HB 1 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Investor-Owned Electric, Gas, and Gas and Electric Companies - Cost Recovery - Limitations

HB 1 limits how investor-owned electric, gas, and combined gas/electric utility companies in Maryland can pass certain costs to customers through their rates. It prohibits rate recovery for most employee bonuses (except for pre-2025 contracts or union-covered employees) and caps supervisor compensation above 110% of the Public Service Commission Chair’s annual salary. The bill also requires utility boards to adopt written policies limiting spending on entertainment, office renovations, transportation (including private jets), and performance incentives, with policies submitted to the Public Service Commission for review. These rules apply specifically to investor-owned utility companies and aim to prevent ratepayers from funding certain executive or operational costs.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Sep 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Sep 15, 2025 Last action Feb 10, 2026
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What changed between versions

First - Investor-Owned Electric, Gas, and Gas and Electric Companies - Cost Recovery - Limitations Third - Investor-Owned Electric, Gas, and Gas and Electric Companies - Cost Recovery - Limitations · 8 edits
MODERATE
The bill was updated to reflect its progression from a pre-filed draft to an adopted version with amendments. Substantive changes include expanding the definition of 'supervisor' to include affiliates, broadening the definition of 'compensation' to cover parent companies, and clarifying that excluded benefits now include dental and vision insurance. The bill also reorganized the list of expenditures subject to cost limits and adjusted the salary threshold for recoverable bonus compensation.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to apply to parent companies and affiliates of public service companies, not just the companies themselves. Additionally, the definition of 'supervisor' was broadened to explicitly include employees of these affiliates.
DEFINITION

The definition of 'supervisor' was updated to include employees of the public service company, its parent company, or any other affiliate.

The definition of 'compensation' was expanded to include payments made to supervisors working for the parent company or any affiliate of the public service company.

Excluded benefits were broadened to explicitly include dental, medical, vision, and life insurance, whereas the previous version only listed health, medical, and life insurance.

REQUIREMENT

The salary threshold for recoverable bonus compensation was changed from 110% of the maximum salary of a Commission member to 110% of the maximum salary of the Commission Chair.

The section requiring the Board of Directors to adopt cost limitation policies was renumbered and restructured to reference new Commission guidance.

New requirements were added mandating that public service companies send copies of their adopted policies to the Commission at specific times.

A new requirement was added for the Public Service Commission to publish specific guidance on cost limitations.

TECHNICAL

The bill header was updated to reflect committee approval and adoption, and the list of sponsoring delegates was expanded.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 6, 2026

How they voted

9830
Passed · 14 other
Total votes 142
Feb 6, 2026
D Democratic103
95 Yea 8
92% Yea
R Republican39
3 Yea 30 Nay 6
76% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
17
Key actions
5
Committee
4
Amendments
2
Feb 10, 2026
Committee
Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
Feb 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Introduced
Floor Amendment {
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Motion Special Order until 02/05 (Delegate Korman) Adopted
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Introduced
Floor Amendment {
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Motion Special Order until 2/04 (Delegate Chisholm) Adopted
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation
lower
Jan 14, 2026
Committee
First Reading Environment and Transportation
lower
Sep 15, 2025
Introduced
Pre-filed
lower
26 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors