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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.
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HOUSE BILL 600
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By: St. Mary’s County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 7, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
St. Mary’s County – Metropolitan Commission 2
FOR the purpose of increasing the amount of a certain required bond that the Treasurer 3
and any Deputy Treasurer gives to the State of Maryland, the St. Mary’s County 4
Metropolitan Commission , and the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County; 5
authorizing, instead of requiring, the Metropolitan Commission to conduct certain 6
studies, plans, and estimates and altering the scope of those studies, plans, and 7
estimates; altering certain civil and criminal penalties for certain violations ; and 8
generally relating to the St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
The Public Local Laws of St. Mary’s County 11
Section 113–2E.(2), 113–5A.(1), and 113–21A. and B. 12
Article 19 – Public Local Laws of Maryland 13
(2007 Edition and April 2025 Supplement, as amended) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
The Public Local Laws of St. Mary’s County 16
Section 113–21C.(1) 17
Article 19 – Public Local Laws of Maryland 18
(2007 Edition and April 2025 Supplement, as amended) 19
(As enacted by Chapter 599 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025) 20
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
The Public Local Laws of St. Mary’s County 22
2 HOUSE BILL 600
Section 113–21C.(2) 1
Article 19 – Public Local Laws of Maryland 2
(2007 Edition and April 2025 Supplement, as amended) 3
(As enacted by Chapter 599 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025) 4
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
The Public Local Laws of St. Mary’s County 6
Section 113–21C.(3) 7
Article 19 – Public Local Laws of Maryland 8
(2007 Edition and April 2025 Supplement, as amended) 9
SECTION 1. BE IT ENA CTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
Article 19 – St. Mary’s County 12
113–2. 13
E. (2) All moneys deposited shall be protected by a depository bond or by other 14
securities approved by the Metropolitan Commissio n. The Treasurer and any Deputy 15
Treasurer appointed by the Metropolitan Commission shall give bond to the State of 16
Maryland, the Metropolitan Commission , and the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County to 17
the amount of [twenty–five] TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY thousand dollars [($25,000)] 18
($250,000) or a greater amount that the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County prescribe, 19
with a good and sufficient surety, to be approved by the Commissioners of St. Mary’s 20
County. The bond shall provide , in a form approved by th e Maryland Insurance 21
Administration and the County Attorney, that if the individual giving the bond shall well 22
and faithfully execute that individual’s office and account to the Metropolitan Commission 23
for all moneys received on behalf of the Metropolitan Commission without fraud or delay, 24
the required bond obligation shall be null and void, but shall otherwise remain in full force 25
and effect. The bond, when approved, shall be recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the 26
Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County. 27
113–5. 28
A. (1) The Metropolitan Commission [shall] MAY cause studies, plans and 29
estimates to be made for new facilities in those portions of St. Mary’s County DESIGNATED 30
AS NOT PLANNED FOR S ERVICE BY THE ST. MARY’S COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE 31
WATER AND SEWERAGE PLAN, in which the Metropolitan Commission determines that 32
the facilities are necessary and [may divide each sanitary district into water and sewerage 33
districts in such a way as shall ], in its judgment, best serve the needs of the various 34
communities and shall promote convenience and economy of installation and operation. 35
113–21. 36
A. CRIMINAL PENALTIES. 37
HOUSE BILL 600 3
(1) [Unless otherwise provided, any act or omission designated as a ] A 1
PERSON WHO VIOLATES ANY OF THE PROVISIONS LISTED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 2
SUBSECTION IS GUILTY OF A misdemeanor [in the chapter is punishable by] AND, ON 3
CONVICTION, IS SUBJECT TO a fine of not more than one [hundred] THOUSAND dollars 4
[($100.00) or confinement] ($1,000.00) OR IMPRISONMENT for not more than thirty (30) 5
days [in the county jail,] or both. 6
(2) A PERSON IS SUBJECT TO THE PENALTIES PRO VIDED IN 7
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION IF THE PERSON VIOLATES: 8
(A) SECTION 113–7 OF THIS CHAPTER (LEVY OF TAXES); 9
(B) SECTION 113–11 OF THIS CHAPTER (PERMITS AND 10
REGULATIONS OF USE); 11
(C) SECTION 113–17 OF THIS CHAPTER (PRIVATELY 12
CONSTRUCTED SYSTEMS); 13
(D) SECTION 113–19 OF THIS CHAPTER (ENTRY INTO 14
BUILDINGS); OR 15
(E) SECTION 113–20 OF THIS CHAPTER (OBSTRUCTIONS). 16
(3) Where [this] THE act or omission is of a continuing nature and persists 17
in violation of the provisions of this chapter or of any rule or regulation promulgated under 18
