HB 548 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Land Use - Permitting - Development Rights (Maryland Housing Certainty Act)

HB 548, the Maryland Housing Certainty Act, requires local governments to approve housing development projects based solely on land-use laws and regulations in effect when a developer submits a "substantially complete" application. It grants developers "vested rights" to build under those original rules for a set period, protecting projects from future regulatory changes. The bill also prohibits localities from collecting development excise taxes or impact fees until a project is fully completed. This directly affects housing developers and local planning authorities across Maryland, streamlining approvals for new housing while limiting fee collection during construction.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Jan 27, 2026 Signed May 26, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Third - Land Use - Permitting - Development Rights (Maryland Housing Certainty Act) → Enrolled - Land Use - Permitting - Development Rights (Maryland Housing Certainty Act) · 3 edits · May 26, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized and enrolled for the Governor's signature, updating its official status and formatting. Substantively, the bill's scope was expanded to repeal and reenact specific sections in the Land Use articles, ensuring the new Maryland Housing Certainty Act applies consistently across charter counties and Baltimore City by explicitly listing the sections that apply to them.

Scope change

The bill's scope was clarified and expanded to include specific repeals and reenactments of existing sections in the Land Use articles, ensuring the new Housing Certainty Act applies uniformly to charter counties and Baltimore City.

TECHNICAL

The document status changed from a House Bill to an Enrolled Bill, indicating it has passed both chambers and is ready for the Governor's signature.

New formatting elements were added, including a 'Read and Examined by Proofreaders' section and the Great Seal presentation details.

SCOPE

The bill now explicitly repeals and reenacts specific sections of the Land Use articles to ensure the new Housing Certainty Act applies correctly to charter counties and Baltimore City.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 23, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 28, 2026

How they voted

36–12

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 49

Mar 23, 2026

D Democratic36

35 Yea 1

97% Yea

R Republican13

1 Yea 12 Nay

92% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 26, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 591

executive

Apr 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Enrolled

lower

Apr 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Apr 11, 2026

Introduced

House Concurs Senate Amendments

lower

Apr 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Apr 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Apr 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Mar 28, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (111-18-13)

house of delegates

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Mar 23, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (36-12-1)

senate

Mar 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Committee

First Reading Economic Matters

lower

23 primary · 0 co-sponsors