EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G 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.
*sb0291*
SENATE BILL 291
G1, P2 4lr0355
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 112
By: Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee (By Request –
Departmental – Secretary of State)
Requested: September 19, 2023
Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 8, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Persons Doing Public Business – Disclosure Requirements 2
FOR the purpose of requiring a person to file a registration statement with the State Board 3
of Elections within a certain time period after the award of a contract that causes 4
the person to be doing public business; requiring persons doing public business to 5
update information on beneficial ownership included in the registration statement 6
in accordance with regulations adopted by the State Board; altering the time at 7
which a person doing public business is required to file a certain initial statement of 8
political contributions with the State Board; requiring a governmental entity that 9
has awarded a contract that causes a person to be doing public business to, under 10
certain circumstances, require the person to make a certain certification to the Board 11
of Public Works; repealing requirements that certain businesses with State contracts 12
file a certain list with the Secretary of State; and generally relating to disclosures by 13
persons doing public business. 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Election Law 16
Section 14–101(a), (h), and (i) and 14–104(a) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Election Law 21 2 SENATE BILL 291
Section 14–101(b–1) and 14–103.1 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 4
Article – Election Law 5
Section 14–104(b)(1), 14–107, and 14–110(a) 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 8
BY repealing 9
Article – State Finance and Procurement 10
Section 13–221 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Election Law 16
14–101. 17
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 18
(B–1) “BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP” MEANS: 19
(1) ANY OWNERSHIP INTERE ST OF 5% OR MORE IN A BUSINES S; 20
(2) ANY OWNERSHIP INTERE ST OF 5% OR MORE IN ONE OR MORE 21
ENTITIES IN A CHAIN OF PARENT AND SUBSID IARY ENTITIES, ANY ONE OF WHICH 22
PARTICIPATES IN AT L EAST 5% OF THE CAPITAL OR PR OFITS OF A BUSINESS ; OR 23
(3) POSSESSION OF AN INT EREST THAT EXISTS UN DER A CONTRACT , 24
A RELATIONSHIP , AN UNDERSTANDING , OR ANY OTHER ARRANGEMENT AN D 25
ENTITLES A PERSON TO BENEFITS SUBSTANTIAL LY EQUIVALENT TO AN OWNERSHIP 26
INTEREST OF 5% OR MORE OF A BUSINES S. 27
(h) (1) “Doing public business” means making or having a single contract with 28
a single governmental entity involving cumulative consideration of at least $200,000. 29
(2) “Doing public business” does not include receiving a salary from a 30
governmental entity. 31
(i) “Governmental entity” means: 32
SENATE BILL 291 3
(1) the State, a county, a municipal corporation, or other political 1
subdivision of the State; and 2
(2) a unit of the State, a county, a municipal corporation, or other political 3
subdivision of the State. 4
14–103.1. 5
(A) A PERSON SHALL FILE A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WITH THE STATE 6
BOARD WITHIN 15 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE AWARD OF A CONTR ACT THAT CAUSES 7
THE PERSON TO BE DOI NG PUBLIC BUSINESS . 8
(B) THE REGISTRATION STAT EMENT SHALL INCLUDE : 9
(1) THE PERSON’S NAME AND ADDRESS; 10
(2) ANY RESIDENT AGENT OF THE BUSINESS LOCATED IN THE STATE; 11
(3) IF KNOWN, EACH PERSON WHO HAS BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF 12
THE BUSINESS ENTITY; AND 13
(4) ANY OTHER INFORMATIO N REQUIRED BY THE STATE BOARD. 14
(C) A PERSON DOING PUBLIC BUSINESS SHALL UPDATE THE INFORMATION 15
ON BENEFICIAL OWNERS HIP INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER 16
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH R EGULATIONS ADOPTED 17
BY THE STATE BOARD. 18
14–104. 19
(a) A person doing public business shall file a statement with the State Board as 20
provided in this section. 21
(b) (1) [When a contract is awarded that causes a person to be doing public 22
business, an initial statement shall be filed at that time,] WITHIN 15 BUSINESS DAYS 23
AFTER FILING THE REG ISTRATION STA TEMENT REQUIRED UNDE R § 14–103.1 OF 24
THIS TITLE, A PERSON DOING PUBLI C BUSINESS SHALL FIL E AN INITIAL STATEME NT 25
covering the preceding 24 months. 26
14–107. 27
(a) (1) A governmental entity that has awarded a person a contract that causes 28
the person to be doing public business shall: 29
4 SENATE BILL 291
(i) require the person to certify that the person has filed the 1
