The Maryland bond bill timeline: what happens after your bill passes

1. 01

   Legislative enactment and grant activation

   Session end through the following weeks

   Your bond bill is authorized in the annual capital budget and signed by the Governor. The Department of Legislative Services notifies the grantee, and the organization designates one official Submitter to file the Activate Grant request in the State's Submittable portal, which the Department of General Services uses to administer capital grants.

   What the State expects

   • •Notification letter from the Department of Legislative Services
   • •One designated Submitter for your organization
   • •Activate Grant request filed in Submittable

   Common pitfallSigning contracts or starting work before the State grant agreement is executed. Costs incurred too early may not be reimbursable.

2. 02

   DGS intake documentation

   Begins immediately; matching funds usually due within about two years of authorization

   Before the Department of General Services drafts your grant agreement, the Submitter uploads the full intake package. This is the stage where most projects stall, because every item has to come from a different office or record.

   What the State expects

   • •Certificate of Good Standing from SDAT
   • •Property ownership records, or a signed long-term lease or memorandum of agreement for leased facilities
   • •Certificate of insurance naming the State of Maryland Department of General Services
   • •Maryland Historical Trust project review determination
   • •Affidavits that funds will not be used for sectarian or lobbying purposes
   • •Corporate diversity addendum
   • •W-9 and a detailed project scope beyond the brief legislative title
   • •Certification of matching funds where the authorizing legislation requires a match

   Common pitfallLeaving the matching-fund certification until the final months. The match deadline is statutory, and an expired deadline can cancel the authorization.

3. 03

   Legal review and Board of Public Works approval

   Several weeks to a few months after a complete intake package

   The draft agreement goes to the Assistant Attorney General for the Board of Public Works for review as to legal form and sufficiency. Once approved and signed by your organization, the grant is placed on the Board of Public Works agenda for official State approval.

   What the State expects

   • •Review of the draft agreement for legal sufficiency
   • •Authorized signature from your organization
   • •Placement on a Board of Public Works agenda

   Common pitfallMissing an agenda cutoff. A late signature can push approval to a later meeting and delay every payment behind it.

4. 04

   Procurement, construction, and payment requests

   Throughout construction

   Capital grant funds are disbursed on a reimbursement basis through payment requests in Submittable. Each request has to be fully documented before the State will release funds.

   What the State expects

   • •Certified contractor invoices, in standard construction billing format where applicable
   • •Proof of payment, such as cancelled checks or bank records
   • •Lien releases from contractors and subcontractors
   • •Matching-fund expenditures documented alongside State draws

   Common pitfallSubmitting invoices without proof of payment or lien releases. Incomplete requests are returned, and cash-flow gaps land on your organization.

5. 05

   Closeout, retainage release, and audit readiness

   Final weeks of the project and afterward

   The project closes with a final accounting reconciliation, inspection sign-off, release of retainage, and a closeout letter from the Department of General Services. Your records should stay organized and retrievable well after the last payment.

   What the State expects

   • •Final reconciliation of State funds and matching funds
   • •Inspection sign-off and release of retainage
   • •Closeout letter on file
   • •A complete, organized archive for audit

   Common pitfallTreating the last check as the end. Missing closeout documentation surfaces years later, often during an audit or a future application.

Requirements, forms, and deadlines are set by the State and can change. Always confirm current requirements with the Maryland Department of General Services Capital Grants and Loans Program and the terms of your own authorizing legislation.