Howard County State Legislation

The following information is presented by the Howard County Office of Public Information as a service to residents on behalf of the members of Howard County's State Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly, chaired by Elizabeth Bobo, Maryland House of Delegates and James Robey, Maryland Senate

For more information or questions contact:

Joan Oliver
Staff to the Howard County House Delegation
phone: 410-841-3360 or 301-858-3360
fax: 410-841-3361 or 301-858-3361
e-mail: hoc1@mlis.state.md.us

The Howard County Delegation, chaired by Senator James Robey and Delegate Elizabeth Bobo, put forth a number of bills on behalf of the residents of Howard County during the 2010 General Assembly Session. The following bills were passed by the 2010 General Assembly.

Howard County Projects Included in the State Bond Bill (Senate Bill 142):

Six Howard County bond proposals supported by the Delegation received funding in the State capital budget under Senate Bill 142. Those measures included:

• House Bill 231 - Carol Baldwin Hall - $50,000 for development or improvement purposes.
• House Bill 235 - Watson Telescope Observatory – $25,000 for development or improvement purposes.
• House Bill 228 - Living Farm Heritage Museum - $35,000 for development or improvement purposes.
• House Bill 229 - Alpha Ridge Park -$75,000 for development or improvement purposes.
• House Bill 234 - Symphony Woods Park - $250,000 for the development or improvement purposes.
• House Bill 232 - Troy Regional Park - $455,000 for development or improvement purposes.

In addition, the Linwood Center (proposed under House Bill 1227 by members of the Delegation) received $500,000 in funding as a statewide project in the State capital budget under Senate Bill 142.

Other Successful Howard County Local Legislation:

• House Bill 230 – Howard County – Ethics Law – Clarifications and Enhancements
  Clarifies provisions of the Howard County ethics law as it relates to: (l) certain land that is the subject of an application: (2) an application for a zoning regulation; and (3) public access to certain affidavits and disclosures filed under the ethics law.

• House Bill 233 – Howard County Public Schools – Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
  Requires the Howard County Board of Education to develop and operate a free, public, searchable website by January 1, 2010, that includes information about aggregate payments to any payee of $25,000 or more in a fiscal year, including the name of each payee, the location of the payee by zip code, and the amount of the payment.

• House Bill 277 – Howard County and Prince George’s County Tax Sales – Auctioneers’ Fees
  Alters the auctioneer’s fee at tax sales in Howard County – currently $10 for any date when 1, 2 or 3 properties are sold and $3 for each property sold when 4 or more properties are sold – by raising the fee to $10 for each property sold.

• House Bill 717 – Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages – Class A Licenses – Findings
  Requires the Appointed Alcoholic Beverages Hearing Board in Howard County, on determining whether to approve an application for a new Class A license, regardless of kind, to include in its written decision findings as to each of certain factors, including: (1) the public need and desire for the license; (2) the number and location of existing licenses and the potential effect on existing licenses of the license applied for; (3) the potential commonality or uniqueness of the services and products to be offered by the applicant’s business; and (4) the impact on the general health, safety, and welfare of the community, including issues relating to crime, traffic conditions, parking, or convenience.

• House Bill 730 – Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages Act of 2010
  Establishes a Class B special beer and wine (off-sale) license in Howard County to allow a license holder – who also must already hold a Class B beer, wine and liquor (7-day) (on-sale) license that is issued for a restaurant – to sell beer and wine for consumption off the licensed premises.