SB 481

Renters' Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024

Sponsor: PresidentCommittee: Judicial ProceedingsSubject: Real PropertyStatus: Hearing 2/29 at 1:00 p.m. (Judicial Proceedings) (as of Nov 13, 2024)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Increasing maximum surcharges for certain eviction proceedings from $8 to $93 and prohibiting the District Court from assigning the surcharge against a tenant; altering the priority and criteria in the Statewide Rental Assistance Voucher Program that are followed by the Department of Housing and Community Development and public housing agencies for providing vouchers and housing assistance payments to families; limiting the maximum security deposit required by a residential lease to 1 month's rent; etc.

AI analysis is off. Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to enable summaries, pros and cons, and questions.

Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (72)

MGA witness list

FAV 53FavorableFWA 11Favorable with amendmentsUNF 7UnfavorableINFO 1Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	KANIA, PRISCILLA	AARP Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Pittman, Steuart	Anne Arundel County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sarro, Lisa	Arundel Community Development Services, Inc.	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Blendy, Nicholas	Baltimore City Sheriff's Office	Oral
FAV	Crutchfield, Adria	Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Amador, Ninfa	CASA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Coronado Flores, Jose	CASA	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Ashton, Monique	City of Rockville	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Posner, Mitchell	Community Assistance Network, Inc.	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilpone-Welborn, Kira	Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General	Written (PDF)
FAV	Murdock, Stephanie	DHCD	Oral
FAV	Lopez, Rafael	DHS	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lopez, Rafael	DHS	Position only
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Position only
FAV	Day, Jake	Department of Housing and Community Development	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Government Affairs, Rachel Sledge	Department of Human Services	Position only
FAV	López, Rafael	Department of Human Services	Oral
FAV	Reynolds-Dominguez, Camilalobbyist	FreeState Justice	Position only
FAV	Moore, Wes	Governor of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Reed, Danlobbyist	Greater Greater Washington	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stewart, Wesley	Green & Healthy Homes Initiative	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Lindamood, Kevin	Health Care for the Homeless	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Salganik, Laura	Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jordan, Lisaelobbyist	MCASA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shah, Reena	Maryland Access to Justice Commission	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Schumitz, Kalilobbyist	Maryland Center on Economic Policy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schultz, Victoria	Maryland Legal Aid	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kess, NaShonalobbyist	Maryland NAACP	Oral
FAV	Shapiro, Melanielobbyist	Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence	Position only
FAV	Bogdan, Henrylobbyist	Maryland Nonprofits	Written (PDF)
FAV	Katana, Shaolilobbyist	Maryland State Bar Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Radov, Lisa	Maryland Votes for Animals, Inc.	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Britt, Adiena	N/A	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gomory, Henry	Princeton University Eviction Lab	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Davis, Katherine	Pro Bono Resource Center	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Jekel, Jordan	Public Health Law Clinic	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Palmisano, Erica	SURJ Baltimore	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Siri, Michellelobbyist	The Maryland Legal Services Corporation	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Buckler, Lauren	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Eng, Jackie	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Finch, Molly	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hill, Matt	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kirby, Lisa	Individual	Oral
FAV	Levy, Anna	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	President, President	Individual	Oral
FAV	Rigby, Christiana	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rosenberg, Daniel	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rubin, Jeffrey	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shifrin, Jo	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Bratten, Lynne	Bratten Rentals, LLC and Bratten Properties, LLC	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Hopkins, Bret	Self employed	Written (PDF)
UNF	Adams, Kristine	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	McShane, Jolie	Individual	Position only
UNF	Meyerovich, Mark	Individual	Position only
UNF	Taylor, Robert	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Weisner, Michael	Individual	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 72

Organizations on record

AARP MarylandFAV 1

Anne Arundel CountyFAV 1

Apartment and Office Building Association of DCFWA 1

Arundel Community Development Services, Inc.FAV 1

Baltimore City Sheriff's OfficeFAV 1

Baltimore Councilwoman Odette RamosFWA 1

Baltimore Regional Housing PartnershipFAV 1

Bratten Rentals, LLC and Bratten Properties, LLCUNF 1

CASAFAV 2

City of RockvilleFAV 1

Community Assistance Network, Inc.FAV 1

Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney GeneralFAV 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 1

Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentFAV 1

Department of Human ServicesFAV 2

DHCDFAV 1

DHSFAV 2

Disability Rights MarylandFWA 1

FreeState JusticeFAV 1

Governor of MarylandFAV 1

Greater Greater WashingtonFAV 1

Green & Healthy Homes InitiativeFAV 1

Health Care for the HomelessFAV 1

Housing Authority of Baltimore CityFWA 1

Humane Society of the United StatesFWA 1

Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard CountyFAV 1

Maryland Access to Justice CommissionFAV 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationFWA 1

Maryland Center on Economic PolicyFAV 1

Maryland Land Title AssociationFWA 2

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland NAACPFAV 1

Maryland Network Against Domestic ViolenceFAV 1

Maryland NonprofitsFAV 1

Maryland State Bar AssociationFAV 1

Maryland Votes for Animals, Inc.FAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFAV 1

MCASAFAV 1

Montgomery CountyFWA 1

MSBA Real Property Section CounselINFO 1

N/AFAV 1

Princeton University Eviction LabFAV 1

Pro Bono Resource CenterFAV 1

Public Health Law ClinicFAV 1

Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCFWA 1

Self employedUNF 1

SURJ BaltimoreFAV 1

The Maryland Legal Services CorporationFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVReynolds-Dominguez, CamilaFreeState JusticeRegistered for: FreeState Justice

FAVReed, DanGreater Greater WashingtonRegistered for: Greater Greater Washington

FAVJordan, LisaeMCASARegistered for: Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault

FAVSchumitz, KaliMaryland Center on Economic PolicyRegistered for: Maryland Center on Economic Policy

FAVKess, NaShonaMaryland NAACPRegistered for: NAACP Maryland State Conference of Branches

FAVShapiro, MelanieMaryland Network Against Domestic ViolenceRegistered for: Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence

FAVBogdan, HenryMaryland NonprofitsRegistered for: Maryland Nonprofits

FAVKatana, ShaoliMaryland State Bar AssociationRegistered for: Maryland State Bar Association, Inc.

FAVSiri, MichelleThe Maryland Legal Services CorporationRegistered for: Maryland Legal Services Corporation; Women's Law Center of Maryland, Inc.

FWAAnleu, BrianApartment and Office Building Association of DCRegistered for: AOBA; Apartment & Office Building Association; National Apartment Association

FWABevan-Dangel, JenniferHumane Society of the United StatesRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Humane Society of the United States; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Humane World for Animals

FWAGraf, LoriMaryland Building Industry AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Building Industry Association

FWACastelli, WilliamRifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCRegistered for: ASC Engineered Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Energy GT&S, LLC; Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County, MD; Brown Advisory; Cable Telecommunications Association of Maryland, Delaware and D.C., Inc.; Colonial Pipeline Company…

FWAWiggins, GrasonRegistered for: Maryland Chamber of Commerce; United Way of Central Maryland, Inc.; Madison Marquette Property Investments LLC; Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund; Family Tree, The; OVG Facilities…