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*hb1267*
HOUSE BILL 1267
L6 6lr2367
By: Delegates Lehman, Pena –Melnyk, Barnes, Bartlett, Boafo, Chang, Holmes,
Rogers, and Taylor
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters and Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Patuxent Research Refuge and Beltsville Agricultural Research Center – Zoning 2
Classification 3
(Protecting Patuxent Research Refuge Act) 4
FOR the purpose of requiring a certain local zoning authority to designate and maintain 5
certain property in a zoning classification that restricts the uses in a certain manner 6
under certain circumstances; requiring the appropriate authority to maintain 7
certain property in a certain zoning classification that restricts the uses in a certain 8
manner under certain circumstances; requiring, prior to any development on certain 9
property, a certain local zoning authority to hold a hearing and make a decision, in 10
consultation with the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of the 11
Environment, that the proposed development will not have a substantia l impact on 12
that property; and generally relating to land use. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Land Use 15
Section 1–401(a) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2012 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY adding to 19
Article – Land Use 20
Section 1–401(b)(19), 4–217, and 25–211 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1267
(2012 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 2
Article – Land Use 3
Section 1–401(b)(19) through (32) 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2012 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 6
BY repealing 7
Article – Land Use 8
Section 25–211 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2012 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 – Land Use 14
1–401. 15
(a) Except as provided in this section, this division does not apply to charter 16
counties. 17
(b) The following provisions of this division apply to a charter county: 18
(19) § 4–217 (PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE); 19
[(19)] (20) Title 4, Subtitle 5 (Accessory Dwelling Units); 20
[(20)] (21) § 5–102(d) (Subdivision regulations – Burial sites); 21
[(21)] (22) § 5–104 (Major subdivision – Review); 22
[(22)] (23) Title 7, Subtitle 1 (Development Mechanisms); 23
[(23)] (24) Title 7, Subtitle 2 (Transfer of Development Rights); 24
[(24)] (25) except in Montgomery County or Prince George’s County, Title 25
7, Subtitle 3 (Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreements); 26
[(25)] (26) Title 7, Subtitle 4 (Inclusionary Zoning); 27
[(26)] (27) Title 7, Subtitle 5 (Housing Expansion and Affordability); 28
[(27)] (28) § 8–401 (Conversion of overhead facilities); 29
HOUSE BILL 1267 3
[(28)] (29) for Baltimore County only, Title 9, Subtitle 3 (Single –County 1
Provisions – Baltimore County); 2
[(29)] (30) for Frederick County only, Ti tle 9, Subtitle 10 (Single –County 3
Provisions – Frederick County); 4
[(30)] (31) for Howard County only, Title 9, Subtitle 13 (Single –County 5
Provisions – Howard County); 6
[(31)] (32) for Talbot County only, Title 9, Subtitle 18 (Single –County 7
Provisions – Talbot County); and 8
[(32)] (33) Title 11, Subtitle 2 (Civil Penalty). 9
4–217. 10
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 11
INDICATED. 12
(2) “DISTRICT COUNCIL” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 14–101 OF 13
THIS ARTICLE “CENTRAL NATURAL AREA” MEANS AN AREA WITHIN THE PATUXENT 14
RESEARCH REFUGE OR THE BELTSVILLE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER 15
THAT PROVIDES HABITA T FOR NATIVE FLORA A ND FAUNA , INCLUDING FORESTS, 16
WOODLANDS, WETLANDS, MEADOWS, AND EARLY SUCCESSIONAL GRASSLANDS AND 17
SHRUBLANDS. 18
(3) “LOCAL ZONING AUTHORITY” MEANS: 19
(I) A LOCAL JURISDICTION FOR LAND LOCATED IN ANNE 20
ARUNDEL COUNTY, THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY COUNCIL OR OTHER BODY WITH 21
AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS; OR 22
(II) FOR PROPERTY LAND LOCATED IN THE 23
MARYLAND–WASHINGTON REGIONAL DISTRICT ESTABLISHED UNDER TITLE 20, 24
SUBTITLE 1 OF THIS ARTICLE , A DISTRICT COUNCIL , AS DEFINED IN § 14–101 OF 25
