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*hb0691*
HOUSE BILL 691
P3, C9 6lr1788
By: Delegates Lopez, Kaufman, Spiegel, and Wims
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 28, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
State Government – Procedures – Permitting Efficiency for Housing 2
Development Projects 3
FOR the purpose of requiring certain units in the Executive Branch of State government 4
to adopt procedures to streamline certain permitting processes for housing 5
development projects; requiring the State Housing Ombudsman to ensure 6
consistency between certain permitting proc esses developed by different units; 7
authorizing the delegation of certain tasks related to the review or approval of 8
permits related to housing construction to certain local governmental units; and 9
generally relating to permitting efficiency for housing development projects. 10
BY renumbering 11
Article – State Government 12
Section 10–1701 and 10–1702 and the subtitle “Subtitle 17. Miscellaneous” 13
to be Section 10 –1801 and 10 –1802, respectively, and the subtitle “Subtitle 18. 14
Miscellaneous” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY adding to 18
Article – State Government 19
Section 10 –1701 through 10 –1703 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 17. 20
Permitting Efficiency for Housing Development Projects” 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23
2 HOUSE BILL 691
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That Section(s) 10 –1701 and 10–1702 and the subtitle “Subtitle 17. Miscellaneous” of 2
Article – State Government of the Annotated Code of Maryland be renumbered to be 3
Section(s) 10–1801 and 10–1802, respectively, and the subtitle “Subtitle 18. Miscellaneous”. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 5
as follows: 6
Article – State Government 7
SUBTITLE 17. PERMITTING EFFICIENCY FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 8
10–1701. 9
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 10
INDICATED. 11
(B) “HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT” MEANS THE NEW CONSTRUCTION 12
OR SUBSTANTIAL RENOVATION OF A RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE PROJECT. 13
(C) (1) “PERMIT RELATED TO HOU SING CONSTRUCTION ” MEANS A 14
PERMIT OR AN APPROVAL REQUIRED BY LAW OR REGULATION TO BE ISSUED BY A 15
UNIT IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF STATE GOVERNMENT TO A DEVELOPER , 16
CONTRACTOR, OR SUBCONTRACTOR IN ORDER TO COMMENCE , CONTINUE, OR 17
SUPPORT A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. 18
(2) “PERMIT RELATED TO HOU SING CONSTRUCTION ” INCLUDES A 19
PERMIT OR AN APPROVAL RELATED TO THE CONST RUCTION OR EXPANSION OF 20
SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVING A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. 21
(D) “STATE HOUSING OMBUDSMAN” MEANS THE INDIVIDUAL DESIGNATED 22
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO 23
FACILITATE NAVIGATION THROUGH L OCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL PERMITTI NG 24
PROCESSES. 25
10–1702. 26
(A) EACH UNIT IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF STATE GOVERNMENT THAT 27
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ISSU ING A PERMIT RELATED TO HOUSING CONSTRUCT ION 28
SHALL ADOPT PROCEDUR ES TO STREAMLINE THE PE RMITTING PROCESS IN 29
ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION. 30
HOUSE BILL 691 3
(B) A STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESS ADOPTED UNDER THIS SECTION 1
SHALL, AT A MINIMUM: 2
(1) TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE, ALLOW FOR THE CONCURRENT FILING 3
AND ADJUDICATION OF MULTIPLE PERMITS OR APPROVALS RELATED TO A 4
PARTICULAR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT; 5
(2) IN CASES IN WHICH CONCURRENT FILING AND ADJUDICATION IS 6
NOT FEASIBLE , PROVIDE FOR THE PREDICTABLE SEQUENCI NG OF FILING S AND 7
ADJUDICATIONS; AND 8
(3) ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK THAT ALLOW S FOR THE EXPEDITED 9
REVIEW OF PERMITS RELATED TO H OUSING CONSTRUCTION , INCLUDING CLEAR 10
ESCALATION AND PRIORITIZATION PATHWAYS. 11
(C) IN DEVELOPING A STREA MLINED PERMITTING PROCESS U NDER THIS 12
SECTION, A UNIT SHALL CONSULT WITH: 13
(1) THE UNIT’S PERMITTING OPERATIONS STAFF; 14
(2) RELEVANT STAKEHOLDER S, INCLUDING ENTITIES THAT 15
FREQUENTLY APPLY FOR PERMITS; AND 16
(3) THE STATE HOUSING OMBUDSMAN. 17
(D) TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE, THE STATE HOUSING OMBUDSMAN SHALL 18
ENSURE CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESSES 19
DEVELOPED BY DIFFERENT UNITS UNDER THIS SECTION. 20
10–1703. 21
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY O THER PROVISION OF LA W, A UNIT IN THE 22
EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF STATE GOVERNMENT MAY, BY AGREEMENT WITH A COUNTY 23
OR MUNICIPALITY, DELEGATE TO AN APPROPRIATE LO CAL GOVERNMENTAL UNI T 24
ANY TASK RELATED TO THE REVIEW OR APPROV AL OF PERMIT S RELATED TO 25
HOUSING CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY. 26
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That on or before December 1, 27
2027, the State Housing Ombudsman within the Department of Housing and Comm unity 28
Development shall report to the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the 29
Environment and the House Government, Labor, a nd Elections Committee, in accordance 30
with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on the development and implementation of 31
the streamlined permitting processes required by this Act. 32
4 HOUSE BILL 691
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2026. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.