State Finance and Procurement - Local Cybersecurity Preparedness and Response Plan and Assessment - Repeal
Summary
HB209 repeals a specific provision in the State Finance and Procurement Article that required certain local government entities to create or update a cybersecurity preparedness and response plan and complete a cybersecurity preparedness assessment. The bill describes that provision as duplicative, and it removes it from the code rather than creating a new cybersecurity mandate. The measure applies to county governments, local school systems, and local health departments, while continuing to exclude municipal governments from the affected section.
In addition to repealing the substantive requirement, the bill renumbers two subsequent sections of the same article so the statutory structure remains consistent after the deletion. The act takes effect July 1, 2025. Overall, the bill is a housekeeping and cleanup measure within state procurement and cybersecurity law, aimed at eliminating redundant language rather than changing the broader cybersecurity framework for local entities.
Impact
HB209 amends Maryland’s State Finance and Procurement Article by deleting Section 3.5-405 and renumbering former Sections 3.5-406 and 3.5-407 as new Sections 3.5-405 and 3.5-406. Its practical effect is to remove a statutory requirement for counties, local school systems, and local health departments to prepare cybersecurity plans and assessments under that specific provision, likely because a similar requirement exists elsewhere in law or regulation. The bill does not impose new obligations or penalties; it streamlines the code and affects local government administrative compliance duties tied to cybersecurity preparedness.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly noncontroversial. It passed the House 131-0 and the Senate 43-0, indicating unanimous support in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion also suggests the measure was treated as a technical or cleanup bill rather than a policy dispute. Overall sentiment was favorable and procedural, with lawmakers agreeing to remove duplicative statutory language.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention around HB209. The only notable issue reflected in the bill text is whether the cybersecurity preparedness and response plan requirement was truly duplicative and therefore appropriate to repeal. Because the bill passed unanimously and no committee debate is available, there is no record of organized opposition from local governments, school systems, health departments, or cybersecurity stakeholders. Any concern would likely have centered on preserving local cybersecurity planning requirements, but that concern did not surface in the recorded votes.