Environment

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.

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.