The Prince George’s County Council passed dozens of bills in 2024 as it concluded its final legislative session of the year in November.
Of the bills the council passed, many focused on road safety, crime and housing costs, among other initiatives. Here are five key bills the Prince George’s County Council passed this year.
Late-night business safety plans
The council approved a Late-Night Business Safety Plan bill in November that requires businesses operating between midnight and 4 a.m. to submit a safety plan to the Prince George’s County Police Department for approval.
In order to operate, businesses must comply with their established plan and renew it every three years. Those without an approved plan will face daily fines, according to the legislation.
District 7 council member Krystal Oriadha, one of the bill’s sponsors, said during an Oct. 15 council meeting that it’s important for businesses to help hold themselves accountable.
“This legislation allows [businesses] to work hand in hand with our police department to look at the strategies to make their business safer,” she said.
Stop sign cameras in school zones
The council passed an emergency bill in November to allow stop sign monitoring systems in school zones.
The bill aims to improve traffic safety by enabling monitoring systems on state and local highways, in school zones, to ensure compliance with stop sign laws.
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The bill authorizes law enforcement agencies to use monitoring systems to capture violations, such as failing to stop at a designated sign. Violations could result in a fine of up to $40, according to the legislation.
Systems must be approved by local governing bodies and the Prince George’s County Council to be placed in a school zone. In order to raise awareness about the monitoring systems, agencies must notify the public through online announcements and signs on affected highways.
Youth curfew zones
In June, the council passed legislation granting commercial property owners the authority to request “more restrictive juvenile or minor” curfew zones in designated areas.
The measure allows property owners to petition the county police chief to establish these zones, specifying the area within clear geographical boundaries. Eligible areas must be primarily commercial, according to the legislation.
Applicants must outline a public notification plan for the curfew zone and get a letter of support from at least one county council member who represents the impacted district, the legislation said. They are also required to propose specific curfew hours, which must fall between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m.
The legislation includes exceptions for minors accompanied by a parent or guardian, those traveling home from school or religious events and minors with employment-related exemptions. Parents or guardians could also face penalties if a minor is detained in a curfew zone.
Minimum wage indexing
The Prince George’s County Council approved legislation last month to annually adjust the county’s minimum wage based on inflation.
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Effective July 1, 2025, the bill ties wage increases to the Consumer Price Index, a measure of average price changes in goods and services.
Supporters argue the legislation safeguards workers from inflation. This could potentially boost wages for nearly 44,000 employees by more than $20 million annually, according to Christopher Meyer, a research analyst at the Maryland Center on Economic Policy.
This will especially benefit women and people of color, Meyer said during a Nov. 19 council meeting.
“Research shows that [the bill] would bring long-lasting benefits, like helping families put food on the table, improving infant health and helping kids succeed in school,” Meyer said.
Permanent rent stabilization
The Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024, which passed in July, addresses housing affordability and prevents excessive rent increases, according to a county news release.
The law is intended to protect renters from excessive rent increases by limiting how much landlords can raise rents each year, the news release said. Some properties are exempt from the law, according to the release.
Landlords for most rental units will have to limit increases to either 6 percent annually or 3 percent above the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. The law went into effect on Oct. 17.
During a July council meeting, Oriadha emphasized the significance of the bill’s passage.
“Two years ago, we thought this moment would never happen, and so this is a huge victory, not for myself, not for the people that sit here with me, but for every single resident, all the seniors, all the people sitting here today that have spent two years doing strikes, standing out in the heat, coming here, taking off of work,” she said. “This is a victory for you.”
