<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<chapter num="01" heading="General Provisions" title_num="19A" subtitle_num="04">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Applicability.">
    <text>This subtitle applies to each county of the State, the City of Baltimore, and each of the incorporated municipalities of the State.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Definitions.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>In this subtitle, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Defined Terms.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>“Designated second home” means:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>If an individual owns one second home, the individual’s second home; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>If an individual owns more than one second home, any one second home the individual identifies to the Commission as the individual’s designated second home.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>“Elected local official” has the meaning stated in General Provisions Article, §5-804, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>“Home address” means the address of an individual’s:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Principal home; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Designated second home, if any.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>Local Employee.</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>“Local employee” means an individual who is employed by a county of the State, the City of Baltimore, or an incorporated municipality of the State.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>“Local employee” does not include:</text>
          <paragraph num="(i)">
            <text>An elected local official or a nonelected local official; or</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(ii)">
            <text>An employee or official of an executive unit, as defined in COMAR 19A.01.01.02H.</text>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>Nonelected Local Official.</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>“Nonelected local official” means an individual who is appointed to serve on a board, commission, or other entity of a county of the State, the City of Baltimore, or an incorporated municipality of the State.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>“Nonelected local official” does not include:</text>
          <paragraph num="(i)">
            <text>A local employee;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(ii)">
            <text>An elected local official; or</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(iii)">
            <text>An employee or official of an executive unit, as defined in COMAR 19A.01.01.02H.</text>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>“Principal home” means the sole residential property that an individual occupies as the individual’s primary residence, whether owned or rented by the individual.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>“Quasi-governmental entity” means an entity that is created by State statute, that performs a public function, and that is supported in whole or in part by the State but is managed privately.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>“Second home” means a residential property that:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>An individual occupies for some portion of the filing year; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Is not a rental property or a time share.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Enactment of Local Laws.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Except as provided in COMAR 19A.04.03 of this subtitle, each county and municipality shall enact a local ethics law that includes:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Conflict of interest and financial disclosure provisions for elected local officials that are at least equivalent to the requirements for State officials contained in General Provisions Article, Title 5, Subtitles 5 and 6, Annotated Code of Maryland;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Conflicts of interest and financial disclosure provisions for individuals other than elected local officials that are similar to the provisions of the Public Ethics Law; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Lobbying provisions substantially similar to the provisions of the Public Ethics Law.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>A county or municipality that has an ethics law approved by the Commission shall maintain and implement the law consistent with this subtitle.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="Authority">General Provisions Article, §5-206, and Title 5, Subtitle 8, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date: September 14, 1981 (8:18 Md. R. 1481)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulations .01—.03 under Chapter, Model Laws repealed and new Regulations .01—.03 adopted under new Chapter, General Provisions effective April 18, 2011 (38:8 Md. R. 508)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .02B amended effective December 7, 2017 (44:24 Md. R. 1151); February 7, 2022 (49:3 Md. R. 138)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .03A amended effective January 16, 2017 (44:1 Md. R. 12)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>