EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0496*
SENATE BILL 496
P1, L6 5lr3272
CF 5lr1934
By: Senator Ellis
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Commerce – Complaint Portal and Annual Report 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Commerce to create and maintain a 3
complaint portal for reporting when a governmental unit takes longer than a certain 4
period of time to process a certain application for a license, form, certificate, 5
certification, permit, or registration; requiring the Department to submit an annual 6
report to certain committees of the General Assembly on the complaints submitted 7
to the portal; and generally relating to the Department of Commerce. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Economic Development 10
Section 2.5–110 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Economic Development 16
2.5–110. 17
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “GOVERNMENTAL UNIT ” MEANS: 18
(1) A COUNTY; 19
(2) A MUNICIPAL CORPORAT ION; 20
(3) A STATE UNIT; 21
2 SENATE BILL 496
(4) A LOCAL UNIT; OR 1
(5) ANY OTHER PUBLIC BOD Y OR UNIT ESTABLISHED IN ACCORDANCE 2
WITH A STATE OR LOCAL LAW , ORDINANCE, OR RESOLUTION . 3
(B) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 4
DEPARTMENT SHALL CREA TE AND MAINTAIN A PO RTAL ON THE DEPARTMENT ’S 5
WEBSITE THAT THE PUB LIC MAY USE TO FILE A COMPLAINT IF A GOVERNMEN TAL 6
UNIT TAKES LONGER TH AN 60 DAYS TO PROCESS AN A PPLICATION FOR A LIC ENSE, 7
FORM, CERTIFICATE, CERTIFICATION , PERMIT, OR REGISTRATION FOR A BUSINESS 8
OR NONPROFIT ORGANIZ ATION. 9
(2) A PERSON MAY NOT FILE A COMPLAINT ON THE P ORTAL CREATED 10
AND MAINTAINED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION I F A STATE OR 11
LOCAL LAW, AN ORDINANCE , OR A RESOLUTION EXPL ICITLY AUTHORIZES TH E 12
GOVERNMENTAL UNIT AG AINST WHICH THE COMP LAINT WOULD HAVE BEE N FILED 13
TO TAKE LONGER THAN 60 DAYS TO PROCESS THE APPLICATION. 14
(C) (1) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 15, 2025, AND EACH SEPTEMBER 15 15
THEREAFTER , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT A REPORT ON THE C OMPLAINTS 16
FILED THROUGH THE PO RTAL DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS 17
SECTION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, 18
TO THE SENATE BUDGET AND TAXATION COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE WAYS AND 19
MEANS COMMITTEE. 20
(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 21
SUBSECTION SHALL IDE NTIFY, WITH RESPECT TO EACH COMPLAINT RECEIVED 22
DURING THE PRECEDING FISCAL YEAR, THE GOVERNMENTAL UNI T RESPONSIBLE 23
FOR THE LICENSE , FORM, CERTIFICATE, CERTIFICATION , PERMIT, OR 24
REGISTRATION . 25
(3) IN REPORTING THE DATA REQUIRED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION, 26
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS T O ANONYMIZE THE DATA 27
TO PROTECT TH E PRIVACY OF THE BUS INESS OR NONPROFIT O RGANIZATION TO 28
WHICH THE COMPLAINT IS RELATED. 29
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 30
1, 2025. 31