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HB0953 • 2026

Revenue Stabilization Account - Transfer of Funds - State Disaster Recovery Fund

Revenue Stabilization Account - Transfer of Funds - State Disaster Recovery Fund

Taxes
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Delegates Buckel and Hinebaugh
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 450
Effective date
2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the frequency of transfers or specific types of disasters covered by the fund.

Revenue Stabilization Account - Transfer to Disaster Recovery Fund

This law allows the Governor, with approval from the Board of Public Works and if it won't drop the Revenue Stabilization Account balance below 5% of General Fund revenues for the fiscal year, to transfer funds from the Revenue Stabilization Account to the State Disaster Recovery Fund.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the Governor to move funds from the Revenue Stabilization Account to the State Disaster Recovery Fund with approval from the Board of Public Works.
  • Requires that the transfer does not reduce the Revenue Stabilization Account balance below 5% of estimated General Fund revenues for the fiscal year.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Governor
  • The Board of Public Works
  • The Revenue Stabilization Account
  • The State Disaster Recovery Fund

Terms To Know

Revenue Stabilization Account
A fund that holds money to help the state during financial emergencies.
State Disaster Recovery Fund
A fund used for disaster relief and recovery efforts in Maryland.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only allows transfers if they do not drop the Revenue Stabilization Account balance below 5% of General Fund revenues.
  • It is unclear how often this transfer might happen or what specific disasters it will cover.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 450

  2. 2026-04-10 Senate

    Favorable Report by Budget and Taxation

  3. 2026-04-02 House

    Returned Passed

  4. 2026-03-27 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (36-0)

  5. 2026-03-24 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  6. 2026-03-24 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  7. 2026-03-23 Senate

    Hearing 3/24 at 1:00 p.m.

  8. 2026-03-16 House

    Favorable Report by Appropriations

  9. 2026-03-03 House

    Third Reading Passed (131-0)

  10. 2026-03-02 House

    Favorable Adopted

  11. 2026-03-02 House

    Second Reading Passed

  12. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Referred Budget and Taxation

  13. 2026-02-20 House

    Hearing canceled

  14. 2026-02-20 House

    Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.

  15. 2026-02-17 House

    Hearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m.

  16. 2026-02-05 House

    First Reading Appropriations

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Revenue Stabilization Account - Transfer of Funds - State Disaster Recovery Fund

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Appropriations

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Revenue Stabilization Account - Transfer of Funds - State Disaster Recovery Fund

  20. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Budget and Taxation

  21. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Revenue Stabilization Account - Transfer of Funds - State Disaster Recovery Fund

Official Summary Text

Authorizing the Governor, unless the transfer would result in an Account balance below 5% of the General Fund revenues for the fiscal year and subject to the approval of the Board of Public Works, to transfer funds from the Revenue Stabilization Account to the State Disaster Recovery Fund.

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.
*hb0953*

HOUSE BILL 953
E4, P1 6lr1331

By: Delegates Buckel and Hinebaugh
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Revenue Stabilization Account – Transfer of Funds – State Disaster Recovery 2
Fund 3

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Governor, subject to the approval of the Board of Public 4
Works, to transfer funds from the Revenue Stabilization Account to the State 5
Disaster Recovery Fund ; and generally relating to the transfer of funds from the 6
Revenue Stabilization Account. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Article – Public Safety 9
Section 14–110.5(a) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Public Safety 14
Section 14–110.5(f) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 18
Article – State Finance and Procurement 19
Section 7–311(a)(1) and (2) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
2 HOUSE BILL 953

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – State Finance and Procurement 2
Section 7–311(g) 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7

Article – Public Safety 8

14–110.5. 9

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 10

(2) “Fund” means the State Disaster Recovery Fund. 11

(3) “Local Disaster Declaration” means a formal request for State disaster 12
relief and recovery assistance made as a result of an emergency by the senior elected official 13
through the local organization for emergency management. 14

(f) (1) The Governor may include in the annual budget bill an appropriation 15
to the Fund. 16

(2) The Fund shall consist of: 17

(i) money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; 18

(ii) money transferred to the Fund from: 19

1. the Catastrophic Event Account in accordance with § 20
7–324 of the State Finance and Procurement Article; AND 21

2. THE REVENUE STABILIZATION ACCOUNT IN 22
ACCORDANCE WITH § 7–311 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE; 23

(iii) repayments of principal and interest from loans made from the 24
Fund; 25

(iv) reimbursements from the federal governmen t or other legal 26
entities for disaster recovery assistance expenditures made from the Fund; 27

(v) interest earnings of the Fund; and 28

(vi) any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit 29
of the Fund. 30
HOUSE BILL 953 3

Article – State Finance and Procurement 1

7–311. 2

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 3

(2) “Account” means the Revenue Stabilization Account. 4

(g) (1) (I) Unless the transfer would result in an Account balance below 5% 5
of the estimated General Fund revenues for the fiscal year in which the transfer is made, 6
if authorized by an act of the General Assembly or specifically authorized in the State 7
budget bill as enacted, the Governor may transfer funds from the Account to General Fund 8
revenues as necessary to support the operation of State government on a temporary basis. 9

[(2)] (II) If the transfer would result in an Account balance below 5% of 10
the estimated General Fund revenues for the fiscal year in which the transfer is made, the 11
Governor may trans fer funds from the Account to General Fund revenues only if the 12
transfer is authorized by an act of the General Assembly other than the State budget bill. 13

(2) UNLESS THE TRANSFER W OULD RESULT IN AN ACCOUNT 14
BALANCE BELOW 5% OF THE ESTIMATED GENERAL FUND REVENUES FOR THE 15
FISCAL YEAR IN WHICH THE TRANSFER IS MADE, THE GOVERNOR MAY, SUBJECT TO 16
THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSFER FUNDS FROM THE 17
ACCOUNT TO THE DISASTER RECOVERY FUND ESTABLISHED UNDER § 14–110.5 OF 18
THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 20
1, 2026. 21

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.