Maryland Higher Education Commission - Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program - Established

Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Senator Henson
Last action: 2026-05-26
Official status: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 743
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify the exact criteria for grant applicants or the amount of funding available.

Maryland Higher Education Commission - PAREA Grant Program

This law establishes a grant program to assist individuals in historically redlined neighborhoods and underrepresented communities who want to become real estate appraisers.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program.
Aims to close appraisal gaps that occur in historically redlined neighborhoods and underrepresented communities.
Requires the Maryland Higher Education Commission to administer the program.

Who It Names or Affects

Individuals residing in historically redlined neighborhoods and underrepresented communities who want to become real estate appraisers.

Terms To Know

PAREA: Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal Grant Program
Redlined neighborhoods: Areas that were denied loans and other financial services by banks, often based on race.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the criteria for grant applicants.
It is unclear how much funding will be available for grants.

Bill History

2026-05-26 Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 743
2026-04-09 House
Favorable Report by Appropriations
2026-03-31 House
Third Reading Passed (110-26)
2026-03-26 House
Hearing 4/08 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-26 Senate
Returned Passed
2026-03-23 House
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-03-19 Senate
Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-03-09 House
Referred Appropriations
2026-03-05 Senate
Third Reading Passed (39-2)
2026-03-03 Senate
Favorable Adopted
2026-03-03 Senate
Second Reading Passed
2026-02-10 Senate
Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-06 Senate
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Maryland Higher Education Commission - Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program - Established
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Maryland Higher Education Commission - Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program - Established
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Appropriations
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Chapter - Maryland Higher Education Commission - Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program - Established

Official Summary Text

Establishing the Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal Grant Program to provide grants to certain individuals with the goal of becoming a real estate appraiser in certain communities; providing the purpose of the Program is to assist in closing appraisal gaps that occur in historically redlined neighborhoods and underrepresented communities; and requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission to administer the Program.

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.
*sb0657*

SENATE BILL 657
F2 6lr2713
CF HB 919
By: Senator Henson
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Maryland Higher Education Commission – Practical Applications of Real Estate 2
Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program – Established 3

FOR the purpose of establishing the Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal 4
(PAREA) Grant Program to provide grants to certain individuals with the goal of 5
becoming a real estate appraiser in certain communities; requiring the Maryla nd 6
Higher Education Commission to administer the Program; and generally relating to 7
the Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 18 –4201 and 18 –4202 to be under the new subtitle “Su btitle 42. PAREA 11
Grant Program” 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Education 17

SUBTITLE 42. PAREA GRANT PROGRAM. 18

18–4201. 19

2 SENATE BILL 657

(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2

(B) “PAREA” MEANS THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF REAL ESTATE 3
APPRAISAL. 4

18–4202. 7

(A) THERE IS A PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL 8
GRANT PROGRAM IN THE COMMISSION. 9

(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO: 10

(1) ASSIST IN CLOSING APP RAISAL GAPS THAT OCC UR IN 11
HISTORICALLY REDLINE D NEIGHBORHOODS AND UNDERREPRESENTED 12
COMMUNITIES; 13

(2) AWARD GRANTS TO MINOR ITIES WHO RESIDE IN HISTORICALLY 14
REDLINED NEIGHBORHOODS AND UNDERREPRESEN TED COMMUNITIES WITH THE 15
GOAL OF PURSUING PAREA; AND 16

(3) DIVERSIFY THE APPRAISAL FIELD. 17

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 19
1, 2026. 20

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