Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0584*
SENATE BILL 584
C5 6lr2589
CF 6lr2590
By: Senators Jennings, Salling, and Ready
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity and Transmission Lines – 2
Notice to Landowners 3
FOR the purpose of requiring a person applying for a certificate of public convenience and 4
necessity for the construction of a ny transmission line to provide certain notices to 5
certain landowners regarding the construction; establishing that failure to provide a 6
certain notice invalidates a certain hearing and, under certain circumstances, voids 7
an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity ; and generally 8
relating to the construction of transmission lines and applications for certificates of 9
public convenience and necessity. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Public Utilities 12
Section 3–106 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Public Utilities 17
Section 7–204 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
Article – Public Utilities 23
3–106. 24
2 SENATE BILL 584
(a) If a person timely files, the person may apply to intervene in a proceeding 1
before the Commission. 2
(b) The Commission shall grant leave to intervene unless the Commission 3
concludes that: 4
(1) the parties to the proceeding adequately represent the interest of the 5
person seeking to intervene; or 6
(2) the issues that the person seeks to raise are irrelevant or immaterial. 7
(c) (1) An intervenor has all the rights of a party to a proceeding. 8
(2) In a proceeding before the Commission, an individual who is an 9
intervenor may represent himself or herself. 10
7–204. 11
(a) IN THIS SECTION , “CONSTRUCTION” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 12
7–207 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 13
(B) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, at least 30 days 14
before a hearing, a public service company shall provide to each owner of land and each 15
owner of adjacent land, by certified mail, written notice of intent to run a line or similar 16
transmission device over, on, or under the land. 17
(2) AT THE SAME TIME A PE RSON APPLIES FOR A CERTIFICATE OF 18
PUBLIC CONVENIENCE A ND NECESSITY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NY 19
TRANSMISSION LINE UNDER § 7–207 OR § 7–208 OF THIS SUBTITLE, THE PERSON 20
SHALL PROVIDE, BY CERTIFIED MAIL, NOTICE OF INTENT TO RUN A LINE OR SIMILAR 21
TRANSMISSION DEVICE OVER, ON, OR UNDER THE LAND TO: 22
(I) EACH OWNER OF LAND THAT ABUTS THE PROPERTY WHERE 23
THE CONSTRUCTION IS PLANNED; AND 24
(II) FOR CONSTRUCTION OF AN OVERHEAD TRANSMIS SION 25
LINE, EACH OWNER OF LAND AND EACH OWNER OF ADJACENT LAND. 26
(3) NOTICE PROVIDED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL ADVISE THE 27
RECIPIENT OF ANY APP LICABLE RIGHT TO FIL E AS AN INTERVENOR I N THE 28
PROCEEDING IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 3–106 OF THIS ARTICLE. 29
[(2)] (C) The public service company shall determine the property owners 30
from the current tax assessment records of the political subdivision in which the property 31
is located. 32
SENATE BILL 584 3
[(b) Unless the failure is willful or deliberate, the failure of a public service 1
company to provide notice does not invalidate a public hearing or require that another 2
hearing take place.] 3
(D) FAILURE TO PROVIDE NOTICE UNDER THIS SECTION: 4
(1) INVALIDATES A PUBLIC HEARING AND REQUIRES THAT ANOTHER 5
HEARING TAKE PLACE; OR 6
(2) IF THE REQUIRED NOTICE IS REGARDING AN APPLICATION FOR A 7
CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NE CESSITY, VOIDS THE APPLICATION 8
FOR A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY. 9
(E) A PERSON WHOSE APPLICA TION FOR A CERTIFICA TE OF PUBLIC 10
CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY IS VOIDED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION 11
MAY REAPPLY. 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14