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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*hb1180*
HOUSE BILL 1180
C3 6lr2198
CF SB 653
By: Delegate Qi
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
State Board of Architects – Grounds for Discipline – Requirements and 2
Anonymous Complaints 3
FOR the purpose of requiring instead of authorizing the State Board of Architects to deny, 4
reprimand, or suspend a license to practice architecture or a permit to operate a 5
business through which an individual may practice architecture under certain 6
circumstances; providing that the Board may deny, reprimand, or suspend a certain 7
license or permit if a certain individual fraudulently misrepresents that the 8
individual holds a certain license or permit; requiring the Board to notify certain 9
county code offici als if a license is suspended or revoked; authorizing the Board to 10
establish an electronic portal to allow the anonymous reporting of a suspected 11
violation of certain provisions of law relating to the practicing of architecture; 12
requiring a code official to verify a licensee’s credentials; and generally relating to 13
the State Board of Architects. 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 16
Section 3–208.1 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 20
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 21
Section 3–311 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1180
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1
BY adding to 2
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 3
Section 3–502 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 6
BY adding to 7
Article – Local Government 8
Section 13–908 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2013 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 14
3–208.1. 15
(a) In this section, “code official” means a public official responsible for the review 16
of building permit documents or the issuance of building permits. 17
(b) The Board shall: 18
(1) keep a list of the names and mailing addresses of all licensees; 19
(2) provide each code official with a copy of the list annually; and 20
(3) provide any other person who makes a request with a copy of the list at 21
a reasonable fee set by the Board. 22
(c) (1) The Board shall provide all licensees and code officials with a periodic 23
newsletter not less than semiannually on the activities of the Board. 24
(2) The Board shall publish, on the Department website, the newsletter 25
jointly with the State Board for Professional Engineers, the State Board of Certified 26
Interior Designers, the State Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects, and the State 27
Board for Professional Land Surveyors. 28
(d) The Board shall distribute: 29
(1) to each applicant for a license and each code official, a copy of the 30
Maryland Architects Act and the Board’s rules and regulations; 31
HOUSE BILL 1180 3
(2) on each renewal of a license, to each licensee, a copy of any amendments 1
to the Maryland Architects Act and the Board’s rules and regulations that took effect during 2
the 2–year period ending on the date of renewal; and 3
(3) to each code official, a copy of any amendments to the Maryland 4
Architects Act and the Board’s rules and regulations. 5
(e) A licensee shall designate the licensee’s mailing address at the time of 6
issuance of the license and on each renewal of the license. 7
3–311. 8
(a) (1) Subject to the hearing provisions of § 3–313 of this subtitle, the Board, 9
on the affirmative vote of a majority of its authorized membership, [may] SHALL deny a 10
license to any applicant, reprimand any licensee, or suspend or revoke a license if: 11
(i) the applicant or licensee fraudulently or deceptively obtains or 12
renews or attempts to obtain or renew a license or permit for the applicant or licensee or 13
for another; 14
(ii) the applicant or licensee fraudulently or deceptively uses a 15
license, OR MISREPRESENTS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HOLDS A LICENSE OR A PERMIT; 16
(iii) the applicant or licensee is guilty of any fraud, gross negligence, 17
incompetence, or misconduct while practicing architecture; 18
(iv) the applicant or licensee violates any regulation adopted by the 19
Board; 20
(v) the applicant or licensee violates any provision of this title; 21
(vi) the applicant or licensee aids or abets an unauthorized person to 22
practice architecture; 23
(vii) under the laws of the United States or of any state, the applicant 24
or licensee is convicted of: 25
1. a felony; or 26
2. a misdemeanor that is directly related to the fitness and 27
qualification of the applicant or licensee to practice architecture; or 28
(viii) the applicant or licensee has had a license to practice 29
architecture in another state revoked or suspended for grounds that would justify 30
revocation or suspension of a license under this title, except for failure to pay a license fee. 31
4 HOUSE BILL 1180
(2) (i) Instead of or in addition to reprimanding the licensee or 1
suspending or revoking a license under this subs ection, the Board may impose a penalty 2
not exceeding $5,000 for each violation. 3
(ii) To determine the amount of the penalty imposed under this 4
subsection, the Board shall consider: 5
1. the seriousness of the violation; 6
2. the harm caused by the violation; 7
3. the good faith of the licensee; and 8
4. any history of previous violations by the licensee. 9
(3) The Board shall pay any penalty collected under this subsection into 10
the General Fund of the State. 11
(b) The Board shall consider the following facts in the granting, denial, renewal, 12
suspension, or revocation of a license or the reprimand of a licensee when an applicant or 13
licensee is convicted of a felony or misdemeanor described in subsection (a)(1)(vii) of this 14
section: 15
(1) the nature of the crime; 16
(2) the relationship of the crime to the activities authorized by the license; 17
(3) with respect to a felony, the relevance of the conviction to the fitness 18
and qualification of the applicant or licensee to practice architecture; 19
(4) the length of time since the conviction; and 20
(5) the behavior and activities of the applicant or licensee before and after 21
the conviction. 22
(C) IF THE BOARD SUSPENDS OR REVOKES A LICENSE UNDER SUBSECTION 23
(A) OF THIS SECTION, THE BOARD SHALL NO TIFY EACH COUNTY ’S CODE OFFICIAL 24
OF THE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION IN ACCORD ANCE WITH § 3–208.1 OF THIS 25
TITLE. 26
3–502. 27
THE BOARD MAY ESTABLISH A N ELECTRONIC PORTAL TO ALLOW THE 28
ANONYMOUS AND CONFID ENTIAL REPORTING OF A SUSPECTED VIOLATIO N OF § 29
3–601, § 3–602, § 3–603, OR § 3–604 OF THIS TITLE. 30
HOUSE BILL 1180 5
Article – Local Government 1
13–908. 2
(A) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO ALL COUNTIES. 3
(B) WHEN REVIEWING AND APPROVING ARCHITECTURAL DOCUMENTS FOR 4
THE PURPOSE OF COMPL IANCE WITH A BUILDIN G CODE ADOPTED UNDER THIS 5
SUBTITLE, A CODE OFFICIAL SHAL L VERIFY THAT THE SE AL AND LICENSE OF TH E 6
ARCHITECT MATCHES TH E PERSON WHO FILES T HE DOCUMENTS WITH TH E CODE 7
OFFICIAL A CODE OFFICIAL THAT R EVIEWS ARCHITECTURAL DOCUMENTS FOR 8
COMPLIANCE WITH A BU ILDING CODE ADOPTED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE SHALL 9
VERIFY WITH THE ARCH ITECT WHO SIGNED THE DOCUMENTS THE SEAL A ND 10
LICENSE OF THE ARCHITECT BEFORE A PERMIT IS PROCESSED. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 12
October 1, 2026. 13
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.