HB1503 • 2026

Carroll County - District Planning Commission - Authorized

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Carroll County Delegation
Last action: 2026-02-17
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/12 at 1:00 p.m.
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.

Carroll County - District Planning Commission - Authorized

Authorizing the County Commissioners of Carroll County to enact a local law to divide the county into certain districts, establish a process for the appointment of certain district planning commissions, provide for the membership and term of a certain district planning commission, and provide for the abolishment of a certain district planning commission; providing that a certain district planning commission has the same powers and duties within the district as a county planning commission; etc.

What This Bill Does

Authorizing the County Commissioners of Carroll County to enact a local law to divide the county into certain districts, establish a process for the appointment of certain district planning commissions, provide for the membership and term of a certain district planning commission, and provide for the abolishment of a certain district planning commission; providing that a certain district planning commission has the same powers and duties within the district as a county planning commission; etc.

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.

Bill History

2026-02-17 House
Hearing 3/12 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-13 House
First Reading Economic Matters
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Carroll County - District Planning Commission - Authorized

Official Summary Text

Authorizing the County Commissioners of Carroll County to enact a local law to divide the county into certain districts, establish a process for the appointment of certain district planning commissions, provide for the membership and term of a certain district planning commission, and provide for the abolishment of a certain district planning commission; providing that a certain district planning commission has the same powers and duties within the district as a county planning commission; etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1503*

HOUSE BILL 1503
L2 6lr2720
CF SB 836
By: Carroll County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Carroll County – District Planning Commission – Authorized 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing the County Commissioners of Carroll County to enact a 3
local law to divide the county into certain districts, establish a process for the 4
appointment of certain district planning commissions, provide for the membership 5
and terms of a certain district planning commission, and provide for the abolishment 6
of a certain district planning commission; providing that a certain district plann ing 7
commission has the same powers and duties within the district as a county planning 8
commission; requiring a district planning commission to develop certain plans and 9
regulations and hold public hearings; requiring the district planning commission to 10
perform certain duties; require certain zoning regulations to be administered in the 11
same manner as other land use regulations in the county unless otherwise stated in 12
the regulation; and generally relating to district planning commissions in Carroll 13
County. 14

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Land Use 16
Section 9–601 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2012 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

BY adding to 20
Article – Land Use 21
Section 9–605 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2012 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 24

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 25
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 26

Article – Land Use 27
2 HOUSE BILL 1503

9–601. 1

This subtitle applies to Carroll County. 2

9–605. 3

(A) IN ADDITION TO A PLANNING COMMISSION APPOINTED IN ACCORDANCE 4
WITH TITLE 2 OF THIS ARTICLE , THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CARROLL 5
COUNTY MAY ENACT A LOCAL LAW TO: 6

(1) DIVIDE THE COUNTY INTO DISTRICTS OF ANY NUMBER, SHAPE, OR 7
AREA IT MAY DETERMINE; AND 8

(2) ESTABLISH A PROCESS FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF ONE OR MORE 9
DISTRICT PLANNING CO MMISSIONS TO PREPARE AND IMPLEMENT PLANS FOR A 10
DISTRICT; 11

(3) PROVIDE FOR THE MEMB ERSHIP AND TERM OF A DISTRICT 12
PLANNING COMMISSION; AND 13

(4) PROVIDE FOR THE ABOL ISHMENT OF A D ISTRICT PLANNING 14
COMMISSION AT ANY TIME AND FOR ANY REASON. 15

(B) (1) THE DISTRICT PLANNING COMMISSION SHALL HAV E THE SAME 16
POWERS AND DUTIES WI TH REGARD TO THE DIS TRICT AS A COUNTY PL ANNING 17
COMMISSION ESTABLISHED UNDER TITLE 2 OF THIS ARTICLE. 18

(2) THE DISTRICT PLANNING COMMISSION SHALL: 19

(I) DEVELOP PLANS AND RE GULATIONS FOR THE ZO NING, 20
SUBDIVISION, AND PROVISION OF FACILITIES AND SERVICES TO THE DISTRICT FOR 21
THE ORDERLY GROWTH OF THE DISTRICT; 22

(II) HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS; AND 23

(III) SUBMIT THE PROPOSED PLANS A ND REGULATIONS , 24
INCLUDING THE FULL T EXT OF ANY ZONING RE GULATIONS AND MAPS , TO THE 25
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CARROLL COUNTY FOR APPROVAL. 26

(C) ZONING REGULATIONS AD OPTED FOR A DISTRICT SHALL BE 27
ADMINISTERED WITHIN THE DISTRICT IN THE SAME MANNER AS ALL OTH ER LAND 28
USE REGULATIONS OF THE COUNTY OR AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THE DISTRICT 29
ZONE REGULATIONS. 30
HOUSE BILL 1503 3

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