MD HB962

County governing bodies would be authorized to establish public campaign financing systems for elected county board of education members, expanding existing authority that currently covers only county executive and legislative offices

Participation in public campaign financing must remain strictly voluntary, and counties cannot regulate candidates who decline to participate

Candidates accepting public financing must establish a separate campaign finance entity solely for the local election and are prohibited from transferring funds to or from other campaign accounts

The State Board of Elections would provide regulation and oversight of county public financing systems to ensure conformity with state law

Effective date: January 1, 2027