SB 940 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create and implement a mobile home park water quality testing program by January 1, 2027. The program mandates testing at 25% of parks by 2028, 50% by 2029, 75% by 2030, and 100% by 2031, prioritizing parks with 40%+ minority residents, areas with known geological contaminants, parks where residents requested testing or filed complaints, and parks using private water supplies. Park owners must take corrective actions if water quality issues are identified, and the Department must provide results to residents in multiple languages. This bill directly affects mobile home park owners and residents across Maryland by establishing a structured process to ensure drinking water safety.
SB 566 updates Maryland's historic vehicle registration rules by raising the minimum age requirement from 1999 model year (25 years old as of 2024) to 2001 model year (25 years old as of 2026). It requires owners to certify vehicles won't be used for daily commuting, commercial purposes, or employment, while maintaining exemptions from vehicle inspections and emissions testing. Registration fees increase to $55.50 annually after July 2025, with a $50 one-time fee for vehicles 60+ years old (non-transferable). The bill automatically reinstates historic registrations suspended due to this age change, effective July 1, 2026, and applies only prospectively.
HB 796 redefines "recycling" in Maryland law to exclude specific chemical processes that convert plastic waste into fuel or feedstock. It directly affects companies or entities planning to build new facilities using these methods. The bill prohibits constructing such facilities through processes like pyrolysis, gasification, methanolysis, hydropyrolysis, or enzymatic breakdown, as defined by the state Department. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
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.
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.
HB 1199 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to study how an economy-wide cap-and-invest program could help the state meet its 2045 net-zero emissions goal. The study, to be done with agencies like the Climate Change Commission and Energy Administration, must evaluate program design elements - including covered sectors, allowance distribution, and equity considerations - and explore revenue uses for climate initiatives. It specifically examines how to minimize burdens on businesses, protect trade-exposed industries, and allocate funds for low-income household energy assistance, clean transportation, and ecosystem resilience. The bill does not implement the program but mandates a detailed analysis based on Maryland's existing climate plan and lessons from jurisdictions like California and Quebec.
HB 1572 amends Maryland's renewable energy law to include "waste-to-energy" as an eligible Tier 1 renewable energy source under the portfolio standard. The bill defines "waste-to-energy" as energy generated from facilities meeting six specific technical requirements: no combustion, continuous base-load capability, carbon recovery, no landfill byproducts, minimum 80% waste conversion efficiency, and compliance with EPA PFAS guidelines. This change directly affects waste-to-energy facilities that meet these criteria, allowing them to count toward utilities' renewable energy compliance requirements. The law takes effect for compliance years starting January 1, 2026.
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.
SB 523 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create regulations protecting "qualified vernal pools" - seasonal wetlands that don't meet federal wetland criteria but support species like wood frogs and salamanders. It mandates the department to maintain a list of these pools, establish protective buffers, and require developers to avoid harming them during activities like construction. If harm is unavoidable, developers must minimize damage and provide compensation through the department. This directly affects landowners, developers, and construction projects near these pools, adding regulatory requirements similar to those for existing wetlands. The bill does not change current protections for federally recognized wetlands.
SB 686 prohibits manufacturers from selling, distributing, or offering for sale in Maryland certain products containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals (like cleaning products, cookware, cosmetics, feminine hygiene products, fabric treatments, and intimacy products) after specific dates. It requires registration for products containing PFAS that aren't banned and mandates testing to ensure compliance. The bill creates the Maryland PFAS Chemicals Protection and Remediation Fund, funded by penalties and interest earnings, to provide grants and loans for PFAS-related remediation projects. The law aims to reduce public exposure to these chemicals by phasing out their use in common consumer products while establishing a dedicated fund for cleanup efforts.
