PHED committee advances update to electrical code, holds four bills for later review

Prince George's County Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee Chair DeNoga on Monday moved a favorable recommendation for legislation to align the county building code with the 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code, and the committee held four other bills for later consideration.

The committee voted 3-0 to advance the building-code update after hearing from Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement staff. "This is the adoption of the National Electrical Code, the 2020 editions, and it's basically aligning our current subtitle 9 with those codes," said Laurie Paris, chief of staff for the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement. The Office of Law advised the committee the draft was in proper legislative form. "We find it to be in the proper legislative form with no legal impediments," said Hinton of the Office of Law.

The favorable committee action moves the building-code amendment forward in the county legislative process; committee members voted aye: Chair DeNoga, Council Member Hawkins and Council Member Olson.

The committee also took no final action and instead held four other bills for future consideration. Chair DeNoga moved to hold CB-43 (an ordinance that would amend permitted uses in the Commercial General and Office, or CGO, zone and the principal use table for residential-based zones), and the motion passed 3-0. Committee staff noted the Planning Board had recommended taking no position and that its technical report and a map are in the meeting packet.

CB-48, a proposed act addressing deceptive trade practices by landlords intended to enhance tenant protections under consumer-protection laws, was likewise held by unanimous committee vote after a request from a council member that the item be taken no further at this time.

CB-50, which would establish an investigative unit within the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement to investigate certain housing-code violations and create specified staff and reporting requirements, was held by the committee; staff noted the bill had been approved in an earlier form the prior year.

CB-51, an amendment to the county housing code to permit service of certain housing-code notices by email with written consent, was discussed as already enacted in a prior ordinance (CB-2-2024 draft 2) but not published in Municode. The committee voted to hold CB-51 indefinitely so staff can resolve publication and enactment status.

Votes at a glance

- CB-53 (2025) — Building code: align County building code with 2020 National Electrical Code. Committee action: favorable recommendation. Vote: DeNoga Aye; Hawkins Aye; Olson Aye. Outcome: advanced (committee favorable recommendation).

- CB-43 — Zoning: amendments to permitted uses in CGO zone and principal use table for residential zones. Committee action: held for future discussion. Vote: DeNoga Aye; Hawkins Aye; Olson Aye. Outcome: held.

- CB-48 — Landlord deceptive trade practices/tenant protections. Committee action: held. Vote: DeNoga Aye; Hawkins Aye; Olson Aye. Outcome: held.

- CB-50 — Housing code: investigative unit in DPIE. Committee action: held. Vote: DeNoga Aye; Hawkins Aye; Olson Aye. Outcome: held.

- CB-51 — Housing code: service of notices by email with written consent. Committee action: held indefinitely (staff advised ordinance language had previously been enacted but not published). Vote: DeNoga Aye; Hawkins Aye; Olson Aye. Outcome: held indefinitely.

The committee's next scheduled meeting is July 3. Several presenters told the committee there were no public comments submitted through the e-comment portal for the items discussed at this meeting.