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SENATE BILL 226
I1, P1 6lr0061
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 238
By: Chair, Finance Committee (By Request – Departmental – Planning)
Requested: September 16, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 7, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Heritage Area Authority and Heritage Areas – Alterations 2
FOR the purpose of altering the voting membership of the Maryland Heritage Area 3
Authority; increasing the number of voting members of the Authority that 4
constitutes a quorum; repealing the requirement that the Authority send copies of 5
boundary maps to certain county clerks; repealing the requirement that certain 6
State officials develop certain program statements and instead requiring certain 7
State officials and certain units of State government to support and assist certain 8
activities in certified heritage areas in certain ways; authorizing the Authority to 9
award certain grants and loans for certain purposes in a certain manner; repealing 10
certain requirements for certain grants and loans; and generally relati ng to the 11
Maryland Heritage Area Authority and heritage areas. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Financial Institutions 14
Section 13–1104(a), 13–1105, 13–1110(d) and (e), 13–1112, and 13–1113 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Financial Institutions 20
2 SENATE BILL 226
13–1104. 1
(a) The Authority consists of: 2
(1) The Secretary of Housing and Community Development; 3
(2) The Secretary of Commerce; 4
(3) The Secretary of Higher Education; 5
(4) The Secretary of Transportation; 6
(5) The Secretary of Natural Resources; 7
(6) The Secretary of [the Department of] Planning; 8
(7) THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE; 9
(8) THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS; 10
[(7)] (9) The State Historic Preservation Officer; and 11
[(8)] (10) Ten members appointed by the Governor with the advice and 12
consent of the Senate: 13
(i) Two of whom shall be elected officials or representatives of local 14
jurisdictions; 15
(ii) Two of whom shall be appointed from names recommended by 16
the President of the Maryland Senate; 17
(iii) Two of whom shall be appointed from names recommended by 18
the Speaker of the House of Delegates; 19
(iv) [One of whom is a public member of the Maryland Greenways 20
Commission; 21
(v)] One of whom is a public member of the Maryland Tourism 22
Development Board; 23
(V) ONE OF WHOM IS A MEMB ER OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAS 24
SIGNIFICANT EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE IN NATURA L RESOURCE STEWARDSH IP 25
OR CLIMATE RESILIENCY; 26
(vi) One of whom is a member of the public who has significant 27
education or experience in historic preservation; and 28
SENATE BILL 226 3
(vii) One of whom is a member of the public who has significant 1
education or experience in heritage tourism. 2
13–1105. 3
(a) [Nine] TEN voting members of the Authority are a quorum. 4
(b) An action of the Authority must receive the affirmative vote of at least a 5
majority of the voting members of the Authority. 6
(c) The Authority shall determine the times and places of its meetings. 7
(d) A member of the Authority: 8
(1) May not receive compensation; but 9
(2) Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 10
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 11
13–1110. 12
(d) (1) The boundaries for each recognized heritage area are the boundaries 13
depicted on the map accompanying each proposal as approved by the Authority. 14
(2) After initial approval by the Authority of the boundaries of a recognized 15
heritage area, the Authority may amend or revise the boundaries: 16
(i) With the approval of all of the local jurisdictions where the 17
property to be added or removed is located; and 18
(ii) On publication in the Maryland Register of a revised drawing, 19
boundary description, or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to a geographical information 20
system file. 21
(3) Boundary maps for each recognized heritage area shall be kept on file 22
at the Authority. 23
[(4) The Authority shall send a copy of each bou ndary map to the office of 24
the county clerk where the recognized heritage area is located.] 25
(e) Designation of a heritage area by the Authority as a recognized heritage area 26
establishes eligibility for [matching] grant assistance for the development of management 27
plans. 28
13–1112. 29
4 SENATE BILL 226
(a) [(1)] The State officials under items [(i)] (1) through [(vii)] (9) of this 1
subsection who have program responsibilities that affect aspects of the interpretation, 2
preservation, development, and use of heritage area resources shall [prepare a program 3
statement detailing actions ] SUPPORT AND ASSIST ACTIVITIES IN CERTIF IED 4
HERITAGE AREAS in the areas of planning, development, use, IMPLEMENTATION, 5
assistance, and regulation [that support and assist the establishment and management of 6
