SB 36

Land Use - Zoning - Limitations (Starter and Silver Homes Act of 2026)

Sponsor: Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment CommitteeCommittee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: Housing and Community DevelopmentStatus: Hearing 2/17 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Prohibiting local jurisdictions from adopting or enforcing certain zoning provisions relating to lot size, dimensions, setback requirements, lot coverage, and design or architectural elements for certain single-family homes with certain exceptions; prohibiting local jurisdictions from prohibiting certain housing types in certain zones; and prohibiting local jurisdictions from prohibiting certain subdivisions of certain lot types.

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Testimony (141)

MGA witness list

FAV 41FavorableFWA 36Favorable with amendmentsUNF 61UnfavorableINFO 3Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Campbell, James	AARP	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hovermale, Emilylobbyist	Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kisicki, Carrielobbyist	Coalition for Smarter Growth	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Duvall, Jessamine	Columbia Housing Center, Inc.	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilson Randall, Claudia	Community Development Network of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Sarro, Lisa	Community Legal Services	Position only
FAV	Matthews Brown, Rianna	Comptroller	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hession, Melody	Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stewart, Frances	Elders Climate Action Maryland	Position only
FAV	Shewbridge, Rylielobbyist	Fello	Written (PDF)
FAV	Reed, Danlobbyist	Greater Greater Washington	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	McCarthy, Jaime	Greater Washington Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Diamond, Joanna	Health Care for the Homeless	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rives, Kelli	Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Black, Noah	MJPA	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Vanacore, Michael	MJPA	Oral
FAV	Berland, Alexander	MJPA/AIM	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Graf, Lorilobbyist	Maryland Building Industry Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Schumitz, Kalilobbyist	Maryland Center on Economic Policy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wiggins, Grasonlobbyist	Maryland Chamber of Commerce	Written (PDF)
FAV	Roques, Carmel	Maryland Department of Aging	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Blackfield, Anne	Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dove, John	Maryland Department of Labor	Written (PDF)
FAV	Westervelt, Patricia	Maryland Department of Transportation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Baker, Jeremy D	Maryland Department of the Environment	Written (PDF)
FAV	Roberts, Breonna	Maryland Just Power Alliance	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Gross, Susan	Maryland Just Power Alliance through Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shah, Zafar	Maryland Legal Aid	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	May, Lisalobbyist	Maryland REALTORS	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Simon, Stu	Montgomery For All	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ellis, Dan	Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore, Inc.	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Anderson, Casey	Rodgers Consulting	Oral
FAV	Schneider, Glennlobbyist	The Horizon Foundation	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Brittingham, Brandon	The Maryland and Delaware Group	Oral
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Allen, Susan	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bagwell, Ashlielobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Balakirsky, Michael	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Comm, Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Comm	Individual	Oral
FAV	Greenfield, Aaronlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kopiy, Iryna	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Hnath, Jenna	ACA	Written (PDF)
UNF	Rybczynski, Adam	City of Havre de Grace	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Benitez, Mayor Celina	City of Mount Rainier	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Jackson, Betsy	City of Salisbury	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Price, Suzanne	Concerned Citizen	Position only
UNF	Barnes, David	Edgemoor Citizens Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Saulsbury, Marlene	Forest Crossing HOA	Written (PDF)
UNF	Canavan, Thomas	Greater Olney Civic Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Mumma, Kristy	Howard County Citizens Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Arthur, Sara	MD-LAC Community Associations Institute	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Powers, Ryan	None	Written (PDF)
UNF	Meister, Pam	Office of County Commissioners, Carroll County	Written (PDF)
UNF	Reinhardt, Richardlobbyist	Percy Public Affairs, LLC	Written (PDF)
UNF	Mitch, Kelly	Section 3 of the Village of Chevy Chase	Written (PDF)
UNF	Snyder, Kyle	The Town of Berwyn Heights	Written (PDF)
UNF	Papanikolas, Tiffany	Town of Berwyn Heights	Written (PDF)
UNF	Rush, Barney	Town of Chevy Chase, Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	abdi, ilhan	Town of Colmar Manor	Written (PDF)
UNF	Chissell, Crystal	Town of Highland Beach	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 141

Organizations on record

AARPFAV 1

ACAUNF 1

Advocates for Herring BayFWA 1

Arundel Rivers FederationFWA 1

Assateague Coastal TrustFWA 1

Baltimore Regional Housing PartnershipFAV 1

Charles County GovernmentINFO 2

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFWA 1

Chevy Chase VillageFWA 1

City of Havre de GraceUNF 1

City of Mount RainierUNF 1

City of SalisburyUNF 1

City of WestminsterFWA 1

Coalition for Smarter GrowthFAV 1

Columbia Housing Center, Inc.FAV 1

Community Development Network of MarylandFAV 1

Community Legal ServicesFAV 1

ComptrollerFAV 1

Concerned CitizenUNF 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCAFAV 1

Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentFWA 1

Edgemoor Citizens AssociationUNF 1

Elders Climate Action MarylandFAV 1

FelloFAV 1

Forest Crossing HOAUNF 1

Greater Greater WashingtonFAV 1

Greater Olney Civic AssociationUNF 1

Greater Washington PartnershipFAV 1

Growth Action Network of Anne Arundel CountyFWA 1

Health Care for the HomelessFAV 1

Howard County Citizens AssociationUNF 1

Howard County CouncilFWA 1

Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard CountyFAV 1

M-NCPPC - Senior Government AnalystFWA 1

M-NCPPC, Prince George's Planning DepartmentFWA 1

Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)FWA 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationFAV 1

Maryland Center on Economic PolicyFAV 1

Maryland Chamber of CommerceFAV 1

Maryland Department of AgingFAV 1

Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD)FAV 1

Maryland Department of LaborFAV 1FWA 1

Maryland Department of the EnvironmentFAV 1

Maryland Department of TransportationFAV 1

Maryland Just Power AllianceFAV 1

Maryland Just Power Alliance through Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT)FAV 1

Maryland League of Conservation VotersFWA 1

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1

Maryland Municipal LeagueFWA 1

Maryland REALTORSFAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFWA 1

MD-LAC Community Associations InstituteUNF 1

MJPAFAV 2

MJPA/AIMFAV 1

Montgomery County Civic FederationFWA 1

Montgomery County GovernmentFWA 1

Montgomery County Planning DepartmentFWA 1

Montgomery For AllFAV 1

Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore, Inc.FAV 1

NoneUNF 1

Office of County Commissioners, Carroll CountyUNF 1

Percy Public Affairs, LLCUNF 1

personal, or Trail Riders of Today or West Laurel Civic AssnUNF 1

Prince George's County CouncilFWA 1

Prince George's County GovernmentFWA 1

Reason FoundationINFO 1

Rodgers ConsultingFAV 1

Section 3 of the Village of Chevy ChaseUNF 1

Seven Locks Civic Association, Inc.FWA 2

ShoreRiversFWA 1

Tabuteau, LLCFWA 1

The Horizon FoundationFAV 1

The Maryland and Delaware GroupFAV 1

The Nature ConservancyFWA 1

The People's VoiceFWA 1

The Town of Berwyn HeightsUNF 1

Town of Berwyn HeightsUNF 1

Town of Chevy Chase, MarylandUNF 1

Town of Colmar ManorUNF 1

Town of Garrett ParkFWA 1

Town of Glen EchoFWA 1

Town of Highland BeachUNF 1

Town of KensingtonFWA 1

Town of LaytonsvilleUNF 1

Town of Ocean CityUNF 1

Town of OxfordUNF 1

Town of PoolesvilleUNF 1

Town of SomersetFWA 1

Town of Somerset CouncilUNF 1

Town of SykesvilleUNF 1

Town of Upper MarlboroUNF 1

Town of Washington GroveUNF 1

Valleys Planning CouncilUNF 1

Village of DrummondUNF 1

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay ChapterUNF 1

Wildwood Manor Citizens Association, Inc.UNF 1

YearFAV 1

Zektick + CompanyUNF 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVHovermale, EmilyBaltimore Regional Housing PartnershipRegistered for: Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership

FAVKisicki, CarrieCoalition for Smarter GrowthRegistered for: Coalition for Smarter Growth dba Piedmont Environmental Council

FAVShewbridge, RylieFelloRegistered for: Fello; City of Frederick; City of Westminster; Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund; League of Life & Health Insurers of Maryland, Inc.; Maryland Children's Alliance, Inc.…

FAVReed, DanGreater Greater WashingtonRegistered for: Greater Greater Washington

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

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

FAVWiggins, GrasonMaryland Chamber of CommerceRegistered 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…

FAVMay, LisaMaryland REALTORSRegistered for: Maryland REALTORS; Maryland Association of Realtors

FAVSchneider, GlennThe Horizon FoundationRegistered for: Horizon Foundation of Howard County, Inc., The

FAVBagwell, AshlieRegistered for: AbbVie Inc.; Aligned Data Centers; American Academy of Anesthesiology Assistants, Inc.; Atmosphere Data Centers LLC; Baltimore Civic Fund, Inc.; Beltway Fine Wine…

FAVGreenfield, AaronRegistered for: BTS Bioenergy; Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America, Inc.; Embassy of Japan; Ernst & Young, LLP; FEi Systems; Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake…

UNFReinhardt, RichardPercy Public Affairs, LLCRegistered for: Allegany County Historical Society; Allegany Museum, Inc.; City of Cumberland; City of Frostburg; Diamond Game; Inncuvate Community Development Partners, Inc.…

UNFZektick, BarbaraZektick + CompanyRegistered for: Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights; Covista; Maryland Coalition of Families; Soteria LLC; Oracle America, Inc.; Maryland State Bar Association, Inc.…

FWATabuteau, RichardTabuteau, LLCRegistered for: Bolt Technology OÜ dba Hopp; Boyd Gaming Corporation; ChargePoint; Chevy Chase Village; Elev8 Baltimore, Inc.; Fortinet…

FWASharif, HumnaThe Nature ConservancyRegistered for: Nature Conservancy, The

FWAHessler, ThereseRegistered for: City of Gaithersburg; Elevate Recovery Centers; Evolve Kids Care; Evolve Life Centers; High Roller Technologies; Laila's Gift…