# Maryland HB 0716: Housing and Community Development - Statewide Rental Assistance Voucher Program Eligibility - Alterations Maryland HB 0716, Housing and Community Development - Statewide Rental Assistance Voucher Program Eligibility - Alterations, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2025-04-22 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 234); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0716-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland HB 0716 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Housing and Community Development - Statewide Rental Assistance Voucher Program Eligibility - Alterations - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-27 - Last action: 2025-04-22, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 234 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Housing and Community Development, Administrative Agencies, Federal Aid -see also- CARES Act, Housing and Community Development, Department of, Housing -see also- Apartments; Condos; Mobile & Manuf Homes, Inspections -see also- Motor Vehicle Inspection, Leases and Rent, Low-Income, Public Benefits -see also- FoodStmps; Housing; MedAsst, Revenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax), Standards and Best Practices, State Aid -see also- Public Benefits - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (237 yes, 85 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More ways to run rental vouchers: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland’s housing department qualifies as a public housing agency for the state voucher program. It can operate in areas with or without a local voucher administrator. Local agencies can use their own plans where an agency runs federal vouchers, subject to state program… - State funding supports vouchers and staff: benefit, low. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and requires $10 million in annual budget appropriations for fiscal years 2025–2027. From fiscal year 2028 onward, required funding must support at least the prior year’s number of vouchers. Annual staffing allocations cover both state and federal voucher progr… - Higher rent share for voucher families: cost, high. Beginning October 1, 2025, the maximum household share for rent and utilities rises from 30% to 40% of monthly adjusted gross income. Housing agencies apply this cap when a family first receives Statewide Rental Assistance Voucher Program help. A different federal Housing Choice Voucher rule takes… - Less frequent inspections for voucher homes: cost, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, housing agencies must inspect state-assisted homes on or before the first lease starts. Later inspections must follow the agency’s plan and occur at least every two years, rather than annually. Inspections must check applicable federal housing quality standards. Owners of… - Housing agencies can rank priority families: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, housing agencies must prioritize state vouchers and housing payments for families with at least one listed member. These include children under 18, foster youth ages 18–23, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, and elderly people. Agencies… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - (none) ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-07 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 101 | 38 | 1 | | 2025-04-03 | Senate | Third Readings Passed with Amendments | pass | 33 | 13 | 1 | | 2025-03-17 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 103 | 34 | 1 | ## Actions (17) - 2025-04-22: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 234 - 2025-04-07: Passed Enrolled (House) - 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (101-38) (House) - 2025-04-07: House Concurs Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-03: Third Readings Passed with Amendments (33-13) (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Floor Amendment {903226/1 (Senator Kagan) Adopted (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Second Reading Passed (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Favorable Adopted (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Hearing 3/25 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Third Reading Passed (103-34) (House) - 2025-03-14: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments {413322/1 Adopted (House) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-01-29: Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m. (House) - 2025-01-27: First Reading Environment and Transportation (House) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-04-22: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_234_hb0716e.pdf) - Enrolled, 2025-04-07: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0716e.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0716t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-01-27: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0716f.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law) - HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed) ## Sources - [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_234_hb0716e.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0716e.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0716t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0716f.pdf) ## Related - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS) - [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS) - [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS) - [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS) - [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS) - [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills) - [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0716-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).