REALTOR® News

Maryland General Assembly 2026 Crossover Report

On March 23, the Maryland General Assembly reached an important milestone for the session: Crossover. This is the date where House bills should be approved by the House, and Senate bills by the Senate, in order to proceed to final passage under normal proceedings.

Those bills that did not advance are not dead but will require more work to pass than those that moved before the deadline.

The following is where key REALTOR® issues stand as of March 23:

REALTOR® Initiatives:

HB1029 / SB 691 - Allows all contract contingencies to be eligible for the expedited Earnest Money Deposit. returns Both bills have passed their original chamber.

SB 814 - Addresses previously recorded liens tied to defunct companies that offered 40-Year Listing Agreements, creating a path to clear those liens from property titles. The bill passed in the Senate and will now be taken up in the House.

HB 1132 - Updates the notice requirements, timelines, and allowable fees for Condo and HOA resale documents to improve transparency and consistency in transactions. The bill passed in the House and has moved to the Senate.

Housing:

The following pro-housing bills advanced:

HB 548 / SB 325 - Establishes vesting protections so approved developments can proceed under the rules in place at the time of approval.

HB 894 / SB 389 - Promotes housing and mixed-use development near transit to increase density and housing supply.

HB 691 - Streamlines permitting processes to reduce delays in housing development.

SB 31 - Places guardrails on Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances to prevent them from unnecessarily restricting housing growth.

HB 1137 / SB 829 - The Bring Back Main Street bill, which would have allowed residential uses in commercial zones, was amended to require a DHCD study to be delivered before next session.

Not advancing:

HB 239 / SB 36 - Starter and Silver Homes Act, which would have promoted the construction of smaller, more affordable homes for first-time buyers and seniors.

HB 778 - This bill was a REALTOR priority and would have expanded zoning allowances for duplexes, triplexes, and other “missing middle” housing types.

Building Affordably in My Back Yard Act (BAMBY):

Although SB 267 advanced in the Senate, all tax provisions and the 30-day Right of First Refusal were removed from the bill. What remains is a requirement for rental owners to provide contact information to DHCD for local code enforcement purposes, and a local option to create administrative approval for housing developments if there is a shortage of affordable housing.

Landlord Tenant:

As usual, several property management bills are advancing. These include air conditioning requirements (HB 153/SB 12) and screening requirements for criminal background and credit scores (HB 313/SB 335, HB 315, SB 937).

However, Good Cause Lease provisions (HB 774/SB 462) and Rent Control (HB 1460) measures did not advance before Crossover.

Housing Taxes:

SB 674 / HB 916, which would fund regional transportation through transaction tax surcharges did not advance, nor did legislation to institute progressive transfer tax rates (HB 1213).

Stay Up to Date with the 2026 Session

For more information and status updates through the end of April 13, you can access the Priority Bill Report and the full Legislation Status Report.