Department of Housing and Community Development - Montgomery County Study MC 19-26

Housing

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Montgomery County Delegation
Last action: 2026-05-12
Official status: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 582
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes dates that were initially set but later changed during legislative process.

Montgomery County Housing Study

This law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to study housing availability and affordability in Montgomery County, make recommendations, and submit reports by certain deadlines.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct a study on housing availability and affordability in Montgomery County.
Asks the department to identify different types of available housing units and potential development prospects.
Directs the department to analyze how regulations and market forces affect housing supply.
Requires the department to submit interim reports by February 1, 2027 and 2028, and a final report by February 1, 2029.
Allows for feedback from other Montgomery County departments before issuing each report.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Housing and Community Development
Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Montgomery County Executive
Montgomery County Council

Terms To Know

Affordability: How easily people can pay for housing without spending too much of their income.
Interim Report: A report given before the final one, usually to show progress or findings at different stages.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what actions must be taken based on the study's recommendations.
It is unclear how much funding will be provided for conducting this study and issuing reports.
The law only lasts until June 30, 2029.

Amendments

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

383229/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 383229/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1252 (First Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 1, strike “The” and substitute “Subject to subsection (d) of this section, the”; in line 7, strike “November 30, 2026” and substitute “ February 1, 2027”; in line 8, strike “November 30, 2027” and substitute “February 1, 2028”; in line 10, strike “November 30, 2028” and substitute “February 1, 2029”; and after line 10, insert: “(d) (1) The Department shall confer with the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Department of Permitting Services, and Planning Department regarding data collection and analysis.

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1252 (First Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 1, strike “The” and substitute “Subject to subsection (d) of this section, the”; in line 7, strike “November 30, 2026” and substitute “ February 1, 2027”; in line 8, strike “November 30, 2027” and substitute “February 1, 2028”; in line 10, strike “November 30, 2028” and substitute “February 1, 2029”; and after line 10, insert: “(d) (1) The Department shall confer with the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Department of Permitting Services, and Planning Department regarding data collection and analysis.
(2) Before issuing each of the reports required under subsection (c) of this section, the Department shall provide each of the entities listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection with an opportunity to provide a written response to its findings and recommendations and include any written response as an appendix to the report.”.
HB1252/383229/1 BY: Economic Matters Committee

Bill History

2026-05-12 Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 582
2026-04-08 Senate
Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-03-27 House
Returned Passed
2026-03-24 Senate
Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-24 Senate
Third Reading Passed (40-0)
2026-03-20 Senate
Favorable Adopted
2026-03-20 Senate
Second Reading Passed
2026-03-19 House
Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters
2026-03-08 House
Third Reading Passed (130-0)
2026-03-06 House
Favorable with Amendments { 383229/1 Adopted
2026-03-06 House
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-06 Senate
Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-02-17 House
Hearing 3/06 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-12 House
First Reading Economic Matters
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Department of Housing and Community Development - Montgomery County Study MC 19-26
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Economic Matters
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Department of Housing and Community Development - Montgomery County Study MC 19-26
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Chapter - Department of Housing and Community Development - Montgomery County Study MC 19-26

Official Summary Text

Requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct a study and make recommendations on the availability and affordability of housing in Montgomery County; and requiring the Department to issue two interim reports and its final report of the findings and recommendation by February 1, 2029, to certain entities in Montgomery County and the Montgomery County Delegation to the General Assembly.

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.
*hb1252*

HOUSE BILL 1252
L1, C9 6lr3285

By: Montgomery County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Department of Housing and Community Development – Montgomery County 2
Study 3

MC 19–26 4

FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development to 5
conduct a study and make recommendations regarding the availability and 6
affordability of housing in Montgomery County; and generally relating to housing in 7
Montgomery County. 8

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACT ED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
That: 10

(a) The Department of Housing and Community Development shall: 11

(1) study housing availability and affordability in Montgomery County; 12
and 13

(2) make recommendations to increase housing availability and 14
affordability in Montgomery County. 15

(b) In conducting the study and making the recommendations required under this 16
section, the Department shall: 17

(1) identify the makeup of available housing in the county by unit type; 18
2 HOUSE BILL 1252

(2) identify any development prospects in the county; and 1

(3) determine the impact of regulations and market forces on Montgomery 2
County’s housing supply. 3

(c) The Subject to subsection (d) of this section, the Department shall submit to 4
the Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Montgomery County 5
Planning Department, the Montgomery County Executive, the Montgomery County 6
Council, and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State Government Arti cle, the 7
Montgomery County Delegation to the General Assembly: 8

(1) interim findings and recommendations under this section on or before: 9

(i) November 30, 2026 February 1, 2027; and 10

(ii) November 30, 2027 February 1, 2028; and 11

(2) a final report of its findings and recommendations under this section on 12
or before November 30, 2028 February 1, 2029. 13

(d) (1) The Department shall confer with the Montgomery County Department 14
of Housing and Community Affairs, Department of Permitting Services, and Planning 15
Department regarding data collection and analysis. 16

(2) Before issuing each of the reports required under subsection (c) of this 17
section, the Department shall provide each of the entities listed in paragraph (1) of this 18
subsection with an opport unity to provide a written response to its findings and 19
recommendations and include any written response as an appendix to the report. 20

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 21
1, 2026. It shall remain in effect for a per iod of 3 years and, and the end of June 30, 2029, 22
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 23
of no further force and effect. 24

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