HB 578 requires Maryland's Secretary of Natural Resources to review and update regulations for endangered and threatened species by July 1, 2033, and every 10 years thereafter. It clarifies definitions like "foreseeable future" for species assessments and expands "harm" to include significant habitat degradation that affects breeding or feeding. The bill mandates delisting species under specific conditions and specifies required details for petitions to remove species from protected lists. These changes directly affect wildlife managers, landowners, and conservation efforts by strengthening habitat protections and streamlining species listing processes under Maryland law.
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.
SB 431 updates Maryland's rules for protecting endangered and threatened species and migratory birds. The bill requires the Secretary of Natural Resources to review and update species protection regulations by July 1, 2033, and every 10 years after that. It defines "harm" to include significant habitat changes that affect fish behavior, and clarifies that "take" means actions like hunting, trapping, or collecting. The bill also requires more detailed information in petitions to remove species from protection lists and allows for designating essential habitats for threatened species. These changes aim to strengthen species protection with clearer regulatory standards for state agencies.
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.
HB 254 creates a new Resilience Through Restoration Capital Grant Fund within Maryland's Department of Natural Resources to provide grants for nature-based projects that reduce climate vulnerabilities and strengthen community resilience. The fund supports state agencies, local governments, and nonprofits in planning, designing, and implementing projects like wetland restoration, green infrastructure, and shoreline protection. The bill requires the Department to develop community participation guidelines, a public website with planning tools, and training by October 2027, while mandating that funded projects incorporate community input and dedicate at least 3% of funds to adaptive management. All interest earnings from the fund must be reinvested, and grants must specifically address climate hazards like flooding and sea-level rise.
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.
HB 243 modifies Maryland's requirements for local governments' comprehensive and general plans. It adds new mandatory elements like Resilience, Place, and Ecology while replacing older terms (e.g., "Water Resources" becomes "Equity"). The bill requires charter counties and other local jurisdictions to include these updated elements in their plans, detailing goals for economic, social, and environmental development. State agencies must also provide data and guidance to help local governments meet these new standards. This affects how local governments structure long-term planning for land use, housing, transportation, and community facilities.
HB 734 extends the deadline for community solar energy systems to qualify for agricultural property tax assessment from 2025 to December 31, 2030. It applies to systems placed in service after June 30, 2022, and approved by the Public Service Commission by the new deadline. The bill ensures land used for qualifying community solar projects is assessed as actively farmed agricultural land, allowing property owners to receive lower tax rates. This directly affects landowners operating community solar systems that meet these criteria.
HB 701 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create regulations protecting "qualified vernal pools" - seasonal water bodies that support species like wood frogs but don’t meet federal wetland criteria. The bill mandates the department to identify these pools, establish protective buffers around them, and require developers to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts during projects. It directly affects landowners and developers planning construction or land-disturbing activities near these pools. The law aligns buffer and mitigation rules with existing protections for nontidal wetlands, ensuring consistent regulatory standards.
HB 1067 requires Maryland's Department of Natural Resources to phase out lead ammunition for hunting all game species by July 1, 2029. It directly affects hunters using firearms for deer, upland game birds, migratory birds, turkey, and other game, with earlier deadlines: pen-raised birds by 2027, upland/migratory birds and turkey by 2028, and deer by 2029. The bill mandates non-lead ammunition (defined as <1% lead content or federally approved non-toxic options) but allows exceptions for muzzleloaders, handguns, rifles, and shotguns if non-lead ammo isn't commercially available. The law requires the department to adopt regulations for each phase and make them available with hunting licenses. This policy aims to reduce lead exposure in humans (from consumed venison) and wildlife (from carcasses).
