Office of Regulatory Management and State Government Authorizations

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1079*

HOUSE BILL 1079
P3, P1 6lr1952

By: Delegates Hutchinson, Adams, Anderson, Arentz, Baker, Beauchamp, Buckel,
Chisholm, Ciliberti, Ghrist, Griffith, Hartman, Hinebaugh, Hornberger,
Jacobs, Kipke, R. Long, Mangione, McComas, Metzgar, Miller, T. Morgan,
Pippy, Reilly, Rose, Schmidt, Stonko, Tomlinson, Valentine, and Wivell
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Office of Regulatory Management and State Government Authorizations 2

FOR the purpose of establishing the Office of Regulatory Management; providing for the 3
Director, staffing, and duties of the Office; requiring certain units of State 4
government to submit certain reports to certain persons at certain times regarding 5
regulatory actions and permits, licenses, certifications, and registrations; requiring 6
certain units to develop a strategy to s implify certain application processes; 7
requiring certain units of State government, in consultation with the Department of 8
Information T echnology, to implement online processes for the submission and 9
amendment of certain applications and fees; and generally relating to the Office of 10
Regulatory Management and the simplification of processes of the State government. 11

BY adding to 12
Article – State Government 13
Section 9–4201 through 9–4206 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 42. Office of 14
Regulatory Management” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19

Article – State Government 20

SUBTITLE 42. OFFICE OF REGULATORY MANAGEMENT. 21

9–4201. 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1079

(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2

(B) “OFFICE” MEANS THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY MANAGEMENT. 3

(C) “REGULATION” HAS THE MEANING S TATED IN § 10–101 OF THIS 4
ARTICLE. 5

9–4202. 6

THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBTITLE ARE IN ADDITION TO THE 7
REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE 10, SUBTITLE 1 OF THIS ARTICLE. 8

9–4203. 9

(A) THERE IS AN OFFICE OF REGULATORY MANAGEMENT. 10

(B) (1) THE HEAD OF THE OFFICE IS THE DIRECTOR. 11

(2) THE DIRECTOR: 12

(I) SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR WITH THE ADVICE 13
AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE; AND 14

(II) IS ENTITLED TO THE S ALARY PROVIDED IN TH E STATE 15
BUDGET. 16

(C) THE OFFICE SHALL HAVE THE STAFF PROVIDED FOR IN THE STATE 17
BUDGET. 18

9–4204. 19

ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2026, THE OFFICE SHALL DEVELOP POLICIES 20
AND PROCEDURES FOR: 21

(1) THE OVERSIGHT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A 25% REDUCTION IN 22
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS; 23

(2) THE OVERSIGHT AND IM PLEMENTATION OF THE STREAMLINING 24
OF THE REGULATORY AN D PERMITTING APPROVA L PROCESS OF ALL UNI TS OF 25
STATE GOVERNMENT TO A CHIEVE A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN THE TIM E 26
HOUSE BILL 1079 3

REQUIRED FOR APPROVA L OR REJECTION OF PERMITS, LICENSES, 1
CERTIFICATIONS, AND REGISTRATIONS; AND 2

(3) THE INCREASED TRANSP ARENCY OF THE STATE REGULATORY 3
PROCESS. 4

9–4205. 5

ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER, EACH UNIT OF 6
STATE GOVERNMENT SHAL L SUBMIT A REPORT TO T HE OFFICE AND, IN 7
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THIS ARTICLE , THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON 8
ADMINISTRATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND LEGISLATIVE REVIEW LISTING ALL 9
REGULATIONS THAT THE UNIT ANTICIPATES AMENDING, ADOPTING, OR REPEALING 10
DURING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 11

9–4206. 12

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWIN G WORDS HAVE THE MEA NINGS 13
INDICATED. 14

(2) “AUTHORIZATION” MEANS A PERMIT , LICENSE, CERTIFICATION, 15
REGISTRATION, OR ANY OTHER INSTRUM ENT THAT A PERSON IS REQUIRED TO 16
OBTAIN FROM A UNIT BEFORE ENGAGING IN A PARTICULAR ACTIVITY. 17

