Prince George's County - School Facilities and Public Safety and Behavioral Health Surcharges - Deferral of Payment PG 405-26
HB0379 is a Prince George’s County local bill that would let the county council and the county’s governing body delay when certain residential development surcharges must be paid. Specifically, it amends existing county law governing the school facilities surcharge and the public safety and behavioral health surcharge so that, instead of being due when a building permit is issued, payment could be deferred until one of three later events: final inspection of the new construction, issuance of a use and occupancy permit, or closing of the first sale after the permit is issued.
The bill does not create new surcharges or change who is subject to them; it changes only the timing of collection. It also preserves the existing rule that these surcharges are not to be treated as settlement costs. The bill would take effect July 1, 2026, and would apply only to Prince George’s County’s local public laws governing residential construction surcharges.
HB0379 would amend Article 17 of the Public Local Laws of Maryland as it applies to Prince George’s County, giving local officials express authority to defer collection of the school facilities surcharge and the public safety and behavioral health surcharge. The practical effect would be to shift payment obligations for certain new residential construction from the permit stage to a later point in the development or sales process, which could affect builders, sellers, and homebuyers by improving short-term cash flow for projects. Because the bill is local to Prince George’s County, it would not alter statewide tax or fee law outside that county.
There is limited recorded discussion or voting history available for HB0379, and no committee transcripts or votes are included in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears administrative and locally targeted rather than controversial in scope, focusing on payment timing rather than fee increases or new mandates. However, the fact that the bill was later withdrawn by the sponsor suggests it did not advance to enactment in its introduced form.
The main policy issue is the timing of surcharge payment. Supporters of deferral would likely view the change as a way to reduce upfront financing pressure on residential developers and align payment with project completion or sale, while opponents could argue that delaying payment postpones county revenue needed for school facilities and public safety/behavioral health purposes. Another possible point of concern is whether deferral shifts financial risk or administrative burden to the county, builders, or buyers, especially if payment is tied to final inspection, occupancy, or first sale rather than permit issuance.