SB 425

SENATE BILL 425
     P1, P3  6lr3027
  CF HB 576
     By: Senator Jennings
     Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
     Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
  A BILL ENTITLED
1 AN ACT concerning
2State Archives – Record Services – Fees
3 FOR the purpose of authorizing the State Archives to establish certain fees relating to
4      certain records by regulation; and generally relating to fees established by the State
5      Archives.
6 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
7Article – State Government
8Section 9–1007(c), 9–1009(d), 9–1011(c), and 9–1015(e)
9Annotated Code of Maryland
10(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
11 BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
12Article – State Government
13Section 9–1009(a), 9–1011(a), and 9–1015(a)(1) and (8)
14Annotated Code of Maryland
15(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
16SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
17 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
18Article – State Government
19 9–1007.
20(c)   (1)   The State Archivist may establish BY REGULATION reasonable fees for
21 the care and preservation of records and other services provided by the Archives.
22(2)     Fees may be in the form of:
     EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
  [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
  *sb0425*
2SENATE BILL 425
1(i)     a percentage not to exceed 2% of an existing fee charged at the
2 time of the creation of a record in any form or format; or
3(ii)   a flat rate subscription charge for a publication of the Archives.
4(3)   Of the fees collected, 7% shall be deposited in the Archives Endowment
5 Account of the State Archives Fund established under § 9–1013 of this subtitle as an
6 educational and entrepreneurial reserve.
7 9–1009.
8(a)    The Archives may:
9(1)   repair and preserve the records under the supervision of the State
10 Archivist, as provided in the State budget;
11(2)    make a copy of any record in the Archives; and
12(3)    certify the copy.
13(d)    (1)    Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Archives
14 may [charge] ESTABLISH BY REGULATION a reasonable fee for providing a copy of a
15 record and for certifying the record.
16(2)    If, with the written approval of a judge of a circuit court, the clerk of
17 court asks for a copy of a land record that a court has transferred to the Commission or
18 Archives, the Archives shall provide, without charge, a micrographic copy of the land
19 record.
20 9–1011.
21(a)   The Archives is the central depository for and custodian of each deed, title
22 insurance policy, and other record that relates to real property acquired by the State.
23(c)   (1)   The Archives shall receive, index, and file durable–backed, microfilm
24 aperture card copies or electronic images of plats showing property or rights–of–way
25 acquired or conveyed by the State Roads Commission and the State Highway
26 Administration.
27(2)     (i)  The Archives electronically shall post an image of each plat on
28 the Archives website (http://www.plats.net) for the county where the property or
29 right–of–way is located.
30(ii)  The posted image shall conform to a generally accepted archival
31 standard in quality and permanence.
  SENATE BILL 425  3
1(iii) The image shall include or be linked to a certification by the State
2 Archivist that the image is an authentic representation of the plat received by the Archives.
3(iv)   Such certification by the State Archivist shall constitute a
4 recordation of the plat.
5(v)    The Archives may [charge] ESTABLISH BY REGULATION a
6 reasonable fee to the State Roads Commission, the State Highway Administration, and the
7 courts to recover the cost of electronically posting and maintaining the images of plats.
8(vi) The Archives may [charge] ESTABLISH BY REGULATION a
9 reasonable fee, not to exceed $3, to the public for the cost of reproducing a copy of a plat
10 under this subsection.
11 9–1015.
12(a)    (1)    In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
13(8)   “Vital record” means a record of birth, death, marriage, absolute
14 divorce, or marriage annulment required by law to be filed with the Department.
15(e)    The Archives may [charge] ESTABLISH BY REGULATION a reasonable fee to
16 cover the expense of copying vital records or indexes to a vital record, to make extracts from
17 restricted vital records or to undertake a search for vital records.
18SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
19 October 1, 2026.