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2011 Legislative Session

Welcome to the Legislative Corner!

Are you interested in learning about current or proposed environmental bills? Is there an issue that you feel particularly passionate about? Do you want to get more involved in the current or upcoming legislative session? If you answered "Yes!" to any of these questions, you're in the right place!

Take a click around to find information about specific policy areas, current proposed legislation, information about our Legislative Committee, and how you can get involved. Also, find out who your legislators are and contact them about issues that are important to you!

If you feel that you still have unanswered questions or want more information, don't hesitate to call our office at (301) 277-7111. 


 

2011 Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session

Some top priority bills in 2011 included:

  • The Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act, to develop 400-600MW of offshore wind power ten miles off the coast of Ocean City, MD.  This would be the equivalent of powering half of Baltimore City's home, a significant step in moving away from coal power to renewables.
  • The Clean the Streams and Beautify the Bay Act, to reduce plastic bag litter and waste, this would require stores to charge and collect a five cent fee for each disposable carryout bag the store provides.  This has been implemented in Washington, D.C. and has reduced plastic bag pollution in D.C. rivers by  and reduced single use bag demand by 60%.
  • The Safe Marellus Shale Drilling Act, which would place tighter environmental and safety requirements before drilling for natural gas or hydrofracking could begin.  In Pennsylvania many number of wells have been polluted, while no hydrofracking has begun yet in Maryland, there are projects in the works.

See the Legislative Tracker 2011 below for more bills that will impact the environment

Priority Bills

Issue

Bill  #

Bill Name

Position

Testimony

Committee Votes

Floor Votes

Reducing Waste

SB602

HB1034

 

Clean Streams and Beautify the Bay Act of 2011

Support

 

Testimony     

      for

  SB602

 No Action

 

Smart Energy

HB1054

SB861 

 

Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act

Support

Testimony

      for

   HB1054

 No Action

 

Protecting Natural Places

HB852

SB634

The Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Act of 2011

Support

Testimony   

      for

   HB852

 Passed

 

 

Learn More About

Plastic Bag Fee

Hydrofracking

Offshore Wind

 

Additional Bills

 

Issue

Bill  #

Bill Name

Position

Testimony

 

Committee Votes

Floor Votes

Natural Resources

SB159

 

Natural Resources - Oyster Poaching - Hearing

Support

Testimony

      for

   SB159

 Passed

Passed

Government

HB48

 

State Government Open Meetings Act- Notice and Complaints

Support

Testimony     

       for

     HB48

Passed

 

Passed

 

Smart Energy

HB167

 

SB176

 

Maryland Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council

Support

Testimony 

      for

    HB167

 Passed

Passed

 

Recycling

HB179

 

SB111

 

Environment-Recycling Apartment Buildings and Condominiums

Support

Testimony  

      for

   HB179

 

 Passed

 

Finance

HB57

 

SB539

 

Environment - Bay Restoration Fund - Authorized Uses

Support

Testimony

     For

 

Passed

 

Passed

 

Recycling

HB389

 

Recycling - Bars and Restaurants - Beverage Containers

Support

Testimony   

      for

  HB389

Withdrawn

 

Natural Resources

HB210

 

Environment - Mining - Acid Mine Drainage Abatement and Treatment Fund

Support

Testimony

      for

   HB210

 Passed

 Passed

Smart Energy & Global Warming

SB261

HB718

 

Real Property – Commercial Buildings – Disclosures

Support

Testimony

      for

  SB261

 Died in committee

 

Sustainable

Development

 SB846

 

Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2011

Support

Testimony

      for

 HB1107

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy & Global Warming

HB603

 

Maryland Energy Administration - Clean Energy Loan Payment Program

Support

Testimony

      for

   HB603

 Died in committee

 

People

SB637

SB790

 

Healthy Kids, Healthy Maryland - Toxic Chemical Identification and Reduction

Support

Testimony

      For

   SB637

 Died in committee

 

Natural Resources

HB1225

SB655

 

Natural Resources - Commercial Fishing Violations - Enhanced Penalties

Support

Testimony

For

HB1225

 

Passed

 

 Passed

Natural Resources

SB635

HB1154

 

Natural Resources - Striped Bass and Crabs - Revocation

Support

Testimony

For

SB635

 

 Passed

 Passed

Smart Energy & Global Warming

HB1044

 

Electricity - Electric Vehicle Charging Program

Support

Testimony

For

HB1044

 

 Died in committee

 

