Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities – Membership
HB0747 revises Maryland law governing on-site wastewater systems, with a focus on septic and other on-site sewage disposal systems tied to rental housing and real estate transfers. The bill requires landlords of property served by an on-site wastewater system to ensure the system is inspected and pumped by licensed individuals before a new tenant moves in, beginning on the bill’s effective date as amended to July 1, 2028 for the landlord and sale provisions. It also requires contracts for the sale of real property served by such systems to include a condition that the purchaser ensure the system has been inspected and pumped, with settlement delayed until the parties receive the inspection report and pumping confirmation and both certify in writing that they reviewed them.
The bill creates or clarifies related notice duties when an inspection identifies a failing system: landlords and owners must notify the delegated approval authority, which is generally the local health department or county agency with delegated authority, and later report when the system is fixed. It also defines when an inspection or pumping service remains valid for purposes of compliance, generally three years, and sets out exceptions for certain family transfers, refinancing, ownership changes without new parties, and initial transfers after construction. The bill further extends implementation deadlines for regulations and licensing related to on-site wastewater professionals, including moving the Department of the Environment’s regulatory deadline and the date by which all service providers must be licensed.
In terms of state law impact, HB0747 amends the Environment Article and adds new provisions to the Real Property Article, expanding the regulatory role of licensed on-site wastewater professionals in property transfers and landlord-tenant compliance. It also updates the sunset and implementation dates for the 2022 law establishing the on-site wastewater property transfer inspection licensing framework, effectively keeping that licensing regime in place longer and delaying full implementation milestones. The bill expressly preserves the ability of mortgage companies and financial institutions to require inspections as a loan or contract condition.
The available legislative history suggests the bill moved forward with support, as reflected by a favorable committee report with amendments and adoption of floor amendments in the House. No committee transcript or recorded vote details were provided, so there is no evidence of formal opposition in the supplied materials. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a technical and environmental compliance measure rather than a highly contentious policy change.
The main points of potential contention are practical and economic: the bill imposes additional inspection, pumping, disclosure, and settlement requirements on landlords, sellers, and buyers of property served by septic or other on-site wastewater systems. Property owners and real estate interests may be concerned about added transaction costs, delays at settlement, and compliance burdens, while supporters are likely focused on public health, environmental protection, and ensuring failing systems are identified and corrected promptly.
HB0747 amends the Environment Article and adds new sections to the Real Property Article to require licensed inspection and pumping of on-site wastewater systems in rental and real estate transfer contexts, and to require notice to local delegated approval authorities when failures are found. It also extends deadlines for regulations and licensing under the State’s on-site wastewater professional framework, preserving and lengthening the implementation of the 2022 licensing law. The bill affects landlords, sellers, purchasers, licensed inspectors, pumping-service providers, local health departments, and county agencies with delegated authority.
The bill appears to have had generally favorable treatment in the legislature. The committee report was favorable with amendments, and the House adopted floor amendments, suggesting support for the bill’s goals with some refinement. No vote breakdown or transcript was provided, but the available history indicates the measure was viewed positively as a regulatory and public-health update rather than a controversial overhaul.
The likely areas of contention are the added obligations on property owners and participants in real estate transactions. Landlords must ensure inspections and pumping before new tenants move in, and sellers must build those requirements into contracts and delay settlement until documentation is provided, which can increase costs and slow transactions. Buyers, sellers, and real estate finance interests may also be attentive to the exceptions, timing changes, and whether the new requirements overlap with mortgage or lender-imposed inspection conditions. Supporters would emphasize environmental protection, septic-system reliability, and prompt reporting of failures to local authorities.