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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1501*
HOUSE BILL 1501
C9 6lr2192
By: Delegate Fair
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Housing and Community Development – Homeless Shelter 2
Certification 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development to 4
operate a certification program for homeless shelters; prohibiting a certain homeless 5
shelter from operating without a homeless shelter certification after a certain 6
deadline; requiring the Department to develop certain requirements for certain 7
homeless shelter certification classes; requiring the Department to perform on –site 8
monitoring of certain homeless shelters and implement a certain grievance process; 9
and generally relating to the certification of homeless shelters. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Housing and Community Development 12
Section 6–1401 through 6–1405 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 14. Homeless 13
Shelter Certification” 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
Article – Housing and Community Development 19
SUBTITLE 14. HOMELESS SHELTER CERTIFICATION. 20
6–1401. 21
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WOR DS HAVE THE MEANINGS 22
INDICATED. 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1501
(B) “DISASTER OR HAZARD EMERGENCY SHELTER” MEANS A TEMPORARY 1
SHELTER THAT IS A PART OF A COUNTY’S EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN AND THAT 2
OPENS AT A SPECIFIC TEMPERATURE DESIGNATION, DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, 3
OR DUE TO A NATURAL DISASTER OR HAZARD. 4
(C) (1) “HOMELESS SHELTER ” MEANS A FACILITY THA T IS OPERATED 5
FOR THE PRIMARY PURP OSE OF PROVIDING TEM PORARY OVERNIGHT SLEEPING 6
ACCOMMODATIONS, MEALS, BASIC NEEDS ASSISTANCE, AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES 7
FOR CASE MANAGEMENT AND HOUSING NAVIGATION TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. 8
(2) “HOMELESS SHELTER” INCLUDES: 9
(I) A YEAR–ROUND SHELTER; 10
(II) A SAFE HAVEN SHELTER; 11
(III) A TRANSITIONAL SHELTER; 12
(IV) A SEASONAL EMERGENCY SHELTER; AND 13
(V) A DISASTER OR HAZARD EMERGENCY SHELTER OR 14
EMERGENCY MASS CARE SHELTER. 15
(D) “MEDICAL OR SPECIALIZED CARE SHELTER” MEANS A YEAR–ROUND 16
SHELTER THAT PROVIDES A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE TO MEET THE UNIQUE HEALTH 17
CARE, PERSONAL CARE , ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, OR MOBILITY NEEDS OF 18
SHELTER RESIDENTS. 19
(E) “MOTEL– OR HOTEL–BASED SHELTER” MEANS A MOTEL OR HOTEL USED 20
TO SUPPLEMENT TRADIT IONAL SHELTER OPTION S WHEN SHELTERS ARE FULL OR 21
WHEN A FAMILY HAS INDIVID UAL NEEDS THAT MAKE A TRADITIONAL SHELTER AN 22
UNSAFE OR UNVIABLE OPTION. 23
(F) “SAFE HAVEN SHELTER ” MEANS A SUPPORTIVE S HELTER FUNDED BY 24
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT THAT PROVIDES 25
A 24–HOUR RESIDENCE FOR H OMELESS INDIVIDUALS WITH SEVERE MENTAL 26
ILLNESS. 27
(G) “SEASONAL EMERGENCY SH ELTER” MEANS A CONGREGATE OR 28
DORM–STYLE SHELTER WITH B EDS OR WHOLE FACILIT IES THAT OPEN FOR AN 29
ENTIRE SEASON OR FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME PERIOD BUT ARE NOT PART OF 30
THE COUNTY’S EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN. 31
HOUSE BILL 1501 3
(H) “TRANSITIONAL SHELTER ” MEANS A SHELTER THAT TYPICALLY 1
PROVIDES ACCOMMODATIONS FOR UP TO 2 YEARS. 2
(I) “YEAR–ROUND SHELTER ” MEANS A SHELTER THAT IS OPEN 3
