Recipients of State and Local Government Funding - Reporting (Buy Maryland Reporting Requirements)
HB0905 creates new annual reporting requirements for recipients of State and local government funding. For any unit of State, county, or municipal government, and for any person receiving funding from the State operating or capital budget, the bill requires a yearly report to the Comptroller by October 15 describing how the funds were used, identifying contractors and subcontractors involved, and providing information such as addresses, employee counts, work locations, and whether those firms are certified minority business enterprises.
The bill also adds a separate tax-return disclosure requirement for individuals and corporations that receive payments from State, county, or municipal governments for goods or services. Those taxpayers would have to include on their income tax return or declaration a description of the goods or services provided, the number of employees they employ, minority business enterprise status, and information about any contractors or subcontractors they use. The Comptroller must then consolidate the information from both reporting streams and submit an annual summary to the General Assembly by December 31, including statewide and unit-by-unit data on in-state versus out-of-state contractors, average contractor size, and the share of certified minority business enterprises.
HB0905 would amend the State Finance and Procurement Article and the Tax-General Article to impose new disclosure obligations on government funding recipients and certain government vendors. It would expand state oversight of how public funds are spent, create a new reporting role for the Comptroller, and require annual legislative reporting on contractor composition and minority business participation. Affected parties include State agencies, county and municipal units, grant and capital fund recipients, contractors and subcontractors, and businesses that receive government payments for goods or services.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed as a transparency and accountability bill with a pro-local-business or “Buy Maryland” emphasis. There is no recorded vote or committee transcript in the provided material, so there is no evidence of formal support or opposition from committee members. The introduction by a broad group of delegates suggests interest in the proposal, but the public record here does not show how it was received in hearing or debate.
The main potential points of contention are the administrative and compliance burdens created by the new reporting requirements, especially for smaller vendors, subcontractors, and government-funded entities that would need to collect and disclose detailed workforce and contract information. Another likely issue is the scope of the disclosures, including whether requiring tax-return reporting of government contract information is too intrusive or duplicative of existing procurement records. Supporters are likely to emphasize transparency, tracking of public spending, and promotion of in-state and minority-owned businesses, while critics may focus on privacy, paperwork, and implementation costs.