SB 165 Maryland Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Environment - On-Site Wastewater Systems - Implementation Dates

This bill requires landlords and property sellers in Maryland to ensure septic systems are inspected and pumped by licensed professionals before new tenants move in or property is sold. Landlords must comply by July 1, 2028, and inspections/pumping are valid for three years. Home sellers must include this requirement in real estate contracts starting July 1, 2028, with settlement delayed until proof of inspection and pumping is provided. Exceptions apply for transfers between family members, refinancing, or initial construction. Property owners must also report failing systems to local health departments and confirm repairs.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Oct 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Oct 7, 2025 Last action Apr 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Environment - On-Site Wastewater Systems - Requirements for Inspection and Pumping Services and Implementation Dates Third - Environment - On-Site Wastewater Systems - Implementation Dates · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to streamline the legislative text by removing redundant references to the Annotated Code of Maryland volumes and clarifying the bill's procedural status. The core policy requirements regarding on-site wastewater inspections and pumping remain unchanged, though the formatting of the explanatory notes was updated to better reflect how amendments are marked.
Scope change
No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; the amendments focus on text cleanup and formatting consistency.
TECHNICAL

Deleted redundant references to specific Annotated Code of Maryland replacement volumes and supplements to reduce clutter in the text.

Updated the bill header and explanatory notes to include new instructions on how underlining and striking out indicate amendments, replacing older formatting markers.

Added procedural status lines indicating the bill was favorably reported by the committee and adopted by the Senate.

Reorganized the structure of the bill text to separate the 'Article - Environment' and 'Article - Real Property' sections more clearly, removing duplicate headers.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 21, 2026

How they voted

3111
Passed · 7 other
Total votes 49
Mar 21, 2026
D Democratic36
29 Yea 7
80% Yea
R Republican13
2 Yea 11 Nay
84% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
18
Key actions
11
Committee
8
Amendments
2
Apr 9, 2026
Committee
Referred Rules and Executive Nominations
lower
Apr 9, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Apr 8, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
upper
Apr 8, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
Mar 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion Recommit to Committee (Senator Feldman) Adopted
upper
Mar 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion Special Order until Next Session (Senator Hershey) Adopted
upper
Mar 23, 2026
Introduced
Floor Amendment {
upper
Mar 21, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (31-11-7)
senate
Mar 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion Special Order until Later Today (Senator Feldman) Adopted
upper
Mar 20, 2026
Introduced
Floor Amendment {
upper
Mar 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion Special Order until Next Session (Senator Ready) Adopted
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
Jan 14, 2026
Committee
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
Oct 7, 2025
Introduced
Pre-filed
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Ben Brooks
Ben Brooks
DDemocratic
MD
10