Department of Commerce - Complaint Portal and Annual Report

SB 496 requires Maryland's Department of Commerce to create a public online portal where businesses and nonprofits can report if a government unit (like a county, city, or state agency) takes longer than 60 days to process their license, permit, or registration application. The department must submit an annual report to the legislative budget committees by September 15 each year, detailing anonymized complaint data and identifying the responsible government unit for each delay. This law applies directly to businesses seeking permits and the government units that process them, with the portal launching in 2025 and reports beginning in 2026. The bill does not change processing time limits but establishes a mechanism to track and report delays.