2018 Legislative Sessions: AOBA Focuses on Maryland and Virginia General Assemblies

Maryland General Assembly Session: Key Proposals to Watch

The Maryland General Assembly returned to Annapolis on January 10 to begin its 90 day session.  With 2018 being an election year for state and county offices, more than 2,800 bills will be introduced and politics will be in high gear.

A few current proposals to watch include:

• Minimum Wage – Look for a strong push for legislation to increase the state’s minimum wage, which will top out at $10.10 per hour in July of 2018. Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties already have higher rates in place.
• Evictions Process – We expect several bills to be introduced proposing to alter the evictions process and define what delinquent payments may be collected as “rent” in summary ejectment actions.
• Utility Costs – Bills will be introduced that could increase member’s utility costs by increasing renewable energy mandates and authorizing WSSC to establish rates by customer class.

Virginia General Assembly Session: A Challenging Road Ahead

The Virginia General Assembly returned to Richmond on January 10 to begin its 60 day session. With two staff members on the ground in Richmond, AOBA expects to monitor more than 3,000 pieces of legislation during the intense session.

Following a significant partisan shift in the composition of the 2018 General Assembly, AOBA anticipates taking on a hefty defensive agenda.  Our 2018 priorities include initiatives to require acceptance of federal housing choice vouchers and to mandate energy benchmarking and disclosure of energy consumption data to local governments. 

AOBA also intends to introduce and support legislation to clarify the burden of proof in appeals of local government real estate assessments. We will work to assure that the Virginia Landlord/Tenant Act (VLTA) is in tune with the Virginia Residential Landlord/Tenant Act (VRLTA).