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.
*hb0597*
HOUSE BILL 597
C5, L6 6lr1716
By: Montgomery County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Montgomery County – Community Choice Aggregation Pilot Program – 2
Alterations 3
MC 17–26 4
FOR the purpose of altering the beginning and ending dates for the Community Choice 5
Aggregation Pilot Program; altering the dates on which the Public Service 6
Commission must submit certain pilot program reports to the Governor and the 7
General Assembly; and generally relatin g to the Community Choice Aggregation 8
Pilot Program. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Public Utilities 11
Section 7–510.3(b) and (c) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Public Utilities 16
Section 7–510.3(t) and (u) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
2 HOUSE BILL 597
Article – Public Utilities 1
7–510.3. 2
(b) This section applies only in Montgomery County. 3
(c) (1) There is a Community Choice Aggregation Pilot Program. 4
(2) Beginning December 31, 2023, a county may form a community choice 5
aggregator under this section. 6
(t) (1) The pilot program shall: 7
(i) begin on the earlier of: 8
1. the date that a county gives notice to the Commission of 9
its intention to initiate a process to form a community choice aggregator, in accordance with 10
subsection (d)(1)(v) of this section; or 11
2. April 1, [2024] 2026; and 12
(ii) end [7] 9 years after the beginning date, but not sooner than 13
April 1, 2031. 14
(2) On or before April 1 of the [sixth] SEVENTH year after the beginning of 15
the pilot program, the Commission shall, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 16
Government Article, report to the General Assembly on the status and effectiveness of the 17
pilot program. 18
(u) (1) At the conclusion of the pilot program described in this section, the 19
Commission shall study: 20
(i) the overall costs and benefits of the pilot program; 21
(ii) whether there were any incremental costs borne by standard 22
offer service customers resulting from the migration of customers between the community 23
choice aggregator and standard offer service; and 24
(iii) what mechanisms could be implemented to hold standard offer 25
service customers harmless from any incremental costs borne by standard offer service 26
customers identified under item (ii) of this paragraph. 27
(2) The Commi ssion shall seek the advice and recommendation of the 28
Community Choice Energy Workgroup in the study required under this subsection. 29
HOUSE BILL 597 3
(3) On or before December 31, [2031] 2035, the Commission shall report 1
the findings of the study to the Governor and the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2
2–1257 of the State Government Article. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 4
October 1, 2026. 5
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.