YEAR–ROUND AND HAS RESIDENTS OCCUPYING THE SHELTER EVERY NI GHT, 4
INCLUDING A SAFE HAVEN SHELTER , TRANSITIONAL SHELTER, AND MEDICAL OR 5
SPECIALIZED CARE SHELTER. 6
6–1402. 7
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL OPER ATE A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR 8
HOMELESS SHELTERS. 9
(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A TIERED SYSTEM FOR HOMELESS 10
SHELTER CERTIFICATIONS BASED ON: 11
(1) THE NUMBER OF INDIVI DUALS SERVED BY THE HOMELESS 12
SHELTER; 13
(2) THE TYPE AND DURATION OF SHELTER PROVIDED; AND 14
(3) THE TYPE AND INTENSITY OF SERVICES PROVIDED. 15
(C) THE TIERED SYSTEM REQ UIRED UNDER SUBSECTI ON (B) OF THIS 16
SECTION SHALL PRIORITIZE THE CERTIFICATION OF HOMELESS SHELTERS IN THE 17
FOLLOWING ORDER: 18
(1) YEAR–ROUND SHELTERS , INCLUDING SAFE HAVEN SHELTERS, 19
TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS, OR MEDICAL OR SPECIALIZED CARE SHELTERS; 20
(2) SEASONAL SHELTERS; 21
(3) MOTEL– OR HOTEL–BASED SHELTERS; AND 22
(4) OTHER SHELTERS. 23
6–1403. 24
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A STAGGERED APPROVAL 25
TIMELINE TO ENSURE THAT HOMELESS SHELTER CERTIFICATIO N APPLICATIONS 26
ARE PROCESSED EFFICI ENTLY, QUALITY SITE VISITS AND INSPECTIONS ARE 27
CONDUCTED, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED TO SHELTER OPERATORS, AND 28
CERTIFICATIONS ARE ISSUED IN A TIMELY MANNER. 29
4 HOUSE BILL 1501
(B) THE STAGGERED APPROVAL PROCESS SHALL INCLUDE: 1
(1) NOTIFYING OPERATORS OF EXISTING HOMELESS SHELTERS OF 2
EACH SHELTER’S CLASSIFICATION UNDER § 6–1402 OF THIS SUBTITLE; 3
(2) ASSIGNING HOMELESS SHELTERS INTO COHORTS; AND 4
(3) ASSIGNING APPLICATION AND CERTIFICATION DEADLINES. 5
(C) A HOMELESS SHELTER MAY NOT OPER ATE WITHOUT A HOMELESS 6
SHELTER CERTIFICATION AFTER THE APPLICABLE CERTIFICATION DEADLINE HAS 7
PASSED. 8
6–1404. 9
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH HOMELESS 10
SHELTER CERTIFICATION CLASS THAT INCLUDE: 11
(1) REQUIREMENTS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL, INCORPORATION, AND 12
GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS; 13
(2) REQUIREMENTS FOR FISCAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND LEGAL 14
DOCUMENTS; 15
(3) OVERSIGHT VISIT AND INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS; 16
(4) INTERIM UPDATE REPORT REQUIREMENTS; 17
(5) PROCEDURES FOR THE RENEWAL OF A HOMELESS SHELTER 18
CERTIFICATION; 19
(6) SUBMISSION METHODS FOR APPLICATIONS AND REPORTS; 20
(7) CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF A 21
HOMELESS SHELTER CERTIFICATION; 22
(8) GROUNDS FOR THE DENIAL, SUSPENSION, OR REVOCATION OF A 23
HOMELESS SHELTER CERTIFICATION; AND 24
(9) PENALTIES FOR A HOMELESS SHELTER THAT OPERATES WITHOUT 25
A CERTIFICATION AFTER THE APPLICABLE CERTIFICATION DEADLINE HAS PASSED. 26
HOUSE BILL 1501 5
6–1405. 1
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PERF ORM ON –SITE MONITORING TO 2
DETERMINE IF A HOMELESS SHELTER MEETS HOMELESS SHELTER CERTIFICATION 3
REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED UNDER § 6–1404 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 4
(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVE LOP AND IMPLEMENT A GRIEVANCE 5
PROCESS FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND HOMELESS SHELTER RESIDENTS TO 6
NOTIFY THE DEPARTMENT OF ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THIS SUBTITLE. 7
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 8
1, 2026. 9