2026-09-12 · Maryland · Legislation · Did not pass

What happened. A pair of bills that would have authorised an Anne Arundel County homeowners association to manage, operate and maintain a community sewerage system as the controlling authority died in both chambers' origin committees, neither receiving a report.

HB 1424 from Delegate Behler went to House Environment and Transportation on 13 February 2026 with a hearing on 18 March. SB 682 from the Anne Arundel County Senators went to Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment on 6 February with a hearing on 24 February. Both died at sine die on 13 April 2026.¹²

What they proposed

Two provisions:¹

• An HOA in Anne Arundel County could manage, operate and maintain a shared facility or community sewerage system as a controlling authority, if specified conditions were met.
• The Maryland Environmental Service would be required to take charge of and operate the facility or system in specified circumstances — a State backstop if the association failed.

The backstop is the honest part of the design, and it is what makes this a more serious proposal than it first appears. Whoever drafted it understood that a volunteer-governed residential association is not an obvious operator of a regulated wastewater facility, and built in a mechanism for the State to step in.

Both were first filings; no prior-session version exists.

1. House Bill 1424 (2026), Anne Arundel County – Community Sewerage Systems – Homeowners Association Control — first reading in House Environment and Transportation 13 February 2026, hearing 18 March, no committee report, died at sine die ↩
2. Senate Bill 682 (2026) — the cross-file from the Anne Arundel County Senators; first reading in Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment 6 February 2026, hearing 24 February, no committee report, died at sine die ↩