Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB294 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0294
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 294
8	8	N1 5lr1647
9	9	HB 286/24 – ENT CF SB 71
10	10	By: Delegate Holmes
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 9, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Task Force on Common Ownership Communities 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing the Task Force on Common Ownership Communities; 3
21	21	requiring the Task Force to submit a report of findings and recommendations; and 4
22	22	generally relating to the Task Force on Common Ownership Communities. 5
23	23
24	24	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
25	25	That: 7
26	26
27	27	(a) In this section, “common ownership community” means: 8
28	28
29	29	(1) a condominium, as defined in § 11–101 of the Real Property Article; 9
30	30
31	31	(2) a cooperative housing corporation, as defined in § 5–6B–01 of the 10
32	32	Corporations and Associations Article; or 11
33	33
34	34	(3) a homeowners association, as defined in § 11B–101 of the Real Property 12
35	35	Article. 13
36	36
37	37	(b) There is a Task Force on Common Ownership Communities. 14
38	38
39	39	(c) The Task Force consists of the following members: 15
40	40
41	41	(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 16
42	42	the Senate; 17
43	43
44	44	(2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 18
45	45	the House; 19
46	46
47	47	(3) the Secretary of Housing and Community Development, or the 20
48	48	Secretary’s designee; 21 2 HOUSE BILL 294
49	49
50	50
51	51
52	52	(4) the Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee; 1
53	53
54	54	(5) one representative of the Consumer Protection Division in the Office of 2
55	55	the Attorney General; 3
56	56
57	57	(6) one representative from the field of alternative dispute resolution, 4
58	58	appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland; 5
59	59
60	60	(7) two representatives of the general public, appointed by the President of 6
61	61	the Senate: 7
62	62
63	63	(i) one of whom is a member of a board of directors of a large 8
64	64	common ownership community; and 9
65	65
66	66	(ii) one of whom is a member of a board of directors of a 10
67	67	medium–sized or small common ownership community; 11
68	68
69	69	(8) two representatives of the general public, appointed by the Speaker of 12
70	70	the House: 13
71	71
72	72	(i) one of whom is a member of a board of directors of a large 14
73	73	common ownership community; and 15
74	74
75	75	(ii) one of whom is a member of a board of directors of a 16
76	76	medium–sized or small common ownership community; and 17
77	77
78	78	(9) seven representatives of the general public, appointed by the Governor: 18
79	79
80	80	(i) one of whom owns a home or dwelling unit in a common 19
81	81	ownership community; 20
82	82
83	83	(ii) one of whom is not a member of a board of directors of a common 21
84	84	ownership community; 22
85	85
86	86	(iii) one of whom is an attorney with experience representing 23
87	87	common ownership communities; 24
88	88
89	89	(iv) one of whom is an insurance agent or broker with experience 25
90	90	serving common ownership communities; 26
91	91
92	92	(v) one of whom is a certified public accountant with experience 27
93	93	serving common ownership communities; 28
94	94
95	95	(vi) one of whom is a manager of a common ownership community; 29
96	96	and 30
97	97	HOUSE BILL 294 3
98	98
99	99
100	100	(vii) one of whom is a representative of the Maryland State Builders 1
101	101	Association. 2
102	102
103	103	(d) The Task Force shall elect a chair from among its members. 3
104	104
105	105	(e) The Office of the Attorney General shall provide staff for the Task Force. 4
106	106
107	107	(f) A member of the Task Force: 5
108	108
109	109	(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Task Force; but 6
110	110
111	111	(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 7
112	112	Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 8
113	113
114	114	(g) The Task Force shall study: 9
115	115
116	116	(1) the education and training needs of common ownership community 10
117	117	boards and new and prospective owners of homes and dwelling units in common ownership 11
118	118	communities, including: 12
119	119
120	120	(i) creation and dissemination of information on the best practices 13
121	121	for common ownership community governing boards; and 14
122	122
123	123	(ii) options for providing classes and brochures through a State 15
124	124	agency or an institution regulated by the Maryland Higher Education Commission on: 16
125	125
126	126	1. the responsibilities of members of common ownership 17
127	127	community governing boards; and 18
128	128
129	129	2. the obligations and rights of owners of homes and dwelling 19
130	130	units in common ownership communities; 20
131	131
132	132	(2) the feasibility of establishing statewide alternative dispute resolution 21
133	133	services for common ownership communities, including: 22
134	134
135	135	(i) providing resources to the Office of the Attorney General for 23
136	136	enforcement of laws related to common ownership communities; and 24
137	137
138	138	(ii) offering assistance and guidance to owners of homes and 25
139	139	dwelling units in common ownership communities prior to litigation; 26
140	140
141	141	(3) the advisability of creating a permanent State Commission on Common 27
142	142	Ownership Communities; 28
143	143
144	144	(4) the feasibility of requiring common ownership community managers to 29
145	145	be licensed; and 30
146	146	4 HOUSE BILL 294
147	147
148	148
149	149	(5) best practices related to common ownership community election 1
150	150	processes and governance. 2
151	151
152	152	(h) The Task Force shall submit a final report of its findings and 3
153	153	recommendations on or before December 31, 2026, to the Governor and, in accordance with 4
154	154	§ 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly. 5
155	155
156	156	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 6
157	157	1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and 1 month and, at the end of June 7
158	158	30, 2027, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 8
159	159	abrogated and of no further force and effect. 9
160	160