<section article="glu" article_name="Land Use" number="12-101" title_number="12" subtitle_number="1"> <level label="a"> <text>In this title the following words have the meanings indicated.</text> </level> <level label="b"> <text>“Commission” means the Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission.</text> </level> <level label="c"> <text>“Complete application” means a housing development project application that includes all materials and information required for processing and substantive review as determined by the Commission or the local regulatory authority, but may contain nonsubstantive errors, omissions, or similar inconsequential deficiencies.</text> </level> <level label="d"> <text>“Housing construction permit” means a building permit required by a local regulatory authority or the Commission to commence or continue the construction, substantial renovation, or improvement of residential real estate.</text> </level> <level label="e"> <text>“Housing development project” means the new construction or substantial renovation of a residential real estate project.</text> </level> <level label="f"> <text>“Housing development project application” means an application for a building permit, certification, authorization, site plan approval, subdivision approval, conceptual plan, or any other determination by a local regulatory authority or the Commission relating to a housing development project that has been submitted to a local regulatory authority or the Commission in compliance with applicable requirements.</text> </level> <level label="g"> <text>“Local regulatory authority” means:</text> <level label="1"> <text>the governing body of a local jurisdiction; or</text> </level> <level label="2"> <text>a department, board, commission, or other entity of a local jurisdiction responsible for processing or approving an application for a housing construction permit.</text> </level> </level> <level label="h"> <text>“Phase” means a discrete, planned portion of a larger housing development project that:</text> <level label="1"> <text>is constructed independently of and sequentially with other portions of the project;</text> </level> <level label="2"> <text>includes 25 or more housing units; and</text> </level> <level label="3"> <text>includes any improvements necessary to function independently from the other portions of the project.</text> </level> </level> <level label="i"> <text>“Phased development plan” means a subdivision or site plan in which the applicant proposes to develop a property in 2 or more individual phases over a period of time.</text> </level> </section> <section article="glu" article_name="Land Use" number="12-201" title_number="12" subtitle_number="2"> <level label="a"> <level label="1"> <text>Subject to the provisions of this subsection, the approval, conditional approval, or denial of a housing development project application by a local regulatory authority or the Commission shall be governed only by the duly adopted laws and regulations in effect at the time of submission of a complete application.</text> </level> <level label="2"> <level label="i"> <text>Within 30 days after receipt of a housing development project application, a local regulatory authority or the Commission shall make a determination as to whether the application is a complete application.</text> </level> <level label="ii"> <text>After making a determination under this paragraph, the local regulatory authority or the Commission shall:</text> <level label="1"> <text>promptly notify the applicant of the determination and the date of the determination; and</text> </level> <level label="2"> <text>if the local regulatory authority or the Commission has determined that the application is not a complete application, provide the applicant with a list of deficiencies and a reasonable time frame for curing the deficiencies.</text> </level> </level> </level> <level label="3"> <text>If a local regulatory authority or the Commission fails to notify an applicant of its determination regarding the completeness of a housing development application within 35 days after receipt of the application, the application is deemed to be a complete application for purposes of this section.</text> </level> <level label="4"> <level label="i"> <text>When a local regulatory authority or the Commission requires approval of multiple housing development project applications for the completion of a housing development project, the date of a complete application submission under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be the date of the first complete application submission for any process that may culminate in the completion of a housing development project.</text> </level> <level label="ii"> <text>A zoning text amendment, application for rezoning, or other local equivalent may not be considered as a process that may culminate in the completion of a housing development project.</text> </level> </level> </level> <level label="b"> <text>After a housing development project has received all required approvals, the proponent of the project shall have a vested right to that authorized use and development for the longer of:</text> <level label="1"> <text>5 years; or</text> </level> <level label="2"> <text>a period determined by the local regulatory authority or the Commission.</text> </level> </level> <level label="c"> <text>For purposes of this section, each phase of a housing development project subject to a phased development plan shall be considered a discrete housing development project.</text> </level> <level label="d"> <text>This section may not be construed to:</text> <level label="1"> <text>subject to the vesting period in subsection (b) of this section, prevent the expiration of an approval of a housing development project application in accordance with the laws or regulations governing a local regulatory authority or the Commission; or</text> </level> <level label="2"> <text>limit the ability of a local regulatory authority or the Commission to:</text> <level label="i"> <text>require approvals or permits for each phase of a housing development project subject to a phased development plan in accordance with the laws and regulations in effect at the time of submission of a complete application for each respective phase;</text> </level> <level label="ii"> <text>enforce health and safety laws or regulations that are necessary to address immediate threats to public safety;</text> </level> <level label="iii"> <text>execute a development rights and responsibilities agreement under Title 7, Subtitle 3 of this article; or</text> </level> <level label="iv"> <text>approve a zoning text amendment, application for rezoning, or other local equivalent to increase the density of a housing development project beyond the maximum allowable amount at the time of complete application submission under subsection (a) of this section.</text> </level> </level> </level> <level label="e"> <text>The requirements of this section apply to a local regulatory authority and the Commission only to the extent that the requirements do not conflict with other State or federal laws or regulations.</text> </level> </section> <section article="glu" article_name="Land Use" number="12-301" title_number="12" subtitle_number="3"> <text>This title may be cited as the Maryland Housing Certainty Act.</text> </section>