(a)    (1)    There is a Montgomery County Historic Preservation Grant Fund.

(2)    There is a Prince George’s County Historic Property Grant Fund.

(b)    Each county planning board administers its Fund.

(c)    Each county planning board shall deposit in its Fund those amounts authorized in accordance with Title 18, Subtitle 1 of this article to:

(1)    implement and encourage restoration and preservation of historic properties; and

(2)    implement the purposes of its Program.

(d)    (1)    Each county planning board shall expend the amounts in its Fund to make grants to nonprofit organizations or foundations.

(2)    In Montgomery County:

(i)    grants may also be made for research, developing educational materials, and generally promoting historic preservation; and

(ii)    in making grants, the county planning board, if practical to do so, shall obtain and implement the recommendations of the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission.

(3)    In Prince George’s County:

(i)    grants may also be made to political subdivisions or individuals to acquire, preserve, restore, or rehabilitate historic properties; and

(ii)    in making grants, the county planning board shall solicit and consider the recommendations of the Prince George’s County Historic Preservation Commission.

(e)    When a county planning board awards a grant, the grant recipient shall convey a perpetual preservation easement to the county planning board.

(f)    (1)    Decisions by a county planning board concerning grants shall be made without regard to the financial status or annual income of the applicant.

(2)    Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, a county planning board may require matching funds in whatever proportion the county planning board considers appropriate.