Earlier this year, the General Assembly enacted legislation establishing eight new Sustainable Growth Planning Principles to guide land use and development policy statewide. In response, the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) has released the Sustainable Growth Implementation Guide, a new resource intended to help jurisdictions understand how the Principles may be applied in planning documents, projects, and policy development. 

MDP developed the Guide with input from multiple state agencies and through Regional Planner Roundtables, where local planners identified areas where additional clarity or technical support could be useful. This Guide is designed to offer a flexible framework that can help jurisdictions anticipate market changes and better align local planning efforts with the state’s goals related to economic vitality, environmental stewardship, and community well-being. It includes examples, best practices, and models for integrating them into local planning processes, and is intended as a companion manual to the new Principles.

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is accepting applications through November 7, 2025 for the second round of the Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund. $3.75 million is available to local jurisdictions and their development partners to fund projects at State-designated station areas.

For more information, please visit the program website, email [email protected] or attend an upcoming webinar: Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund  - MDOT.

A recent decision from the Appellate Court of Maryland significantly broadens local governments’ potential liability in employment discrimination and retaliation cases. In Joseph Watts v. Prince George’s County, the Court held that the damage caps under the Local Government Tort Claims Act (LGTCA) do not apply to claims brought under the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA) or local anti-discrimination ordinances.

Background:
A Prince George’s County jury awarded the plaintiff approximately $1.7 million for employment discrimination and retaliation under MFEPA and the County Code. The County sought to reduce the award under the LGTCA cap, and the circuit court lowered the judgment to $400,000. The plaintiff appealed that reduction.

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General (OAG) recently issued a memorandum clarifying how state and local law enforcement officers must operate when working alongside federal agencies. The OAG’s “Maryland Law Enforcement Standards When Working with Federal Agents” (October 2025) establishes clear expectations that Maryland officers remain fully bound by state law—even during joint operations or federal task forces. The guidance is intended to help departments avoid conflicts between state and federal standards and maintain community trust. Among other things, the OAG memo outlines what officers must do, may do, and must not do when participating in joint operations, covering areas such as:

• Use-of-force and de-escalation standards;

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will hold a virtual meeting for local governments on Wednesday, September 17, at 11:00 a.m. to provide an update on the Purdue and Secondary Manufacturers opioid settlements. These agreements are currently in the sign-on phase, so timely participation is critical.

OAG will review:

Governor Wes Moore has signed an executive order to increase housing production across the state. The order improves the use of state-owned land to create more efficient development, reduce state permitting timelines, and bring more homes to market faster in an effort to tackle housing affordability and promote the Moore-Miller Administration’s commitment to addressing Maryland's 96,000 unit housing shortage across the state.

The “Housing Starts Here” executive order:

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) is presenting a webinar, Building Local Resilience, on Wednesday, August 27 between noon and 1:30 p.m. Panelists will discuss methods for constructing resilient communities through guidance, resources, and planning best practices. The webinar will address the foundations of resilience at the local level, highlighting strategies such as Resilience Hubs and other capital projects that deliver the needs of the public and protect infrastructure. MDP will be joined by resilience partners from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), the City of Baltimore, and Groundswell. Groundswell is a nonprofit that builds community power through community solar projects and resilience centers, clean energy programs that reduce energy burdens, and research initiatives that support clean energy futures for all.

Since June 2024, the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) has issued approximately 191 grower, processor, and dispensary conditional licenses in its first licensing round. Conditional licensees are now in various stages of becoming operational, which includes obtaining local zoning approval for a business location. A conditional licensee must obtain local zoning approval before MCA can issue a final license.

State law delegates authority to Maryland’s counties and municipalities to adopt reasonable zoning requirements for cannabis businesses within the parameters established in Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article §36-410. The MCA is not authorized to make zoning determinations on behalf of political subdivisions and defers to them to make determinations for their communities, provided they are not unduly burdensome, e.g., more restrictive than the parameters in Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article §36-410. 

The Maryland Community Investment Corporation (MCIC) is a new entity created by Governor Moore’s administration to bring equitable, community-driven investment to Maryland. It aims to connect grassroots organizations, developers, and anchor institutions to funding opportunities and technical assistance - especially through tools like the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program. 

MCIC's goal is to bridge the gap for organizations that have historically been left out of complex funding programs, with a focus on:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development invites applications for grants to provide strong rural communities the leadership and technical know-how to keep growing.

The funding is being made available through the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) program for fiscal year (FY) 2025. This program awards grants to qualified intermediary organizations to deliver financial and technical assistance that helps recipients build capacity to carry out projects related to housing, community facilities, and community and economic development.

The 2025 Maryland General Assembly session concluded with significant legislative actions aimed at addressing a $3.3 billion budget deficit and preparing for potential federal funding cuts. The Administration and legislature implemented a combination of spending cuts and tax increases, including new taxes on high-income individuals, IT services, capital gains, recreational cannabis, and sports betting, generating $1.6 billion in revenue and resulting in $2 billion in cuts while maintaining a $2.1 billion rainy day fund. Key legislative accomplishments included a comprehensive energy package promoting diverse energy sources and providing rebates for electric ratepayers, $25 million in abortion support funding, a permanent subsidy program for young adult health insurance, expanded prescription drug price controls, and increased opportunities for sentencing reconsideration and criminal record expungement. Additionally, lawmakers established a commission to study reparations for slavery and approved new liability caps for sexual abuse cases. Finally, a new legislative panel will monitor federal developments to safeguard Maryland's economic stability, particularly given its reliance on federal jobs and contracts. 

