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.
*sb0580*
SENATE BILL 580
E4, L2, M4 5lr2407
CF HB 749
By: Washington County Senators
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 22, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Washington County – Public Safety – Buildings Used for Agritourism 2
FOR the purpose of adding Washington County to the list of counties that exempt 3
agricultural buildings used for agritourism from certain building performance 4
standards and where an existing agricultural building used for agritourism is not 5
considered a change of occupancy that requires a building permit under certain 6
circumstances; and generally relating to buildings used for agritourism in 7
Washington County. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Public Safety 10
Section 12–508 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 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 – Public Safety 16
12–508. 17
(a) (1) In this section, “agricultural building” means a structure designed and 18
constructed to house farm implements, hay, grain, poultry, livestock, or other horticultural 19
products. 20 2 SENATE BILL 580
(2) “Agricultural building” does not include a place of human residence. 1
(b) This section applies only to: 2
(1) Allegany County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Calvert 3
County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Charles County, Dorchester County, Frederick 4
County, Garrett County, Harford County, Howard County, Kent County, Montgomery 5
County, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, St. Mary’s County, Somerset 6
County, and Talbot County, AND WASHINGTON COUNTY; or 7
(2) a county where the local legislative body has approved the application 8
of this section to the county. 9
(c) The Standards do not apply to the construction, alteration, or modification of 10
an agricultural building for which agritourism is an intended subordinate use. 11
(d) Except as provided in subsections (e) and (f) of this section, an existing 12
agricultural building used for agritourism is not considered a change of occupancy that 13
requires a building permit if the subordinate use of agritourism: 14
(1) is in accordance with limitations set forth in regulations adopted by the 15
Department; 16
(2) occupies only levels of the building on which a ground level exit is 17
located; and 18
(3) does not require more than 50 people to occupy an individual building 19
at any one time. 20
(e) In Allegany County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Calvert 21
County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Garrett County, Howard County, Kent County, 22
Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, St. Mary’s County, WASHINGTON 23
COUNTY, and Worcester County, an existing agricultural building used for agritourism is 24
not considered a change of occupancy that requires a building permit if: 25
(1) the subordinate use of agritourism does not require more than 200 26
people to occupy an individual building at any one time; and 27
(2) the total width of means of egress meets or exceeds the International 28
Building Code standard that applies to egress components other than stairways in a 29
building without a sprinkler system. 30
(f) (1) In Montgomery County, an existing agricultural building used for 31
agritourism is not considered a change of occupancy that requires a building permit as 32
provided in this subsection. 33
SENATE BILL 580 3
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, if the 1
subordinate use of agritourism does not require more than 50 people to occupy an individual 2
building at any one time, then that use must be: 3
(i) in accordance with limitations established by the Department; 4
and 5
(ii) limited to levels of the building on which a ground level exit is 6
located. 7
(3) If the subordinate use of agritourism requires more than 50 people but 8
fewer than 100 people to occupy an individual building at any one time, then that use must 9
be: 10
(i) in accordance with the requirements in paragraph (2) of this 11
subsection; and 12
(ii) the total width and number of means of egress must meet or 13
exceed the International Building Code standard that applies to egress components other 14
than stairways in a building without a sprinkler system. 15
(g) An agricultural building used for agritourism: 16
(1) shall be structurally sound and in good repair; but 17
(2) need not comply with: 18
(i) requirements for bathrooms, sprinkler systems, and elevators set 19
forth in the Standards; or 20
(ii) any other requirements of the Standards or other building codes 21
as set forth in regulations adopted by the Department. 22
(h) The Department shall adopt regulations to implement this section. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 24
1, 2025. 25