THIS ARTICLE. 26
(B) ANY FEDERALLY OWNED LAND THAT IS PART OF THE PROPERTY KNOWN 27
AS THE PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE SHALL BE DESIGNATED AND MAINTAINED IN 28
A ZONING CLASSIFICATION THAT RESTRICTS THE USES TO OPEN SPACE, RESERVED 29
OPEN SPACE, OR OTHER RESOURCE CONSERVATION USES. 30
4 HOUSE BILL 1267
(C) IF THE FEDERAL GOVERN MENT OR ANY ASSIGNEE SELLS, LEASES, 1
LICENSES, OR OTHERWISE ENCUMBERS ANY PORTION OF LAND THAT IS PART OF THE 2
PROPERTY KNOWN AS TH E PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE, THE LOCAL ZONING 3
AUTHORITY SHALL CONT INUE A ZONING CLASSI FICATION FOR THAT P ROPERTY 4
THAT: 5
(1) RESTRICTS THE USES T O OPEN SPACE , RESERVED OPEN SPACE , 6
OR OTHER RESOURCE CONSERVATION USES; AND 7
(2) DOES NOT PERMIT COMM ERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, OR RESIDENTIAL 8
USES. 9
(D) A CENTRAL NATURAL AREA IN THE PROPERTY KNOW N AS THE 10
PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE MAY NOT BE CON VERTED TO BE USED FO R 11
AGRICULTURE, ACTIVE RECREATION, FORESTRY, OR OTHER PLANT HARVESTING. 12
(E) PRIOR TO ANY DEVELOPM ENT ON LAND IN THE P ROPERTY KNOWN AS 13
THE PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE, THE LOCAL ZONING AUTHORITY SHALL: 14
(1) HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING; AND 15
(2) MAKE A FINAL DECISIO N, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE 16
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE MARYLAND 17
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THAT THE PROPOSED DE VELOPMENT WILL 18
NOT HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON ANY LAND IN A CENTRAL NATURAL AREA. 19
[25–211. 20
If the United States Department of Agriculture sells any portion of the property 21
known as the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, the district council shall place and 22
permanently maintain the land in a zoning classification of agricultural open space 23
immediately after the transfer of the land to the buyer.] 24
25–211. 25
(A) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , THE THE DISTRICT 26
COUNCIL SHALL DESIGN ATE AND MAINTAIN THE FEDERALLY OWNED PROP ERTY 27
KNOWN AS THE BELTSVILLE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER OR ANY OTHER 28
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROPERTY IN BELTSVILLE OR ITS VIC INITY 29
TO A ZONING CLASSIFI CATION THAT RESTRICT S THE USES TO OPEN S PACE OR 30
RESERVED OPEN SPACE. 31
(B) IF THE FEDERAL GOVERN MENT OR ANY ASSIGN EE SELLS , LEASES, 32
LICENSES, OR OTHERWISE ENCUMBERS ANY PORTION OF THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 33
HOUSE BILL 1267 5
THE BELTSVILLE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER OR ANY OTHER U.S. 1
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROPERTY IN BELTSVILLE OR ITS VIC INITY, THE 2
DISTRICT COUNCIL SHA LL CONTINUE A ZO NING CLASSIFICATION FOR THAT 3
PROPERTY THAT: 4
(1) RESTRICTS THE USES TO OPEN SPACE OR RESERVED OPEN SPACE; 5
AND 6
(2) DOES NOT PERMIT COMM ERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, OR RESIDENTIAL 7
USES. 8
(C) THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MAY NOT APPROVE ANY OVERLAYS, SPECIAL 9
EXCEPTIONS, OR MODIFICATIONS TO THE ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS REQUIRED BY 10
THIS SECTION. 11
(C) A CENTRAL NATURAL AREA, AS DEFINED IN § 4–217 OF THIS ARTICLE, 12
IN THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE BELTSVILLE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER 13
MAY NOT BE CONVERTED TO BE USED FOR AGRICULTURE, ACTIVE RECREATION, 14
FORESTRY, OR OTHER PLANT HARVESTING. 15
(D) PRIOR TO ANY DEVELOPM ENT ON LAND IN THE P ROPERTY KNOWN AS 16
THE BELTSVILLE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER, THE DISTRICT COUNCIL 17
SHALL: 18
(1) HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING; AND 19
(2) MAKE A FINAL DECISION , IN CONSULTATION WITH THE 20
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE MARYLAND 21
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THAT THE PROPOSED DE VELOPMENT WILL 22
NOT HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON ANY LAND IN A CENTRAL NATURAL AREA. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 24
1, 2026. 25