MD SB496

Department of Commerce must create and maintain a website portal for the public to file complaints when any governmental unit (county, municipal, state, or local) takes longer than 60 days to process a business or nonprofit application for a license, form, certificate, certification, permit, or registration

Complaints cannot be filed through the portal if a state or local law, ordinance, or resolution explicitly authorizes the governmental unit to take longer than 60 days for processing

Annual reports on portal complaints must be submitted to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and House Ways and Means Committee by September 15 each year, beginning September 15, 2025

Reports must identify the governmental unit responsible for each delayed application while anonymizing data to protect the privacy of affected businesses and nonprofit organizations

Effective date: July 1, 2025