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SB0354 • 2026

Business Regulation - Charitable Organizations - Audit and Review Thresholds

Business Regulation - Charitable Organizations - Audit and Review Thresholds

Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Senators Kagan and Waldstreicher
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 394
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the Secretary of State will exercise discretion regarding audits and reviews for charities with income below the new thresholds.

Charitable Organizations Audit and Review Thresholds

This law changes when charitable organizations need to include audits or reviews in their registration statements with the Secretary of State, based on their income from donations.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the minimum gross income level at which a charity must provide an audit report from $750,000 to $1,000,000.
  • Raises the threshold for requiring a review by an independent accountant from $300,000 to $400,000 and less than $1,000,000.
  • Allows charities with lower cash receipts from donations to submit affidavits instead of audits or reviews if their income is under the new thresholds.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Charitable organizations that receive donations and must register with the Maryland Secretary of State.

Terms To Know

Audit
A detailed examination of a charity's financial records by an independent accountant to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Review
An assessment of a charity’s financial statements that is less extensive than an audit but still provides some assurance about the organization's finances.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how many charities will be affected by these changes.
  • It remains unclear what specific criteria the Secretary of State will use to decide whether to require audits or reviews for organizations below the new thresholds.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

573420/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 573420/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 354 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 2, in lines 12 and 19, in each instance, strike “$500,000” and substitute “$400,000”.

  • AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 354 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 2, in lines 12 and 19, in each instance, strike “$500,000” and substitute “$400,000”.
  • SB0354/573420/1 BY: Economic Matters Committee

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 394

  2. 2026-04-09 House

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters

  3. 2026-03-30 House

    Third Reading Passed (100-35)

  4. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Senate Concurs House Amendments

  5. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (46-0)

  6. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Passed Enrolled

  7. 2026-03-23 House

    Favorable with Amendments { 573420/1 Adopted

  8. 2026-03-23 House

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  9. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings

  10. 2026-03-01 House

    Referred Economic Matters

  11. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (45-0)

  12. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  13. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  14. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Hearing 2/04 at 11:00 a.m.

  15. 2026-01-23 Senate

    First Reading Judicial Proceedings

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Business Regulation - Charitable Organizations - Audit and Review Thresholds

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Business Regulation - Charitable Organizations - Audit and Review Thresholds

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Economic Matters

  20. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Enrolled - Business Regulation - Charitable Organizations - Audit and Review Thresholds

  21. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Business Regulation - Charitable Organizations - Audit and Review Thresholds

Official Summary Text

Increasing the minimum gross income amounts from charitable contributions at which a charitable organization must include a certain audit or a certain review with a registration statement; increasing the amount of cash receipts from charitable contributions the Secretary of State may accept an affidavit attesting to under certain circumstances; increasing the maximum amount of gross income of a charitable organization at which the Secretary of State may require an audit or review from $750,000 to $1,000,000; 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.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*sb0354*

SENATE BILL 354
C2 (6lr1901)
ENROLLED BILL
— Judicial Proceedings/Economic Matters —
Introduced by Senators Kagan and Waldstreicher

Read and Examined by Proofreaders:

_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.

Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this

_______ day of _______________ at __ ______________________ o’clock, ________M.

______________________________________________
President.

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Business Regulation – Charitable Organizations – Audit and Review Thresholds 2

FOR the purpose of increasing the minimum gross income amounts from charitable 3
contributions at which a charitable organization must include a certain audit or a 4
certain review with the charitable organization’s registration statement; increasing 5
the amount of cash receipts from charitable contributions the Secretary of State may 6
accept an affidavit attesting to under certain circumstances; increasing the 7
maximum amount of gross income of a charitable organization at which the 8
Secretary of State may require an audit or review of the charitable organization; and 9
generally relating to audit and review thresholds for charitable organizations. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Business Regulation 12
Section 6–402(a) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
2 SENATE BILL 354

(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 2
Article – Business Regulation 3
Section 6–402(b)(7), (c)(1)(v), and (d) 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 6

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 8

Article – Business Regulation 9

6–402. 10

(a) A registration statement shall be on the form that the Secretary of State 11
provides. 12

(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, the registration statement 13
shall contain or be accompanied by: 14

(7) (i) an audit by an independent certified public accountant if the 15
gross income from charitable contributions in the most recently completed fiscal year is at 16
least [$750,000] $1,000,000; or 17

(ii) a review by an independent certified public accountant if the 18
gross income from charitable contributions in the most recently completed fiscal year is at 19
least [$300,000] $500,000 $400,000 but less than [$750,000] $1,000,000; 20

(c) The Secretary of State may accept other documentation in place of any item 21
required under subsection (b) of this section, including, in place of the audit or review 22
required by subsection (b)(7) of this section, supporting documents indicating, and an 23
affidavit attesting, that: 24

(1) the charitable organization: 25

(v) has cash receipts from charitable contributions not exceeding 26
[$300,000] $500,000 $400,000 and amounting to 20% or less of the charitable 27
organization’s gross income during the immediately preceding fiscal year that are used for 28
program services or management and general expenses of the charitable organization, as 29
set forth under COMAR 01.02.04.04.A and C; 30

(d) The Secretary of State may require an audit or review if the amount of gross 31
income is less than [$750,000] $1,000,000. 32

SENATE BILL 354 3

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

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.