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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 929 regulates disaster mitigation home improvement contracts and contractor solicitation
Last action · February 16, 2026: Hearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m.Sponsor: Kevin Harris
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate Bill 929 expands Maryland home improvement laws to include under contractor licensing requirements, gives property owners a 5-day right to solicited disaster mitigation contracts, and allows counties to limit in-person contractor solicitation following disasters, effective October 1, 2026.
Residents hiring contractors for emergency repairs after property damage gain new contract cancellation rights and pricing liability limits, while local governments receive authority to restrict when and where contractors can solicit disaster victims.
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.
Homeowners
Homeowners gain explicit 5-day rescission rights for solicited disaster mitigation contracts, liability caps on canceled contracts, and potential protections from in-person solicitation.
Home improvement contractors
Contractors offering disaster mitigation services become subject to home improvement licensing requirements, mandatory contract disclosures regarding rescission, and potential county-level solicitation restrictions.
County governments
Counties receive the authority to regulate and limit the hours and geographic areas for in-person contractor solicitation following disasters.
Key Facts
- Senate Bill 929 expands the definition of 'home improvement' to include disaster mitigation services such as boarding up windows, demolishing structures to prevent further damage, setting water mitigation equipment, tarping or caulking roofs, and securing walls or roofs.
- Property owners who sign a home improvement contract for disaster mitigation services following a contractor's solicitation may rescind the contract within 5 days after entering into it.
- An owner who rescinds a disaster mitigation contract is not required to pay more than the amount indicated and initialed by the owner in the contract, up to a specified limit.
- Disaster mitigation contracts must include specific notice language regarding the 5-day right to rescind and must comply with the Commercial Law Article.
Show all 8 facts
- The governing body of a county may impose limitations on the hours and areas for in-person solicitation of disaster victims by contractors offering disaster mitigation services.
- County solicitation restrictions do not apply to contractors who had an ongoing business relationship with the disaster victim before the disaster occurred.
- The existence of a disaster for these solicitation rules does not depend on a formal state or local emergency declaration.
- The Act takes effect on October 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What services are considered disaster mitigation services under this bill?
How long do I have to cancel a disaster mitigation contract if a contractor solicited me?
Can my county government stop contractors from knocking on doors immediately after a disaster?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 16, 2026SenateHearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m.
- Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading 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
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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