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SB 940MARYLANDSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Maryland requires mobile home park water quality testing and state remediation plans

Original title: Environment - Water Quality Testing - Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels Action Plan

Last action · April 28, 2026: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 286Sponsor: Shaneka Henson

Companion · HB 1196same policy, House version
Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Maryland mandates that the Department of the Environment establish a mobile home park water quality testing program by January 1, 2027, and test 100% of parks statewide by 2031. Park owners are barred from passing testing costs onto residents and must submit plans within 120 days of a water quality violation.

Why it matters

Mobile home residents gain direct access to water testing, translated notices, and mandated clean-up of discolored, foul-tasting, or contaminated water without bearing any financial costs, while park owners face administrative penalties up to $10,000 for noncompliance.

Background
  • Maryland's mobile home parks often rely on private or community water systems that may encounter aging infrastructure, leading to secondary water quality issues such as discoloration, strange odors, or altered taste. context
  • Senate Bill 940 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session and enacted into law as Chapter 286. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Mobile home park residents

Residents receive free water quality testing, multi-language notices, access to safe drinking water alternatives during acute risks, and protection against evictions related to water complaints.

Directly affected

Mobile home park owners

Park owners must fund remediation plans, post test results in common areas for 120 days, notify residents of violations, and face administrative penalties up to $10,000 for noncompliance.

Directly affected

Local health and housing departments

Local agencies receive notices of water quality issues and test results, review remediation efforts, and coordinate with the State on funding and enforcement.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will mobile home park residents have to pay for the water quality testing?
No. The law explicitly prohibits park owners from passing the cost of complying with this subtitle onto residents.
When will my mobile home park be tested under the new program?
Testing is scheduled to cover 25% of parks by January 1, 2028, 50% by January 1, 2029, 75% by January 1, 2030, and 100% of parks by January 1, 2031, with priority given to parks with high minority populations, geological contamination risks, and prior resident complaints.
What happens if a water quality issue is found at a mobile home park?
The Department will notify local authorities and the park owner, who must then notify residents within 5 days, post notices in common areas for 120 days, and submit a plan to the Department within 120 days.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

16 actions
  1. Apr 28, 2026Governor of MarylandEnrolled
    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 286
  2. Apr 13, 2026SenateFloor
    Returned Passed
  3. Apr 13, 2026HouseFloor
    Third Reading Passed (119-16)
  4. Apr 11, 2026HouseFloor
    Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
  5. Apr 11, 2026HouseCommittee
    Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation
  6. Apr 10, 2026HouseCommittee
    Rereferred to Environment and Transportation
Show 10 earlier actions
  1. Apr 10, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred Rules and Executive Nominations
  2. Apr 9, 2026SenateFloor
    Third Reading Passed (42-0)
  3. Apr 9, 2026SenateFloor
    Motion Special Order until Later Today (Senator King) Adopted
  4. Apr 9, 2026SenateFloor
    Second Reading Passed with Amendments
  5. Apr 9, 2026Senate
    Favorable with Amendments { 143228/1 Adopted
  6. Apr 9, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
  7. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Hearing 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.
  8. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Hearing canceled
  9. Feb 10, 2026Senate
    Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.
  10. Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroduced
    First 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

Shaneka HensonSenate · District 30DemocraticSponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Mandatory Phased Testing for Mobile Home Parks

Shifts responsibility for identifying and remediating water quality issues onto the State and park owners through a mandatory 4-year phased rollout ending in 2031.

Department of the Environment

Connected Entities

Maryland Rural Water Association, Shaneka Henson, Department of the Environment and 1 more
OrganizationMaryland Rural Water Association“Stakeholder consulted for secondary maximum contaminant levels action plan”Map →
PersonShaneka Henson“Senate Bill 940 sponsor”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of the Environment“State agency tasked with developing testing program and action plan”Map →
OrganizationU.S. Environmental Protection Agency“Federal agency setting drinking water contaminant standards”Map →

Sources

Open source document

mgaleg.maryland.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz35
    Current news / social attention level

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