HB1627 • 2026

Howard County - Office of the Inspector General - Access to Public Records Ho. Co. 15-26

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Howard County Delegation
Last action: 2026-02-23
Official status: In the House - First Reading House Rules and Executive Nominations
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.

Howard County - Office of the Inspector General - Access to Public Records Ho. Co. 15-26

Providing that the Office of the Inspector General for Howard County shall have access to and inspect certain public records under certain circumstances; prohibiting a custodian from denying the Office of the Inspector General for Howard County access to a public record under certain circumstances; and providing that redisclosure of certain information is subject to certain restrictions.

What This Bill Does

Providing that the Office of the Inspector General for Howard County shall have access to and inspect certain public records under certain circumstances; prohibiting a custodian from denying the Office of the Inspector General for Howard County access to a public record under certain circumstances; and providing that redisclosure of certain information is subject to certain restrictions.

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

2026-02-23 House
First Reading House Rules and Executive Nominations
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Howard County - Office of the Inspector General - Access to Public Records Ho. Co. 15-26

Official Summary Text

Providing that the Office of the Inspector General for Howard County shall have access to and inspect certain public records under certain circumstances; prohibiting a custodian from denying the Office of the Inspector General for Howard County access to a public record under certain circumstances; and providing that redisclosure of certain information is subject to certain restrictions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1627*

HOUSE BILL 1627
L2, P3 6lr3714
CF 6lr3715
By: Howard County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 23, 2026
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Howard County – Office of the Inspector General – Access to Public Records 2

Ho. Co. 15–26 3

FOR the purpose of providing that the Office of the Inspector General for Howard County 4
shall have access to and inspect certain public records under certain circumstances; 5
prohibiting a custodian from denying the Office of the Inspector General for Howard 6
County access to a public record under certain circumstances; providing that 7
redisclosure of certain information is subject to certain restrictions; and generally 8
relating to access to public records by the Office of the Inspector General for Howard 9
County. 10

BY adding to 11
Article – General Provisions 12
Section 4–302 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – General Provisions 18

4–302. 19

(A) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS SUBTITLE , THE 20
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR HOWARD COUNTY SHALL HAVE ACCESS 21
TO AND MAY INSPECT A PUBLIC RECORD, AND A CUSTODIAN MAY NOT DENY ACCESS 22
TO A PUBLIC RECORD OR PART OF A PUBLIC RECORD, IF: 23

2 HOUSE BILL 1627

(1) A STATE OR LOCAL LAW AU THORIZES THE OFFICE OF THE 1
INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR HOWARD COUNTY TO HAVE ACCESS TO AN D INSPECT 2
THE PUBLIC RECORD; AND 3

(2) THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR HOWARD 4
COUNTY DETERMINES THAT ACCE SS TO THE PUBLIC REC ORD IS NECESSARY TO 5
PERFORM AN AUDIT OF: 6

(I) THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT; 7

(II) AN AGENCY OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT; OR 8

(III) THE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 9

(B) ANY REDISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION CONTAINE D IN A PUBLIC 10
RECORD THAT IS OBTAINED BY THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR 11
HOWARD COUNTY OR ANY EMPLOYEE OR A UTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE 12
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR HOWARD COUNTY UNDER THIS SECTION 13
IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS TITLE. 14

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15
October 1, 2026. 16