for certain customers and restrictions on the use of generated revenue. Further, this bill imposed a mandate that dictated how counties structure their programs. While the intent to exempt vulnerable populations from additional costs is understandable, HB 1412’s rigid structure would have prevented local governments from designing balanced policies. This bill did not pass in 2025 legislative session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
As amended, MACo took no position on HB 132 – Cannabis – On-Site Consumption Establishment and Cannabis Events and its cross-file, SB 215 – Cannabis Reform – Revisions. This bill would have originally allowed the holder of a cannabis event registration to host certain cannabis events and authorizes counties to assess fees, authorize events, or restrict them within their jurisdictions. The bill was almost completely rewritten with amendments. One key new provision revisits the issue of how close dispensaries can be to each other and to sensitive sites like schools and parks. As originally amended, the bill barred local governments from adopting ordinances modifying distance requirements unless those ordinances were in place by January 1, 2025. MACo successfully advocated for a revised amendment, extending the deadline to July 1, 2025. This extension provides local governments additional time to adopt local ordinances if they choose. If a jurisdiction takes no action, the distance requirements set in State law will apply by default. This bill passed the Maryland General Assembly.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 880 – Cannabis – Prohibition on Outdoor Advertising – Repeal with amendments. This bill would have repealed an existing prohibition on certain outdoor advertising for cannabis licensees, products, or services. This bill would allow advertising—such as signs, posters, billboards, or graphic displays—on buildings or other publicly visible locations. However, key restrictions remain, including a ban on directly or indirectly targeting individuals under 21 and prohibiting any depiction of cannabis consumption. MACo would have sought an amendment to preserve a county-level local option to ban such advertising. This bill was withdrawn and did not pass in the 2025 legislative session.
MACo opposed HB 1405 – Commercial Law – Vehicles Towed or Removed From Parking Lots – Statutory Liens and Administrative Hearings. This bill would’ve created a statutory possessory lien on vehicles towed from privately owned parking lots, allowing private towing companies to retain vehicles until all charges are paid. This bill would also shift responsibility to local governments, requiring them to create an administrative hearing process for vehicle owners to challenge a tow. This would amount to an unfunded mandate and create an unwarranted fiscal impact on county governments. This bill was withdrawn and did not pass in the 2025 legislative session.
MACo opposed HB 1038/SB 496 – Department of Commerce – Complaint Portal and Annual Report. This bill would have required the Maryland Department of Commerce to create and maintain a complaint portal for reporting when governmental units such as counties take longer than 60 days to process an application for a business license, form, certificate, certification, permit, or registration. This legislation failed to account for legitimate reasons why processing a business license, permit, or certification may exceed 60 days—many of which are beyond a local government’s control. This bill did not pass in 2025 legislative session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 947 – Local Government – Charges for Paper Carryout Bags – Limitation. This bill is an unnecessary preemption of local authority, which would have limited the amount that retail establishments may charge for paper carryout bags under certain local laws to no more than 10 cents per bag. This bill would have restricted local governments from determining the best approach to managing carryout bag fees in their communities. While no county currently imposes a fee higher than 10 cents, the ability to set this charge should remain a local decision, ensuring flexibility for jurisdictions that have adopted or may consider adopting such policies in the future. This bill did not pass in 2025 legislative session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 1364 – Office of Social Equity – Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund – Advisory Board and Modifications and its cross-file, SB 994 – Office of Social Equity – Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund – Modifications. This bill would have shifted the administration of the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund from the Comptroller to the Office of Social Equity and imposed additional rigid oversight and procedural requirements on counties regarding the distribution and use of these funds, potentially upending local best practices. MACo worked with the sponsor and the Senate committee to amend the bill to raise the administrative cap and to strike language from the bill that would have preempted county established commissions. This bill passed the Maryland General Assembly.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed SB 883 – Post-Towing Procedure Workgroup – Establishment. As introduced, SB 883 would have created a statutory possessory lien on vehicles towed from privately owned parking lots, allowing private towing companies to retain vehicles until all charges are paid. This bill was originally amended to establish a workgroup to identify and assess issues relating to the establishment of statutory liens on motor vehicles that are towed or removed from privately owned parking lots. Counties do not believe a workgroup is necessary, as no clear problem has been identified that requires further study. The fundamental question of whether towing companies should have the authority to hold and sell vehicles for unpaid fees has already been considered and rejected multiple times by the General Assembly. Counties had concerns that the goal of this workgroup appeared to be addressing the constitutional issues associated with establishing a statutory lien. Specifically, allowing a private company to hold someone’s property until payment is made—without sufficient legal safeguards—could violate due process and fundamental private property rights. MACo worked with the House committee to amend the bill to be a more balanced workgroup, ensuring that local governments and consumer protection advocates have an appropriate voice in the discussion. This bill did not pass in 2025 legislative session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