this chapter, a conviction for one (1) offense is not a bar to a conviction for a continuation 19
of the offense subsequent to the first or any succeeding conviction. 20
B. (1) The Metropolitan Commission may designate any violation of this 21
chapter as a civil infraction, which shall be enforced as provided in this subsection. 22
(2) A Metropolitan Commission emp loyee with the duty of enforcing this 23
chapter may deliver a citation to a person believed to be committing a violation. A copy of 24
the citation shall be retained by the Metropolitan Commission employee and shall bear a 25
certification attesting to the truth of the matters set forth. The citation shall contain: 26
(A) The name and address of the person charged; 27
(B) The nature of the violation; 28
(C) The place and time of the violation; 29
(D) The amount of the fine assessed; 30
4 HOUSE BILL 600
(E) The manner, location, and time in which the fine may be paid; 1
and 2
(F) The person’s right to elect to stand trial for the violation. 3
(3) (A) Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, [a preset 4
fine, not to exceed one hundred dollars ( $100.00), may be imposed for each violation ] ON 5
DELIVERY OF A CITATION, THE METROPOLITAN COMMISSION MAY IMPOSE A FINE 6
OF: 7
(I) FOR A FIRST VIOLATION , TWO HUNDRED AND FIFT Y 8
DOLLARS ($250.00); 9
(II) FOR A SECOND VIOLATION, FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS 10
($500.00); 11
(III) FOR A THIRD VIOLATION, SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY 12
DOLLARS ($750.00); AND 13
(IV) FOR A FOURTH OR SUBSEQUE NT VIOLATION , ONE 14
THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00). 15
(B) EACH DAY THAT A VIOLA TION CONTINUES IS A SEPARATE 16
CIVIL INFRACTION SUB JECT TO AN ADDITIONA L CITATION AND A FINE IN THE 17
AMOUNT OF TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS ($250.00). 18
(C) The Metropolitan Commission may establish a schedule of fines 19
for each violation and may adopt procedures for collection of these fines. 20
(4) (A) A person may not remove water from a public system under the 21
jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Commission without the prior authorization of the 22
Metropolitan Commission. 23
(B) The Metropolitan Commission may impose a fine [not 24
exceeding]: 25
(I) FOR A FIRST VIOLATION , NOT MORE THAN one 26
thousand dollars ($1,000.00) [for each violation of this paragraph]; AND 27
(II) FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUE NT VIOLATION , NOT 28
MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2,000.00). 29
(C) The Metropolitan Commission may establish a schedule of fines 30
for each violation of this paragraph based on the amount of water removed and the number 31
of prior violations by a person. 32
HOUSE BILL 600 5
(5) A person who receives a citation may elect to stand trial for the offense 1
by filing with the Metropolitan Commission a notice of intention to stand trial. The notice 2
shall be given at least five (5) days before the date of payment as set forth in the citation. 3
On receipt of the notice of intention to stand trial, the M etropolitan Commission shall 4
forward to the district court having venue a copy of the citation and the notice of intention 5
to stand trial. On receipt of the citation, the district court shall schedule the case for trial 6
and notify the defendant of the trial date. All fines, penalties, or forfeitures collected by the 7
district court for violation shall be remitted to the Metropolitan Commission. 8
C. (1) The Metropolitan Commission may utilize administrative enforcement 9
remedies or seek judicial enforcement remedies for a violation of any rules and regulations 10
the Metropolitan Commission may adopt under this chapter concerning public water and 11
sewer use, including lines, and mains, all appurtenances, connections, and discharges into 12
the public sewer systems. The Metropolitan Commission shall establish procedures for 13
implementing the enforcement remedies authorized under this subsection. 14
(2) The Metropolitan Commission may utilize administrative enforcement 15
remedies that may include: 16
(A) A notification of a violation; 17
(B) A consent order; 18
(C) A show cause hearing; 19
(D) A compliance order; 20
(E) A cease and desist order; 21
(F) An administrative fine not to exceed one thousand dollars 22
($1,000.00) per violation, per day; 23
(G) An assessment for the reimbursement of actual costs incurred by 24
the Metropolitan Commission, including, but not limited to, time and materials; [or] AND 25
(H) An emergency suspension. 26
(3) The Metropolitan Commission may seek the following judicial 27
enforcement remedies: 28
(A) Petitioning the District Court of St. Mary’s County for injunctive 29
relief; 30
(B) For a conviction of a violation, requesting civil penalties up to one 31
thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per violation, per day; or 32
6 HOUSE BILL 600
(C) For a convi ction of a violation, requesting criminal penalties of 1
not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per violation, or imprisonment for not more 2
than one (1) year per violation, or both. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take ef fect 4
October 1, 2026. 5
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.