statement required under § 14–104(b)(1) of this title; 2
(II) IF THE CONTRACT IS S UBJECT TO APPROVAL B Y THE BOARD 3
OF PUBLIC WORKS, REQUIRE THE PERSON T O CERTIFY TO THE BOARD OF PUBLIC 4
WORKS THAT THE PERSON HAS FILED THE STATEM ENT REQUIRED UNDER § 5
14–104(B)(1) OF THIS TITLE; and 6
[(ii)] (III) provide the State Board with the person’s name, address, 7
and any other contact information required by the State Board. 8
(2) (i) A governmental entity may comply with paragraph [(1)(ii)] 9
(1)(III) of this subsection by sending to the State Board a quarterly report on a form 10
provided by the State Board. 11
(ii) A quarterly report sent under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph 12
shall: 13
1. include the required information for any person that was 14
awarded a contract that caused the person to be doing public business with the 15
governmental entity during the preceding calendar quarter; and 16
2. be submitted to the State Board no later than 10 business 17
days after the close of each calendar quarter. 18
(b) (1) If a person files a statement under § 14–103.1 OR § 14–104 of this title 19
that does not include all the information required, the State Board shall notify the person 20
in writing of the particular deficiencies. 21
(2) Within 30 days after service of the notice under paragraph (1) of this 22
subsection, the person shall file an amended statement that includes all the information 23
required. 24
(c) (1) As provided in this subsection, the State Board may impose fees for late 25
filing of: 26
(i) a statement required under § 14–103.1 OR § 14–104 of this title; 27
or 28
(ii) an amended statement required under subsection (b) of this 29
section. 30
(2) The State Board may impose late filing fees in the same amounts and 31
in the same manner as provided under §§ 13–331, 13–335, and 13–337 of this article for 32
late filing of campaign finance reports. 33
SENATE BILL 291 5
(3) Late filing fees imposed under this subsection shall be distributed to 1
the Fair Campaign Financing Fund established under § 15–103 of this article. 2
14–110. 3
(a) The State Board may impose a civil penalty in accordance with this section for 4
the following violations: 5
(1) FAILURE TO REPORT CURRENT INFORMATION ON BENEFICIAL 6
OWNERSHIP AS REQUIRED UNDER § 14–103.1 OF THIS TITLE; 7
[(1)] (2) failure to report all applicable contributions made as required 8
under § 14–104 of this title; and 9
[(2)] (3) failure to maintain detailed and accurate records and reports as 10
required in § 14–105 of this title. 11
Article – State Finance and Procurement 12
[13–221. 13
(a) The provisions of this section are broadly applicable and apply to all contracts, 14
leases, or other agreements entered into by the State. 15
(b) (1) In this section, “beneficial ownership” means: 16
(i) any ownership interest of 5% or more in a business; 17
(ii) any ownership interest of 5% or more in 1 or more entities in a 18
chain of parent and subsidiary entities, any 1 of which participates in at least 5% of the 19
capital or profits of a business; or 20
(iii) possession of an interest that exists under an agreement, 21
contract, relationship, understanding, or other arrangement and entitles a person to 22
benefits substantially equivalent to an ownership interest of 5% or more of a business. 23
(2) In this section, unless there are special circumstances, an individual is 24
deemed to hold an ownership interest that is held by the individual’s spouse, the 25
individual’s child, or other relative of the individual who lives in the individual’s home. 26
(c) (1) If, during a calendar year, a business enters into contracts, leases, or 27
other agreements, with the State or its units or both, under which the business is to receive 28
from the State or its units or both a total of $200,000 or more, the business shall file with 29
the Secretary of State a list that contains the name and address of: 30
(i) any resident agent of the business; 31
6 SENATE BILL 291
(ii) each officer of the business; and 1
(iii) if known, each person who has beneficial ownership of the 2
business. 3
(2) The list shall be filed within 30 days of the date when the total value of 4
the contracts, leases, or other agreements entered into during the calendar year reaches 5
$200,000. 6
(3) If a person who has beneficial ownership is unknown to the business, it 7
is sufficient for the business to disclose the legal ownership or the identity of the nominee 8
who holds title for the unknown person. 9
(d) A business or an officer of a business who violates any provision of this section 10
is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $10,000.] 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2024. 13
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.