The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 630 authorizes damages and attorney fees for property values diminished by overhead transmission lines built via eminent domain
Last action · February 17, 2026: Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m. (Judicial Proceedings) and Hearing canceled (Education, Energy, and the Environment)Sponsors: Chris West and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Maryland Senate Bill 630 allows residential property owners to sue for damages if their property value drops because nearby land within 300 feet is taken via to build an overhead transmission line. It also requires condemning authorities to pay defendant attorney fees if a court determines a property's assessed value is higher than the authority's initial appraisal.
Residential property owners near planned utility infrastructure gain the legal right to seek financial compensation for lost home value and recover attorney fees if court appraisals exceed government offers, shifting certain legal and financial liabilities onto condemning entities.
- Eminent domain allows government entities and authorized utilities to acquire private property for public use upon payment of just compensation. context
- Overhead transmission lines are high-voltage power lines suspended on towers that often face community opposition regarding visual impact and property values. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Residential property owners
Residential property owners gain the right to sue for property value loss caused by nearby overhead transmission line takings and can seek attorney fees.
Condemning authorities
Condemning authorities face potential liability for damages from neighboring property value losses and mandatory attorney fee payments if their appraisals are lower than court-assessed values.
Key Facts
- Residential property owners may sue for damages from diminished property values if another property within 300 feet is taken via eminent domain for an overhead transmission line.
- Property owners who successfully win damages in these new actions may also ask the court to award reasonable attorney's fees.
- Such independent lawsuits may be brought upon the entering of a final decision in a condemnation proceeding.
- In condemnation proceedings related to overhead transmission lines, if a court finds the assessed value is greater than the condemning authority's appraised value, reasonable counsel fees must be awarded to the defendant and charged against the plaintiff.
Show all 6 facts
- If the final decision on appeal in an overhead transmission line condemnation case determines the assessed value is greater than the appraised value, reasonable counsel fees must be awarded to the defendant's counsel and charged against the plaintiff.
- The Act takes effect on October 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to bring a lawsuit for diminished property value under this bill?
When can a property owner file this type of damage lawsuit?
What happens if a court decides my property was appraised too low by the condemning authority?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 17, 2026SenateHearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m. (Judicial Proceedings) and Hearing canceled (Education, Energy, and the Environment)
- Feb 10, 2026SenateHearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m. (Judicial Proceedings) and Hearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m. (Education, Energy, and the Environment)
- Feb 5, 2026SenateHearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m. (Judicial Proceedings)
- Feb 5, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Judicial Proceedings and Education, Energy, and the Environment
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Eminent Domain Damages
The bill extends liability beyond the direct property being acquired to allow neighboring residential owners within 300 feet to claim damages for value diminution.
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools