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*hb0328*
HOUSE BILL 328
L5, G2 6lr1061
By: Prince George’s County Delegation and Montgomery County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: January 16, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Bicounty Commissions – Public Ethics – Financial Disclosure Statements 2
PG/MC 105–26 3
FOR the purpose of requiring an applicant for appointment as a commissioner of a bicounty 4
commission to submit a certain statement to the Prince George’s County Office of 5
Ethics and Accountability; requiring the chief administrative off icer for Prince 6
George’s County to transmit the financial disclosure statements of commissioners or 7
appointed applicants of bicounty commissions to the Office; requiring the Office, 8
rather than the chief administrative officer for Prince George’s County, to retain the 9
statements, return the statements to certain applicants under certain 10
circumstances, provide certain notice to the State Ethics Commission, record certain 11
information of individuals examining or copying the statement, and maintain, make 12
available, and establish procedures governing the inspection of the statements; and 13
generally relating to financial disclosure statements for commissioners and 14
applicants for appointment as commissioners of bicounty commissions. 15
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 16
Article – General Provisions 17
Section 5–822, 5–824(c)(1) and (2), and 5–825(a) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
Article – General Provisions 22
2 HOUSE BILL 328
Section 5–825(b)(1), 5–826, and 5–827 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 3
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 4
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 5
Article – General Provisions 6
5–822. 7
In this part, “commissioner” means a commissioner of a bicounty commission. 8
5–824. 9
(c) (1) Each commissioner shall file a financial disclosure statement 10
electronically with the Ethics Commission. 11
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this su bsection, each 12
commissioner shall also print a paper copy of the electronically filed financial disclosure 13
statement and submit it to the chief administrative officer of the county from which the 14
commissioner is appointed. 15
5–825. 16
(a) An applicant for ap pointment as commissioner shall file the financial 17
disclosure statement required by this part electronically with the Ethics Commission. 18
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an applicant 19
shall also print a paper copy of the electronically filed statement and submit it to: 20
(I) the chief administrative officer of the county from which the 21
applicant seeks appointment; AND 22
(II) IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, THE PRINCE GEORGE’S 23
COUNTY OFFICE OF ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 24
5–826. 25
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the chief 26
administrative officer of a county shall transmit each financial disclosure statement of a 27
commissioner or appointed applicant to the executive director of the appropriate bicount y 28
commission AND, IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, THE PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY 29
OFFICE OF ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 30
HOUSE BILL 328 3
(2) In Montgomery County, the county council shall transmit each 1
financial disclosure statement of a commissioner or appointed applicant to the 2
Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission to the executive director of the 3
commission. 4
(b) The FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENT SHALL BE R ETAINED BY THE 5
FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES FOR THE ENTIRE TERM OF OFFICE OF THE 6
COMMISSIONER: 7
(1) THE executive director [and]; 8
(2) IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, the chief administrative officer [shall 9
retain the statement for the entire term of office of the commissioner]; AND 10
(3) IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, THE PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY 11
OFFICE OF ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 12
(c) (1) [Within 15 days after an appointment to a bicounty commission has 13
become final, if ] IF an applicant provided a paper copy of a financial disclosure 14
STATEMENT, THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES, WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER 15
AN APPOINTMENT TO A BICOUNTY COMMISSION HAS BECOME FINAL, SHALL RETURN 16
TO EACH APPLICANT WH O IS NOT APPOINTED THE ORIGINAL AND ALL COPIES OF 17
THE STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY THAT APPLICANT: 18
(I) the county council [and]; 19
(II) IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, the chief administrative officer [of 20
the county involved shall return to each applicant who is not appointed the original and all 21
copies of the statement submitted by that applicant]; AND 22
(III) IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, THE PRINCE GEORGE’S 23
COUNTY OFFICE OF ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 24
(2) On notification by the chief administrative officer [of the county 25
involved] FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY OR THE PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY OFFICE 26
OF ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY that an applicant was not appointed, the Ethics 27
Commission shall promptly delete the FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE statement electronically 28
filed by the applicant. 29
5–827. 30
(a) The Ethics Commission, the executive director of each bicounty commission, 31
[and] the chief administrative officer [of each county] FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND 32
THE PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY OFFICE OF ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY: 33
4 HOUSE BILL 328
(1) shall maintain financial disclosure statements of commissioners and 1
appointed applicants received under this part; 2
(2) shall make the statements available to t he public for examination and 3
copying during normal office hours; and 4
(3) may charge a reasonable fee and adopt reasonable administrative 5
procedures for the examination and copying of a statement. 6
(b) The Ethics Commission, the executive director of e ach bicounty commission, 7
[and] the chief administrative officer [of each county] FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND 8
THE PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY OFFICE OF ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY shall 9
require that any person examining or copying a statement shall record: 10
(1) the person’s name and home address; and 11
(2) the name of the individual whose statement was examined or copied. 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.