For more information on legislation directly impacting municipalities, join MML on April 23 at noon for a "Lunch and Learn: Legislative Wrap Up" webinar on the Maryland General Assembly’s 2025 legislative session. Registration and more information is available here.

The Maryland Department of Labor announces two programs - one active and one upcoming - to provide funding to launch apprenticeship training programs for public sector workers. Local governments are eligible applicants for both programs. The Department of Labor is hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 17 to provide information and assistance with applications. Visit the EventBrite webpage where anyone can register to attend.

In the Maryland General Assembly, "crossover" refers to the point in the legislative session when bills must move from one chamber (either the House of Delegates or the Senate) to the other to continue in the legislative process. Crossover typically occurs around the end of the ninth week of the legislative session (usually in mid-March). After this deadline, bills that have not passed out of their originating chamber are considered "dead" for that year unless they are amended or revived in some way. Bills that cross over transition from the initial phase of the session, where bills are debated and modified, to the second phase, where bills are finalized and voted on by both chambers. This process ensures that both chambers have adequate time to review and debate bills originating in the other chamber.

So far this session, MML has taken positions on 211 bills. To see a complete list of which bills crossed over, click here.

The Moore Administration's 2025 housing bill, the Housing for Jobs Act (SB 430/HB 503), will be heard by both chambers on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. This measure aims to address regional housing infrastructure gaps. Key points include:

• Mandates Housing Infrastructure Analysis: The Departments of Housing and Community Development and Planning must annually calculate and publish housing infrastructure gaps for designated regions
• Apportionment of Housing Gaps: Regional housing deficits will be divided among counties and incorporated municipalities based on their share of regional jobs
• Incentives for Housing Development: Local jurisdictions can reduce their assigned housing gap by approving new housing, particularly near rail stations and for affordable housing
• Limits on Housing Denials: Local jurisdictions must justify rejections of housing projects with clear and convincing evidence, citing specific adverse impacts or zoning restrictions
• Legal Enforcement: Developers may challenge denials in court, and courts can mandate approval if a jurisdiction is found to have improperly rejected a project
• Implementation Timeline: The law would take effect on January 1, 2026

MML's position is Support with Amendments, and will be testifying in person. If you would like to participate - either in person, virtually, or through written testimony - or you have suggestions for amendments, please contact Angelica Bailey Thupari ([email protected]). The deadline to submit testimony is this Friday, February 28 by 6 p.m. 

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) State Highway Administration will host a series of public workshops this February and March to present grant opportunities that can enhance bicycle and pedestrian access, support transit-oriented development, and promote sustainability initiatives across the state. 

Workshop Highlights:
When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates:

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will co-host a webinar called "The Status of Recycling in Maryland" with the Maryland Recycling Network (MRN). The target audience is both local and State elected officials.

More details are below. Email Gabrielle Leach with questions or to RSVP. 

Program Description:​ The Maryland Smart Energy Communities (MSEC) FY25 programs are designed to support local governments, state agencies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and communities as they engage in sustainable, long-term, clean energy policies and projects that lead to reduced energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, increased cost savings, and robust clean energy and economic development.

Program Purpose: ​The MSEC FY25 program provides a comprehensive suite of programs that extend beyond government operations to include opportunities for communities as a whole.  This offering provides an opportunity to fund community-wide visions of how clean energy and related technologies can scale up to a community level.  The two core programs within the MSEC portfolio are designed to foster overall community planning that involves the setting of climate and energy goals, decarbonizing economies, and promoting diversity and environmental justice.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced the next round of Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) discretionary grant funding. The PROTECT Discretionary program provides funding to strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, extreme weather, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, evacuation routes, and at-risk coastal infrastructure. There are four general categories of grant awards from the PROTECT program. There is a $100,000 minimum for planning grants. There is a $500,000 minimum for construction grants. Last round, planning awards ranged from $142,000 - $5.3 million and $750,000 - $60 million for construction. At least 25% of the funding must be used for projects in rural areas, at least 2% of the funding must go to Tribal area projects, and no more than 25% of total funding may be used for Intercity Rail projects. 

Eligible Facilities: Planning and resiliency grants may be awarded to support the following facilities:

Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has proposed revisions to Chapter 2 of the Stormwater Design Manual (Design Manual), the stormwater management regulations. Changes to Chapters 1, 3, 5, and the appendices will also need to be made. The proposed changes as a whole are designed to simplify the stormwater management design process, remove outdated and conflicting material that is currently in the Design Manual, and combine into one the two chapters (Chapters 3 and 5) that describe stormwater management practices. More information on this process can be found here.

On September 16, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced three new funding opportunities, totaling approximately $117 million, to improve recycling infrastructure and consumer education and outreach on wasted food prevention and composting. Two are Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grants for communities and for Tribes and intertribal consortia - focused on improving solid waste management infrastructure. The third is for the Recycling Outreach and Education (REO) grant program and is focused on wasted food prevention and composting.

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Funding Opportunities