Environment (Coastal & Flood Protection)

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1465: Environment - Stream and Floodplain Restoration Projects - Requirements and Limitations

HB 1465 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to update stormwater management rules, prioritizing practices that maintain predevelopment runoff characteristics and protect water quality. It directly affects local governments (counties/municipalities) that adopt stormwater ordinances, developers who must implement environmental site design, and the Department itself. Key provisions mandate that stormwater plans prevent soil erosion, reduce pollution in runoff, maintain stream channel integrity, restore water quality, and use the latest precipitation data. The bill also restricts using stream/floodplain restoration projects to meet certain mitigation or permit requirements and requires the Department to review rules every 5 years. These changes aim to improve watershed health while ensuring development minimizes impacts on Maryland's waterways.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates stormwater rules to reduce runoff pollution, protect water quality, and prevent soil erosion, directly advancing environmental protection standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Water Quality

Track

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SB 688: Environment - Stream and Floodplain Restoration Projects - Requirements and Limitations

SB 688 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to update stormwater management rules, directly affecting developers, local governments, and state agencies. It mandates that stormwater plans must maintain predevelopment runoff characteristics, prevent soil erosion, protect stream channels, and achieve 100% groundwater recharge. The bill also requires treating pollutants in runoff to restore water quality, protect aquatic life, and prevent downstream flooding from new development. These changes apply to all new construction and redevelopment projects requiring stormwater permits.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates stormwater management to protect water quality, prevent erosion, and achieve 100% groundwater recharge - direct environmental protections95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Water Quality

Track

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 5, 2026

HB 779: Natural Resources - Riverine Siting and Design Criteria - Requirements

HB 779 requires state and local projects funded with state money (at a specified cost threshold) to follow new riverine siting and design criteria aimed at reducing flood risks from rivers. It directs the Coast Smart Council to establish these criteria by specific dates and review them periodically, with updates under certain conditions. The bill creates a new "Part VII" in Maryland law specifically for riverine criteria, separate from existing coastal flooding rules. This applies directly to public infrastructure projects like roads, buildings, or utilities financed with state funds, focusing on resilience against river flooding.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates riverine siting/design criteria to reduce flood risks, directly protecting natural resources and conserving ecosystems through new environmental standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection

Track

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SB 687: Environment - Flood Risk Review Process - Establishment

SB 687 establishes a mandatory flood risk review process for areas at risk of tidal or nontidal flooding in Maryland. It requires the Department of the Environment to implement this process when reviewing certain development plans and permits, and to consult with local governments, state agencies, and watershed groups before final decisions. The bill makes the flood risk determination binding on local stormwater management approvals, ensuring it becomes part of the local permitting process. This directly affects the Department of the Environment, local jurisdictions managing stormwater approvals, and developers seeking permits in flood-prone areas. The policy changes focus on integrating flood risk assessments into existing development reviews to better protect communities from flooding impacts.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates flood risk review for development permits, making environmental protections binding in local stormwater management approvals to prevent flood damage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Water Quality

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

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection

Track

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

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Water Quality

Track

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

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 257: Environment - Flood-Related Watershed Studies and Comprehensive Flood Management Grant Program

HB 257 requires Maryland counties and municipalities (referred to as "subdivisions") to conduct flood-related watershed studies for designated priority watersheds by 2028, with updates every five years. The bill mandates these studies to map flooding risks for 10-, 25-, 100-, 500-, and 1,000-year flood events under current and future development, precipitation, and sea level rise scenarios. It establishes a grant program allowing the Department of the Environment to fund these studies, with specific limits on grant amounts. The studies must evaluate impacts on existing structures, roads, and stormwater systems, and propose flood-reduction strategies to guide future development and infrastructure planning.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates flood risk studies under climate scenarios and funds watershed studies to strengthen climate adaptation planning, directly advancing environmental protection efforts.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Water Quality

Track

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 613: Department of the Environment - Waivers for Living Shorelines and Nonstructural Shoreline Stabilization Measures - Regulations and Scoring System

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.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates natural erosion control methods (marshes, native plants, oyster reefs) over hard structures, promoting ecosystem-based shoreline protection and conservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection

in committee · Maryland · Senate Jan 16, 2026

SB 178: Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Standards and Procedures

Maryland's SB 178 updates rules for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program, affecting local governments in 12 coastal counties (including Calvert, Anne Arundel, and Worcester). The bill requires local programs to undergo comprehensive reviews every 10 years instead of 6, mandates new development to be adjacent to existing areas, and adds climate vulnerability assessments for new projects near protected waterways. It clarifies procedures for correcting mapping errors and establishes specific standards to minimize development impacts on habitat protection areas and water quality. The changes aim to strengthen environmental safeguards while providing clearer guidelines for local jurisdictions managing growth near sensitive coastal ecosystems.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAdds climate vulnerability assessments for projects near waterways and restricts new development to adjacent areas, strengthening coastal protection and climate resilience under the Critical Area Program.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Water Quality

Track