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.
*sb0906*
SENATE BILL 906
C9 4lr3351
By: Senator Augustine Senators Augustine, Brooks, Feldman, Kagan, and
Lewis Young
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: February 28, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Housing and Community Development – Conversion of Commercial Buildings 2
for Residential Use – Report 3
FOR the purpose of requiring each county and Baltimore City political subdivision to 4
inventory vacant commercial buildings, develop a plan to convert certain vacant 5
commercial buildings for residential use, and submit a report to the Department of 6
Housing and Community Development; requiring a political subdivision to make a 7
certain determination; requiring the Department to provide certain technical 8
assistance under certain circumstances; requiring the Department to establish and 9
maintain a certain database; and generally relating to converting vacant commercial 10
buildings for residential use. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Housing and Community Development 13
Section 1–101(a), (c), and (i) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Housing and Community Development 18
Section 6–105 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 21
2 SENATE BILL 906
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Housing and Community Development 3
1–101. 4
(a) In this Division I of this article the following words have the meanings 5
indicated. 6
(c) “County” means a county of the State or Baltimore City. 7
(i) “Political subdivision” means a county or municipal corporation of the State. 8
6–105. 9
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “VACANT COMMERCIAL BU ILDING” MEANS A 10
COMMERCIAL BUILDING THAT HAS BEEN ABANDO NED, UNOCCUPIED , OR EMPTY FOR 11
A PERIOD OF TIME . 12
(B) (1) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2025, EACH COUNTY AND BALTIMORE 13
CITY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO N SHALL: 14
(I) INVENTORY THE NUMBER OF VACANT COMMERCIAL 15
BUILDINGS IN THE COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO N; 16
(II) DEVELOP A PLAN FOR C ONVERTING VACANT COM MERCIAL 17
BUILDINGS IN THE COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO N FOR 18
RESIDENTIAL USE ; AND 19
(III) SUBMIT A REPORT CONT AINING THE INVENTORY AND PLAN 20
TO THE DEPARTMENT . 21
(2) EACH POLITICAL SUBDIV ISION SHALL DETERMIN E A MINIMUM 22
PERIOD OF TIME FOR A VACANT COMMERCIAL BU ILDING TO BE ELIGIBL E FOR 23
INCLUSION IN THE INV ENTORY REQUIRED UNDE R PARAGRAPH (1)(I) OF THIS 24
SUBSECTION. 25
(3) (I) EACH COUNTY AND BALTIMORE CITY POLITICAL 26
SUBDIVISION SHALL UPDATE THE REP ORT SUBMITTED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)(III) 27
OF THIS SUBSECTION E VERY 2 YEARS. 28
(II) THE UPDATE REQUIRED U NDER THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL 29
INCLUDE: 30
SENATE BILL 906 3
1. A NEW INVENTORY OF V ACANT COMMERCIAL 1
BUILDINGS; 2
2. ANY CHANGES MADE TO THE PLAN DEVELOPED 3
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)(II) OF THIS SUBSECTION ; AND 4
3. DETAILS OF ANY PROGR ESS MADE IN CONVERTI NG 5
VACANT COMMERCIAL BU ILDINGS FOR RESIDENT IAL USE. 6
(B) ON REQUEST BY A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 7
PROVIDE TECHNICAL AS SISTANCE TO THE POLI TICAL SUBDIVISION IN CREATING 8
AND SUBMITTING THE R EPORT REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION. 9
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH AND MAINTAIN A DATABASE OF 10
VACANT COMMER CIAL BUILDINGS IN TH E STATE THAT HAVE THE P OTENTIAL TO BE 11
CONVERTED FOR RESIDE NTIAL USE. 12
(D) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO EST ABLISH 13
STANDARDS FOR POLITI CAL SUBDIVISIONS TO USE IN DETERMINING W HETHER A 14
VACANT COMMERCIAL BU ILDING IS ELIGIBLE T O BE CONVERTED TO RE SIDENTIAL 15
USE. 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17
1, 2024. 18
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.