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HB1149 • 2026

State Finance - Claims of the State - Settlement

State Finance - Claims of the State - Settlement

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Delegates Young and Hornberger
Last action
2026-04-28
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 311
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

State Finance - Claims of the State - Settlement

Authorizing the Comptroller to settle a claim of the State that is in arrears, regardless of how long the claim has been in arrears, under certain circumstances.

What This Bill Does

  • Authorizing the Comptroller to settle a claim of the State that is in arrears, regardless of how long the claim has been in arrears, under certain circumstances.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

173929/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 173929/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 1149 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

  • AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 1149 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 On page 1, in line 4, after the second “arrears” insert “ , under certain circumstances”.
  • AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 On page 1, in line 16, strike “Subject” and substitute “(1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION AND SUBJECT”; in line 17, in each instance, strike the bracket; in the same line, strike “ IS”; in lines 18, 19, and 20, strike “(1)”, “(2)”, and “(3)”, respectively, and substitute “ (I)”, “ (II)”, and “ (III)”, respectively; and after line 20, insert: “(2) IF A CLAIM OF THE STATE IS IN ARREARS AGAINST A BUSINESS ENTITY THAT HAS PERMANENTLY CEASED OPERATIONS , THE COMPTROLLER MAY SETTLE A CLAIM OF THE STATE REGARDLESS OF THE PERIOD OF TIME FOR WHICH THE CLAIM HAS BEEN IN ARREARS.”.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-28 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 311

  2. 2026-04-10 Senate

    Favorable Report by Budget and Taxation

  3. 2026-04-01 House

    Returned Passed

  4. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (46-0)

  5. 2026-03-25 Senate

    Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m.

  6. 2026-03-23 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  7. 2026-03-23 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  8. 2026-03-20 House

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means

  9. 2026-03-09 House

    Third Reading Passed (130-0)

  10. 2026-03-07 House

    Favorable with Amendments { 173929/1 Adopted

  11. 2026-03-07 House

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  12. 2026-03-07 Senate

    Referred Budget and Taxation

  13. 2026-02-12 House

    Hearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m.

  14. 2026-02-11 House

    First Reading Ways and Means

  15. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - State Finance - Claims of the State - Settlement

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Ways and Means

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - State Finance - Claims of the State - Settlement

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Budget and Taxation

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - State Finance - Claims of the State - Settlement

Official Summary Text

Authorizing the Comptroller to settle a claim of the State that is in arrears, regardless of how long the claim has been in arrears, under certain circumstances.

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.
*hb1149*

HOUSE BILL 1149
Q7 6lr2977

By: Delegates Young and Hornberger
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 7, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

State Finance – Claims of the State – Settlement 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Comptroller to settle a claim of the State that is in 3
arrears, regardless of how long the claim has been in arrears , under certain 4
circumstances; and generally relating to settlement of claims of the State. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Article – State Finance and Procurement 7
Section 6–219 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12

Article – State Finance and Procurement 13

6–219. 14

(a) In this section, “claim” includes a claim that is reduced to judgment. 15

(b) (1) Subject EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 16
SUBSECTION AND SUBJECT to the limitations in this section, the Comptroller may settle 17
a claim of the State that [has been] IS in arrears [for at least 2 years]: 18

2 HOUSE BILL 1149

(1) (I) against a person who receives or collects State money; 1

(2) (II) against the surety of that person; or 2

(3) (III) against any other person. 3

(2) IF A CLAIM OF THE STATE IS IN ARREARS A GAINST A BUSINESS 4
ENTITY THAT HAS PERM ANENTLY CEASED OPERA TIONS, THE COMPTROLLER MAY 5
SETTLE A CLAIM OF THE STATE REGARDLESS OF THE PERIOD OF TIME FOR WHICH 6
THE CLAIM HAS BEEN IN ARREARS. 7

(c) Before settling a claim under this section, the Comptroller shall examine the 8
claim thoroughly and shall be satisfied that the State could not collect the claim through 9
legal process. 10

(d) To settle a claim so as best to serve the interests of the State, the Comptroller 11
may abate, wholly or partly, the principal or interest that is due to the State. 12

(e) The Comptroller shall discharge a person and the surety of the person when 13
the agreed sum is paid into the State Treasury. 14

(f) (1) If a claim is settled without payment in full, the Comptroller shall keep 15
a record that states the facts on which the settlement was based. 16

(2) The record shall be kept in the Office of the Comptroller. 17

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
October 1, 2026. 19

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