Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0565*
SENATE BILL 565
C6, P1, L2 6lr3111
CF 6lr2964
By: Senators Ready and West
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Stadium Authority – Sale of Shamrock Farms to Carroll County 2
FOR the purpose of prohibiting the Maryland Stadium Authority from selling, transferring, 3
or disposing of Shamrock Farms except under certain conditions; authorizing the 4
County Commissioners of Carroll County to purchase Shamrock Farms on or before 5
a certain date subject to certain terms, conditions, and notice requirements; and 6
generally relating to the sale of Shamrock Farms. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Economic Development 9
Section 10–613(a)(7) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
BY adding to 13
Article – Economic Development 14
Section 10–615(c) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 18
Article – Local Government 19
Section 12–404(a) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2013 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
BY adding to 23
Article – Local Government 24
Section 12–404(e) 25
Annotated Code of Maryland 26
(2013 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 27
2 SENATE BILL 565
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 1
Article – State Finance and Procurement 2
Section 10–305(a) 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Article – State Finance and Procurement 7
Section 10–305(b)(1) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Economic Development 13
10–613. 14
(a) The Authority may: 15
(7) subject to [§ 10–620] §§ 10–615 AND 10–620 of this subtitle, acquire, 16
lease as landlord or tenant, hold, encumber, or dispose of property; 17
10–615. 18
(C) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION , “SHAMROCK FARMS” HAS THE MEANING 19
STATED IN § 12–404(E) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 20
(2) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN § 12–404(E) OF THE LOCAL 21
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE AUTHORITY MAY NOT SEL L, TRANSFER, OR 22
OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF SHAMROCK FARMS. 23
Article – Local Government 24
12–404. 25
(a) Except for the procurement of an option to purchase real property, the County 26
Commissioners of Carroll County or a public agency of the county may not take final action 27
to purchase real property unless: 28
(1) the action is taken at a public meeting; and 29
SENATE BILL 565 3
(2) if the consideration for the property is $7,000 or more, the county 1
commissioners or public agency have given public notice of the intent to purchase the real 2
property at least 15 calendar days before the meeting. 3
(E) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION , “SHAMROCK FARMS” MEANS THE REAL 4
PROPERTY THAT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF ON 5
MAY 7, 2025, LOCATED AT 4926 WOODBINE ROAD, WOODBINE, MARYLAND 21797. 6
(2) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBSECTION, 7
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CARROLL COUNTY MAY PURCHASE A ND THE 8
MARYLAND STADIUM AUTHORITY SHALL SELL TO THE COUNTY SHAMROCK FARMS 9
FOR $4,480,000, INCREASED BY A REASO NABLE AMOUNT FOR INF LATION AS 10
DETERMINED BY THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND LESS ANY AM OUNT THAT 11
CARROLL COUNTY CONTRIBUTED TO THE STATE’S PURCHASE. 12
(3) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2029, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF 13
CARROLL COUNTY SHALL NOTIFY T HE MARYLAND STADIUM AUTHORITY OF THE 14
COUNTY’S INTENT TO PURCHASE SHAMROCK FARMS. 15
(4) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, TO PAY FOR 16
THE PURCHASE AUTHORI ZED UNDER THIS SUBSE CTION THE COUNTY 17
COMMISSIONERS OF CARROLL COUNTY MAY: 18
(I) USE THE COUNTY’S GENERAL FUND; AND 19
(II) ACCEPT DONATIONS FROM ANY SOURCE. 20
(5) THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CARROLL COUNTY MAY PAY 21
FOR THE PURCHASE AUT HORIZED UNDER THIS S UBSECTION IN EQUAL A NNUAL 22
INSTALLMENTS OVER 5 YEARS. 23
(6) IF SHAMROCK FARMS IS TRANSFERRED TO CARROLL COUNTY, 24
ON THE TRANSFER ALL RIGHTS AND AUTHORITY OVER SHAMROCK FARMS, 25
INCLUDING ANY ZONING AUTHORITY, TRANSFER TO CARROLL COUNTY. 26
Article – State Finance and Procurement 27
10–305. 28
(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, any real or personal property 29
of the State or a unit of the State government may be sold, leased, transferred, exchanged, 30
granted, or otherwise disposed of: 31
4 SENATE BILL 565
(1) to any person, to the United States or any of its units, or to any unit of 1
the State government, for a consideration the Board decides is adequate; or 2
(2) to any county or municipal corporation in the State subject to any 3
conditions the Board imposes. 4
(b) (1) (i) Except as provided under subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, 5
this subsection applies to the sale, transfer, grant, or exchange of: 6
1. real property identified under § 5–310(c)(1) of this article; 7
and 8
2. State–owned real or personal property, funded in 9
accordance with an appropriation act of the General Assembly, that has an appraised value 10
over $100,000. 11
(ii) This subsectio n does not apply to the following dispositions of 12
property identified in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph: 13
1. leasing the property; 14
2. the sale, transfer, grant, or exchange of a corrective or 15
access easement on the property; [or] 16
3. an ex change by the Department of Natural Resources 17
under § 1–109(e)(3) of the Natural Resources Article; OR 18
4. THE SALE OF PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 19
12–404(E) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 20
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 21
(a) In this section, “Shamrock Farms” has the meaning stated in § 12–404(e) of 22
the Local Government Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act. 23
(b) If the County Commissioners of Carroll County do not provide notice on or 24
before July 1, 2029, to the Maryland Stadium Authority of the county’s intent to purchase 25
Shamrock Farms in accordance with § 12–404 of the Local Government Article, as enacted 26
by Section 1 of this Act, Section 1 of this Act, with no further action required by the General 27
Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 28
(c) The Maryland Stadium Authority shall notify the Department of Legislative 29
Services within 15 days after: 30
(1) receiving the notice described under subsection (b) of this section from 31
the County Commissioners of Carroll County of the county’s intent to purchase Shamrock 32
Farms; or 33
SENATE BILL 565 5
(2) the failure of the County Commissioners of Carroll County to provide 1
the notice described under subsection (b) of this section of the county’s intent to purchase 2
Shamrock Farms. 3
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 4
1, 2026. 5