(3) “AVERAGE PROCESSING DURATION” MEANS THE AMOUNT OF 18
TIME IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR THAT A UNIT TAKES TO FULLY PROCE SS ANY 19
GIVEN APPLICATION FOR AN AUTHORIZATION. 20

(4) “LOW–VOLUME AUTHORIZATION” MEANS AN AUTHORIZATION 21
FOR WHICH A UNIT RECEIVES AN AVERAGE OF FEWER THAN FIVE APPLICATIONS PER 22
YEAR. 23

(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO UNITS IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF 24
STATE GOVERNMENT. 25

(C) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2026, EACH UNIT SHALL SUBMIT A 26
REPORT TO THE OFFICE CONTAINING: 27

(1) FOR EACH AUTHORIZATION, INFORMATION ON: 28

(I) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS PROCESS ED 29
ANNUALLY; 30

4 HOUSE BILL 1079

(II) THE AVERAGE PROCESSING TIME; 1

(III) ANY FEES OR CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2
AUTHORIZATION; 3

(IV) ANY INVOLVEMENT OF A NOTHER FEDERAL, STATE, OR 4
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY IN THE AUTHORIZATION PROCESS, INCLUDING THE 5
AVERAGE PROCESSING DURATION BY EACH ENTITY; 6

(V) THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT MANDATES OR AUT HORIZES 7
THE AUTHORIZATION; 8

(VI) INFORMATION ON WHETH ER THE APPLICATION , FEE 9
PAYMENT, AND OTHER RELEVANT DETAILS MAY BE COMPLETED ONLINE; 10

(VII) WHETHER THE AUTHORIZATION HAS A TARGET 11
PROCESSING TIME OF 15 DAYS OR LESS; 12

(VIII) WHETHER THE AUTHORIZATION INVOLVES MORE THAN ONE 13
PROCEDURAL STEP; AND 14

(IX) IF THE AUTHORIZATION IS A LOW–VOLUME 15
AUTHORIZATION, A RECOMMENDATION ON WHETHER THE AUTHORIZATION SHOULD 16
BE ELIMINATED; 17

(2) A CERTIFICATION THAT THE UNIT HAS, FOR EACH 18
AUTHORIZATION: 19

(I) ASSIGNED STAFF TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 20
AUTHORIZATION; 21

(II) DEVELOPED A PROCESS FOR EACH AUTHORIZATION; 22

(III) IMPLEMENTED A SYSTEM TO TRACK THE DURATION TIME 23
FOR THE PROCESSING OF AN APPLICATION; AND 24

(IV) ESTABLISHED A STANDA RDIZED INTERNAL PROC ESS FOR 25
APPLICATION REVIEW; AND 26

(3) A STRATEGY TO SIMPLI FY EXISTING AUTHORIZATIONS, 27
INCLUDING: 28

HOUSE BILL 1079 5

(I) REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PROCEDURAL STAGES IN THE 1
AUTHORIZATION PROCESS; 2

(II) CONVERTING INDIVIDUA L AUTHORIZATIONS TO GENERAL 3
AUTHORIZATIONS WHERE PERMISSIBLE BY REGULATORY, STATUTORY, OR 4
ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY; AND 5

(III) REDUCING THE OVERALL NUMBER OF AUTHORIZATIONS. 6

(D) ON OR BEFORE APRIL 1, 2027, AND QUARTERLY THEREA FTER, EACH 7
UNIT SHALL SUBMIT AN UPDATE TO THE REPORT DES CRIBING ANY PROGRESS THE 8
UNIT HAS MADE IN IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY OUTLINED IN THE REPORT. 9

(E) EACH UNIT, IN COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF 10
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROCESSES FOR: 11

(1) SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS FOR AUTHORIZATIONS ONLINE; 12

(2) PROCESSING PAYMENTS ELECTRONICALLY; AND 13

(3) AMENDING PENDING APPLICATIONS. 14

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 15
1, 2026. 16