Author: johnjeffreyross

The Department of Legislative Services of the Maryland General Assembly has issued the The 90-Day Report – A Review of the 2023 Legislative Session  There were 806 laws enacted in 2023. A list of bills introduced by the Senate and the House in 2023 can be accessed at the Maryland General Assembly website. The effective dates of the Legislation can be viewed on 2023 Chapters – Effective Dates 

Legislation that takes effect on July 1, 2023, is listed in 2023 – Chapters – Effective July 1, 2023 This Legislation includes 2022 Chapters that are effective July 1, 2023, including the following with descriptions provided by the Fiscal and Policy Note for each Bill: 

HB0837 CH0026 Cannabis Reform (2022 Chapter – Effective July 1, 2023) 

Section 4 of this bill, which was originally passed in the 2022 Legislative Session, takes effect on July 1, 2023.  Section 4 alters civil/criminal penalties related to cannabis. 

SB0653 CH0766 Child in Need of Assistance – Neglect – Cannabis Use 

Provides that the use of cannabis by a parent or certain other individuals who care for a child does not qualify as neglect except in certain circumstances for purposes of provisions of law applicable to children in need of assistance.  

HB1071 CH0802 Criminal Law and Procedure – Cannabis – Fines for Smoking in Public, Stops, and Searches 

This bill prohibits a law enforcement officer from (1) initiating a stop or a search of a person, motor vehicle, or vessel based solely on specified types of cannabis-related evidence and (2) conducting a search of specified areas of a motor vehicle or vessel during an investigation of a person solely for driving a motor vehicle or vessel while impaired by or under the influence of cannabis. Evidence discovered or obtained in violation of the bill, including evidence discovered or obtained by consent, is not admissible in a trial, hearing, or other proceeding. In addition, the penalty for smoking cannabis in a public place is reduced for a first offense, to a maximum fine of $50 (rather than $250 under current law) and for a second or subsequent offense, to a maximum fine of $150 (rather than $500 under current law).  

HB0021 CH0274 – Property tax – Tax Sales – Notices and Payoff Amount for Redemption 

This bill authorizes an owner of owner-occupied residential property – that has been sold at a tax sale and for which a complaint to foreclose the right of redemption has not yet been filed – to request, from the holder of the certificate of sale, the current payoff amount to redeem the property. The current mortgagee of the property and specified others are also authorized to request the current payoff amount. … The bill also requires that an email address be included in the holder’s and the tax collector’s contact information provided in specified notices sent by the holder to the owner and specified others. 

SB0756 CH0641 Access to Counsel in Evictions – Funding 

This bill extends, through fiscal 2027, a requirement for (1) the Comptroller to distribute $14.0 million annually from the State’s Unclaimed Property Fund to the Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) Special Fund and (2) the Governor to include in the budget bill for each associated fiscal year an appropriation of $14.0 million from the ACE Special Fund to the Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC). 

HB0707 CH0443 Office of the Comptroller – Taxpayer Advocate Division 

Establishing the Taxpayer Advocate Division in the Office of the Comptroller to assist taxpayers and their representatives in resolving certain taxpayer problems and complaints and represent taxpayers’ interests in a certain manner. 

HB0169 CH0572 Public Utilities – Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programs – Energy Performance Targets and Low-Income Housing 

This bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to procure or provide energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) programs and services for electricity customers for the 2024-2026 EmPOWER Maryland Program cycle, subject to specified requirements. The bill also (1) establishes the Green and Healthy Task Force, staffed by DHCD; (2) establishes several reporting and planning requirements for DHCD and the Public Service Commission (PSC), including that DHCD develop a plan to provide energy efficiency retrofits to all low-income households by 2031; and (3) requires the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Businesses (GOSBA) to conduct a related disparity study by December 31, 2025.