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HB0343 • 2026

Housing Development Projects - Housing Counseling Services

Housing Development Projects - Housing Counseling Services

Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Delegate Rosenberg
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 64
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Housing Development Projects - Housing Counseling Services

Requiring a recipient of certain funding from the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide information about certain housing counseling services that are available through the U.S.

What This Bill Does

  • Requiring a recipient of certain funding from the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide information about certain housing counseling services that are available through the U.S.
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development to certain prospective residents; and requiring the Governor to appropriate $90,000 in fiscal year 2028 and each fiscal year thereafter for community development organizations to partner with certain housing counseling agencies providing housing counseling services.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

313023/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 313023/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 343 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

  • AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 343 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 On page 1, in line 4, strike “offer” and substitute “ provide information about certain”.
  • AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 On page 2, in line 8, after “ DEPARTMENT” insert “ FROM THE STRATEGIC DEMOLITION FUND OR THE BALTIMORE VACANTS REINVESTMENT INITIATIVE”; in line 9, strike “ USE AS HOUSING ” and substitute “ SINGLE–FAMILY HOMEOWNERSHIP”; in line 10, strike “AGREE TO OFFER” and substitute “ PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT TH E”; in the same line, after “ SERVICES” insert “ THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH TH E U.S.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 64

  2. 2026-04-02 Senate

    Favorable Report by Budget and Taxation

  3. 2026-03-25 Senate

    Hearing 3/31 at 1:30 p.m.

  4. 2026-03-18 House

    Returned Passed

  5. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (32-12)

  6. 2026-03-15 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  7. 2026-03-15 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  8. 2026-03-10 House

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters

  9. 2026-02-28 House

    Third Reading Passed (96-36)

  10. 2026-02-28 Senate

    Referred Budget and Taxation

  11. 2026-02-27 House

    Favorable with Amendments { 313023/1 Adopted

  12. 2026-02-27 House

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  13. 2026-01-28 House

    Hearing 2/05 at 1:00 p.m.

  14. 2026-01-19 House

    First Reading Economic Matters

  15. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Housing Development Projects - Housing Counseling Services

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Economic Matters

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Housing Development Projects - Housing Counseling Services

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Budget and Taxation

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Housing Development Projects - Housing Counseling Services

Official Summary Text

Requiring a recipient of certain funding from the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide information about certain housing counseling services that are available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to certain prospective residents; and requiring the Governor to appropriate $90,000 in fiscal year 2028 and each fiscal year thereafter for community development organizations to partner with certain housing counseling agencies providing housing counseling services.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0343*

HOUSE BILL 343
C9 6lr0651

By: Delegate Rosenberg
Introduced and read first time: January 19, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 27, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Housing Development Projects – Housing Counseling Services 2

FOR the purpose of requiring a recipient of certain funding from the Department of 3
Housing and Community Development to offer provide information about certain 4
housing counseling services to certain prospective residents; requiring the Governor 5
to appropriate funds in certain years for community development organizations to 6
partner with certain housing counseling agencies; and generally relating to housing 7
counseling services. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Housing and Community Development 10
Section 2–304 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Housing and Community Development 16

2–304. 17

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWIN G WORDS HAVE THE MEA NINGS 18
INDICATED. 19

2 HOUSE BILL 343

(2) “APPROVED HOUSING COUN SELING AGENCY ” MEANS AN 1
ORGANIZATION THAT IS APPROVED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 2
URBAN DEVELOPMENT TO PROVIDE HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES DIRECTLY OR 3
THROUGH AFFILIATES OR BRANCHES. 4

(3) “COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION” MEANS AN ENTITY 5
THAT MEETS THE QUALIFICATIONS OF § 6–203 OF THIS ARTICLE. 6

(4) “HOUSING COUNSELING ” MEANS COUNSELOR –TO–CLIENT 7
ASSISTANCE THAT ADDR ESSES UNIQUE FINANCI AL CIRCUMSTANCES OR HOUSING 8
ISSUES AND FOCUSES O N WAYS OF OVERCOMING SPECIFIC OBSTACLES T O 9
ACHIEVING A HOUSING GOAL. 10

(B) AS A CONDITION ON THE RECEIPT OF FUNDING F ROM THE 11
DEPARTMENT FROM THE STRATEGIC DEMOLITION FUND OR THE BALTIMORE 12
VACANTS REINVESTMENT INITIATIVE FOR ANY PROJECT TO CONSTRUCT, ACQUIRE, 13
OR REHABILITATE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY FOR USE AS HOUSING SINGLE–FAMILY 14
HOMEOWNERSHIP, A FUNDING RECIPIENT SHALL AGREE TO OFFER PROVIDE 15
INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE 16
THROUGH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TO 17
PROSPECTIVE RESIDENTS BEFORE THE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT TO PURCHASE 18
THE PROPERTY. 19

(C) HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF 20
THIS SECTION SHALL B E PROVIDED BY HOUSIN G COUNSELORS CERTIFIED BY THE 21
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYED BY AN 22
APPROVED HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCY. 23

(D) IN FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, THE 24
GOVERNOR SHALL APPROP RIATE $200,000 $90,000 TO BE USED BY COMMUN ITY 25
DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZA TIONS TO PARTNER WIT H APPROVED HOUSING 26
COUNSELING AGENCIES PROVIDING HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES UNDER THIS 27
SECTION. 28

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 29
1, 2026. 30