SB 166 authorizes Maryland's Department of Natural Resources to suspend or revoke shellfish aquaculture harvest permits or registration cards for specific violations, directly affecting commercial shellfish harvesters. Key violations include harvesting in closed areas, exceeding time restrictions for oyster harvesting, or harvesting without proper authorization. For a first violation, permits may be suspended for up to 5 years; repeat violations result in permanent revocation. The bill also prohibits anyone with a suspended or revoked permit from working in any aquaculture activity during the penalty period. This legislation takes effect October 1, 2026.
SB 266 authorizes Maryland counties and municipalities to adopt local ordinances regulating the invasive Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), a nonnative tree that spreads aggressively and harms native ecosystems. The bill allows local governments to ban selling, planting, or allowing the tree to grow on property, require containment if it's present, and impose civil fines for violations. It also permits communities to create bounty programs incentivizing residents to remove the tree. This directly affects property owners who may have the tree and local governments seeking to manage its spread.
HB 258 updates Maryland's rules for development near the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays. It requires local governments to conduct 10-year reviews of their critical area programs, sets specific location rules for new development (like maintaining 300-foot buffers from tidal wetlands), and mandates climate vulnerability assessments for projects. The bill also clarifies procedures for correcting mapping errors and updating tree replanting requirements. These changes directly affect 12 coastal Maryland counties (including Calvert and Talbot) that manage local development plans under the program. The law aims to strengthen protections for bay ecosystems through clearer, updated standards for land use decisions.
HB 547 expands Maryland's income tax deduction for agricultural equipment by allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to add new equipment types through regulation. This directly affects Maryland farmers who purchase qualifying equipment, including technologies that reduce soil disturbance and nutrient runoff. The bill modifies existing tax rules (Section 10-208(d)) to include "enhanced agricultural management equipment" determined by the Secretary, beyond the current list of specific items like no-till planters or manure injection systems. Farmers must still meet standard requirements, such as owning equipment for at least three years and using it in agricultural production.
HB 429 establishes two grant programs to reduce food waste and promote composting. The On-Farm Organics Diversion Grant Program (under Agriculture) funds farmers, urban farmers, and related entities to implement on-farm composting, food rescue, and waste prevention. The Wasted Food Reduction Grant Program (under Environment) funds projects like food rescue infrastructure, community composting, and education to reduce wasted food statewide. Eligible projects must meet specific standards, such as producing certified compost and prioritizing underserved communities, with grants awarded annually starting July 2028.
HB 613 requires property owners in Calvert and St. Mary's Counties to use natural erosion control methods (like marsh creation, native plants, and oyster reefs) instead of hard structures (such as seawalls) for shoreline stabilization. It exempts these counties from general state requirements for nonstructural measures and creates a new waiver process where owners must demonstrate to the Department of Natural Resources that natural methods are not feasible due to factors like extreme erosion or narrow shorelines. The bill defines "living shorelines" as projects using natural materials and ecological principles to absorb wave energy and restore habitats, while still allowing structural measures in specific high-energy areas. This directly affects property owners along navigable waters in those two counties, changing how they must address shoreline erosion.
SB 130 requires landlords in multi-unit apartment buildings (with more than two dwelling units) to install individual water meters for each unit instead of using bulk billing. It prohibits landlords from charging tenants for leaks, poor maintenance, or common areas, and mandates that meters include leak detection monitors that tenants can inspect. Landlords must maintain clear records of water costs and usage for tenant review, and unpaid water bills cannot be used as grounds for eviction. The law, effective October 1, 2026, also allows a $1 monthly administrative fee to cover billing costs.
HB 654 modifies funding rules for Maryland's Heritage Areas Authority, directly affecting local jurisdictions and entities managing certified heritage areas. It removes previous 50% limits on grant coverage for project costs (allowing full funding for eligible activities like preservation and marketing) and adjusts how Program Open Space funds are used. Specifically, it increases the allowable percentage for operating expenses from 10% to 7% or $600,000 (whichever is greater), and raises the maximum funding transfer to the Authority's Financing Fund. These changes aim to provide greater flexibility for heritage area management while maintaining oversight of fund usage.
SB 861 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create regulations and a model ordinance for local stormwater management programs to enforce rules on agricultural land. It directly affects farmers and local governments by mandating that programs consult with soil conservation districts before enforcing stormwater regulations on farms. Key provisions include defining agricultural uses (like on-farm processing) separately from commercial development in the stormwater manual and allowing flexibility in enforcement for agricultural land. The bill updates existing law to clarify how stormwater rules apply to farms, avoiding overly rigid standards that could conflict with farming operations. It takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 1071 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create regulations and a model ordinance for local stormwater management programs to enforce rules on agricultural land. It mandates that local programs must work with soil conservation districts to implement these rules and specifies that farm-related uses (like on-farm processing) must be clearly distinguished from commercial development in stormwater regulations. The bill also adds flexibility for enforcing stormwater management on agricultural land, rather than applying standard commercial development rules. This directly affects farmers, local governments, and soil conservation districts by changing how agricultural land is regulated under stormwater management.
