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*hb0590*
HOUSE BILL 590
Q8, Q6 6lr0979
By: Howard County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Howard County – Transfer Tax – Use of Proceeds 2
Ho. Co. 12–26 3
FOR the purpose of altering the name of the Howard County Agricultural Land 4
Preservation Fund to be the Howard County Agricultural Preservation and 5
Innovation Fund; specifying the use of certain transfer tax proceeds that are 6
distributed to the Fund; and generally relating to the transfer tax in Howard County. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
The Public Local Laws of Howard County 9
Section 20.304 10
Article 14 – Howard County 11
(2019 Edition and October 2024 Supplement, as amended) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article 14 – Howard County 15
20.304. 16
(a) The Director of Finance shall collect and distribute transfer tax proceeds 17
attributable to the rate of the transfer tax imposed under section 20.301(a) of this subtitle 18
in the following manner: 19
2 HOUSE BILL 590
(1) Twenty–five percent in a special fund known as “The School Site 1
Acquisition and Construction Fund,” and disbursements from this fund shall be made only 2
for the purposes set forth in section 9.102 of the Howard County Code; 3
(2) Twenty–five percent in a special fund known as “The Park Land 4
Watershed Facilities Fund,” and disbursements from this fund shall be made only for the 5
purposes set forth in section 19.100 of the Howard County Code; and 6
(3) The remainder in the general fund of the County, with the stipulation 7
that the County Council shall budget this remainder as follows: 8
(i) Fifty percent plus the interest thereon for the Howard County 9
Agricultural [Land] Preservation AND INNOVATION Fund TO SUPPORT THE 10
AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM AND OTHER PRO GRAMS, 11
SERVICES, OR INITIATIVES TO EN HANCE THE COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OR 12
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURE IN THE COUNTY; 13
(ii) Twenty–five percent for community improvemen t and housing 14
programs primarily serving low income individuals and families and the homeless and for 15
urban renewal; and 16
(iii) Twenty–five percent for the acquisition or leasing of land for new 17
fire house sites and training facilities and the construct ion and maintenance of fire house 18
and training facilities, the acquisition and maintenance of fire equipment, and 19
supplementation of financial needs of fire companies. 20
(b) The Director of Finance shall collect any proceeds attributable to an increase 21
in the transfer tax rate authorized under section 20.301(b) of this subtitle and distribute 22
the proceeds to the general fund of the County to be used in the following manner: 23
(1) Twenty–five percent for capital projects for the Howard County Public 24
School System; 25
(2) Twenty–five percent for capital projects for the Department of 26
Recreation and Parks; 27
(3) Twenty–five percent for community improvement and housing 28
programs primarily serving low income individuals and families and the homeless and for 29
urban renewal; and 30
(4) Twenty–five percent for the acquisition or leasing of land for new fire 31
house sites and training facilities and the construction and maintenance of fire house and 32
training facilities, the acquisition and maintenance of fire equipment, and supplementation 33
of financial needs of fire companies. 34
HOUSE BILL 590 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2026. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.