Environment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 861: Environment - Stormwater Management for Agritourism

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.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates stormwater regulations for agricultural land with soil conservation input, reducing runoff pollution and protecting water quality per environmental protection focus.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 247: Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Variances - Alterations

HB 247 modifies Maryland's Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program by tightening standards for land-use variances in protected areas. It requires local jurisdictions to presume that new development requests in critical areas conflict with program goals unless applicants prove hardship beyond convenience or financial gain. The bill adds that existing accessory structures on a parcel create a presumption of reasonable land use, and applicants must compare their request to similar conforming properties within the critical area. These changes apply to landowners seeking variances for development in designated coastal critical areas, effective October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentTightens development standards in critical areas, requiring hardship proof to override environmental protections, strengthening conservation of Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 197: Land Use - Comprehensive and General Plans - Alteration of Elements

Maryland's SB 197 updates land use planning requirements for charter counties and local jurisdictions by adding eight mandatory elements to comprehensive and general plans, including new Resilience, Equity, Place, and Ecology elements. The bill requires counties to address specific subelements within each plan section, such as economic development strategies, community facilities, and historic resource protection, while mandating state agencies like the Department of Planning to provide data and guidelines. It replaces outdated sections with streamlined language, clarifies how counties can structure their plans (e.g., as individual chapters or grouped sections), and removes obsolete requirements like "mineral resources" and "water resources" elements. This bill directly affects local governments developing land use plans, ensuring they incorporate updated environmental, social, and economic priorities.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates Ecology element in land use plans, requiring environmental considerations in planning and resilience strategies per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 255: Natural Resources - Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program - Alterations

HB 255 updates the purpose of Maryland's Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program to explicitly advance forest health and resilience by promoting and maintaining native trees and shrubs on public lands, community spaces, school grounds, and rights-of-way. The bill amends the existing law (Section 5-435 of the Natural Resources article) to clarify that the program’s core focus is on native species, rather than general tree planting. It directly affects the Department of Natural Resources, which administers the program, and ensures future efforts align with this specific goal. The change is procedural, updating the program’s stated purpose without creating new funding or requirements. The bill is scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly prioritizes native trees/shrubs for forest health/resilience on public lands, advancing environmental conservation through species-specific ecosystem protection.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 164: Natural Resources - Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program - Alterations

SB 164 amends Maryland's Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program to explicitly prioritize advancing forest health and resilience through the promotion and maintenance of native trees and shrubs. The bill directly affects the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (which administers the program), public land managers, community spaces, school grounds, and rights-of-way where tree planting occurs. Key provisions change the program's stated purpose in state law to require native species for all planting and maintenance efforts on public lands. This policy shift focuses on using locally adapted plants to strengthen ecosystems rather than non-native species. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, pending final legislative approval.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates native species for forest health/resilience, directly advancing conservation and ecosystem protection per bill's explicit purpose change.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

passed · Maryland · Senate Apr 13, 2026

SB 841: Utility RELIEF (Reducing Energy Load Inflation for Everyday Families) Act

SB 841 changes how Maryland uses fees paid by utilities to fund renewable energy projects. Instead of direct grants, it requires the Maryland Energy Administration to run annual competitive auctions where developers bid to build renewable energy projects. The bill sets specific targets for project capacity, deadlines for completion, and eligibility rules for bidders, including prioritizing projects benefiting low-income or overburdened communities. It redirects existing compliance fees - previously used for solar grants - into this auction system to accelerate renewable energy development.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyRedirects utility compliance fees to fund renewable projects via competitive auctions with capacity targets and prioritizes low-income community benefits, advancing renewable energy infrastructure development.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill establishes competitive auctions for renewable energy projects with capacity targets, prioritizing low-income communities, directly advancing clean energy funding and environmental protection.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

Track

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 559: Natural Resources - Recreational Fishery Data Collection Program - Established

SB 559 requires recreational anglers in Maryland with a Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license or registration to report their striped bass catches to the Department of Natural Resources. The bill mandates the Department to create regulations allowing multiple reporting methods, including a mobile app (to be prioritized where feasible) and alternatives for people without internet access. It directly affects all licensed recreational fishermen targeting striped bass in Maryland’s coastal waters and the Chesapeake Bay. The key provision is establishing a mandatory reporting system to improve catch data collection, with specific requirements for accessible and technologically flexible reporting options. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires catch reporting for striped bass management, supporting sustainable fisheries conservation through data collection and resource monitoring.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 754: Land Use - Preservation of Natural Resources

SB 754 authorizes Maryland local jurisdictions (cities and counties) to adopt local laws preserving natural resources like land, water, forests, wetlands, and floodplains. The bill adds specific preservation tools to local zoning authority, including transfer of development rights, conservation easements, open space programs, cluster subdivisions, and riparian/wetland buffer protections. It updates existing land use law (Section 7-101) to explicitly list these mechanisms as approved methods for protecting natural resources while facilitating development. The bill does not create statewide mandates but gives local governments additional legal options to implement conservation measures.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly authorizes local preservation tools (conservation easements, wetland buffers) for natural resources, directly advancing environmental protection through land use policy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 203: Environment - Lead Paint Abatement Services - Performance Bond and Liability Insurance

SB 203 requires accredited lead paint abatement service providers in Maryland to maintain a reasonable performance bond or liability insurance policy. This applies to any person accredited by the Department of the Environment to conduct lead paint hazard removal, containment, or renovation work in buildings constructed before 1978. The law amends existing regulations to mandate this financial protection, ensuring providers can cover costs if services fail to meet standards. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all accredited professionals performing lead abatement work.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates financial safeguards for lead paint abatement providers to prevent environmental health hazards, ensuring accountability for pollution control in pre-1978 buildings.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 225: Environment - Interjurisdictional Watersheds - Flood Management

SB 225 designates specific watersheds - including Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls, Herring Run (covering Baltimore City and Baltimore County), and the Patapsco River (spanning Baltimore, Howard, Carroll, Anne Arundel, and Frederick counties) - as "interjurisdictional flood hazard watersheds" requiring coordinated flood management planning across municipal and county boundaries. It mandates that local subdivisions develop unified flood management plans for these areas, which must be reviewed and approved by Maryland’s Department of the Environment to ensure consistency with flood control standards. The bill specifies that management techniques (like dams, levees, zoning, and stormwater systems) must be included in these plans, with disapproval limited to flood management concerns only. This policy change aims to streamline flood planning for watersheds crossing jurisdictional lines, taking effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates unified flood management plans for designated watersheds, promoting coordinated environmental protection across jurisdictions to prevent fragmentation and protect water resources.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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