certified heritage areas], as follows: 7
[(i)] (1) Secretary of Planning regarding local government 8
adoption of heritage area management plans and regarding historic preservation and 9
museum programs; 10
[(ii)] (2) Secretary of Housing and Community Development 11
regarding housing and neighborhood revitalization; 12
[(iii)] (3) Secretary of Com merce regarding the State tourism 13
program and economic development and job creation activities; 14
[(iv)] (4) Secretary of Natural Resources regarding outdoor 15
recreation and the management of natural resources, including State greenways; 16
[(v)] (5) Secretary of Higher Education regarding educational 17
resources and their interpretation; 18
[(vi)] (6) Secretary of Transportation regarding access to and 19
transportation within certified heritage areas, including the scenic byways program and 20
programs for special signage; [and] 21
[(vii)] (7) Secretary of General Services regarding the management 22
and disposition of State property; 23
(8) SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE REGARDING AGRICULTURAL 24
RESOURCES WITHIN CERTIFIED HERITAGE AREAS; AND 25
(9) STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS REGARDING 26
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE S AND THEIR INTERPRE TATION WITHIN CERTIF IED 27
HERITAGE AREAS. 28
[(2) The State officials shall submit the program statements required under 29
paragraph (1) of this subsection, and any revisions of the statements, to the Authority.] 30
(b) Units of State government that conduct or support AND ASSIST activities 31
affecting a certified heritage area shall: 32
SENATE BILL 226 5
(1) Consult, cooperate, and to the maximum extent feasible, coordinate 1
their activities with the unit or entity responsible for the management of each certified 2
heritage area; 3
(2) To the maximum extent practicable, carry out the activities of the unit 4
in a manner that is consistent with the approved management plan for the certified 5
heritage area; and 6
(3) When conducting a review of activities under §§ 5A –325 and 7
5A–326 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, assure that the activities will not 8
have an adverse effect on the historic and cultural resources of the certified heritage area, 9
unless there is no prudent and feasible alternative. 10
13–1113. 11
(a) As provided in the State budget, AND ON TERMS AND CONDITIONS THE 12
AUTHORITY ESTABLISHES, the Authority may award: 13
(1) Grants and loans to local jurisdictions or other appropriate entities for 14
planning, design, acquisition, development, preservation, restoration, interpretation, 15
marketing, and programming of certified heritage areas; and 16
(2) Grants to local jurisdictions or other appropriate entities to [develop]: 17
(I) DEVELOP management plans in recognized heritage areas; AND 18
(II) ENCOURAGE REVITALIZAT ION OF AND REINVESTM ENT IN 19
CERTIFIED HERITAGE AREA RESOURCES. 20
(B) IN AWARDING A GRANT OR LOAN UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 21
SECTION, THE AUTHORITY MAY REQUIRE MATCHING FUNDS IN WHATEVER 22
PROPORTION THE AUTHORITY CONSIDERS APPROPRIATE. 23
[(b) A grant to develop a management plan may not exceed 50% of the cost of the 24
management plan. 25
(c) An acquisition or development grant: 26
(1) May not be used for any purpose other than implementation of the 27
certified heritage area in conformity with the approved management plan; and 28
(2) May not exceed 50% of the total project cost for which the grant is 29
awarded. 30
(d) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Authority may make 31
program grants to local jurisdictions and other appropriate entities: 32
6 SENATE BILL 226
(i) To develop and present interpretive exhibits, materials or other 1
appropriate products to further the educational and recreational objectives of the certified 2
heritage areas program; and 3
(ii) To encourage revitalization of, and reinvestment in, certified 4
heritage area resources. 5
(2) A program grant made by the Authority under paragraph (1) of this 6
subsection may not exceed 50% of the estimated project cost.] 7
[(e)] (C) Through the resources of the members of the Authority and in 8
cooperation with other State agencies, the Authority shall provide technical assistance to 9
management entities implementing a management plan. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the term of the initial member 11
of the Maryland Heritage Area Authority who is a member of the public with significant 12
education or experience in natural resource stewardship or climate resiliency under § 13
13–1104 of the Financial Institutions Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, shall serve 14
the remainder of the term of the public member of the Maryland Greenways Commission 15
until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 16
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 17
October 1, 2026. 18
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.