Transportation

HB474

 

Construction and Development Projects - Expedited Approval of State Permits

Oppose

 

Testimony

For

HB474

 

Died in committee

 

Finance

SB758

 

Campaign Finance Entities - Slates - Membership and Campaign Finance Transfers and Reporting

Support

Testimony

For

SB785

 

 Died in committee

 

Finance

 

SB605

HB1060

 

Campaign Finance Entities - Loans - Reporting Requirement and Penalties

Support

Testimony

For

SB605

 

 Passed

Senate passed House not yet voted

People

HB592

 

Common Interest Community Managers - Licensing and Regulation

Support

Testimony

For

HB592

 

Died in committee

 

Finance

SB663 

HB723

 

Campaign Finance - Affiliated Entities - Attribution of Contributions

Support

Testimony

For

SB663

 

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy & Global Warming

HB643

 

Procurement - State Buildings - Energy Efficient Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

Support

Testimony

For

HB643

 

 Passes

 Passed

Recycling

HB640

 

Task Force to Study Required Deposits on Returnable Beverage Containers

Support

Testimony

For

HB640

 

 Died in committee

 

Agriculture

 

HB754

 

SB417

 

Agriculture - Commercial Feed - Arsenic Prohibition

Support

Testimony

For

HB754

 

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy

& Global Warming

HB718

 

SB261

 

Real Property - Commercial Buildings Disclosures

Support

Testimony   

      for

   HB718

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy

& Global Warming

HB918

 

Repeal of Tax Credit for Purchase of Maryland-Mined Coal

Support

Testimony

     For

   HB918

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy

& Global Warming

SB717

 

HB933

 

Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Renewable Energy Credits - Solar Water Heating Systems

 Support

Testimony   

      for

    SB717

 Passed

Passed

 

Agriculture

SB582

 

HB659

 

Agriculture- Pesticides-Regulation of Atrazine Study

 Support

Testimony   

      for

   SB582

 Died in committee

 

Agriculture

SB785

 

HB660

 

Agriculture Pesticides Use, Resale, Sale, and Purchase Reporting 

 Support

Testimony   

      for

    SB785

 Died in committee

 

Transportation

HB906

 

Marilyn J. Praisner Safe and Earth Friendly Roadway Act

 Support

Testimony   

      for

   HB906

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy

& Global Warming

SB387

 

HB910

 

High Performance Building Act- Applicability to Recipients of State Aid

 Support

Testimony   

      for

   SB387

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy

& Global Warming

HB933

 

SB717

 

Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard-Renewable Energy Credits Solar Water Heating Systems

 Support

Testimony   

      for

   HB933

 Passed

 Passed

Smart Energy

& Global Warming

 

HB1121

 

SB690

 

Renewable Energy Portfolio- Waste to Energy

 Oppose

Testimony   

      for

  HB1121

 Passed

Passed

 Smart Energy

& Global Warming

HB817

 

Environment- Composting

 Support

 Testimony   

      for

    HB817

 Passed

 Passed

Agriculture

HB831 

 

Agriculture- Invasive Plants- Prevention and Control

Support  

Testimony   

      for

   HB831

 Passed

 Passed

 Smart Energy

& Global Warming

HB719

 

Residential Property Sales- Disclosure of Utility Consumption

Support 

Testimony

       for

     HB719

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy

& Global Warming

SB766

 

Snowstorm and Related Climate Change Preparation Act

 

Support 

Testimony

       for

     SB766

 Died in committee

 

Smart Energy

& Global Warming

SB721

 

HB661

 

Prince George's County - Authority to Impose Fees for Use of Disposable Plastic Bags

 

 

Support

Testimony

       for

    SB721

 Passed

Senate passed House not yet voted

Natural Resources

HB1224

 

Natural Resources - Forest Conservation Act - Alterations to Exceptions

 

Oppose

Testimony

       for

   HB1224

Died in committee

 

Agriculture

SB320

 

Environment - Phosphorus - Commercial Dishwashing Detergent

 

Support

Testimony

       For

     SB320

Passed

Passed

 

Government

HB37

 

State Government - Access to Public Records - Electronic Documents

 

Support

Testimony

       For

     HB37

Passed

 

Passed

 

Recycling

HB602

 

Environment-Recycling at Transit Stations- Study

Support

Testimony

      For

    HB602

Passed

Passed

 

Finance

SB460

 

Nuclear Power Transparency Act of 2011

 

Support

Testimony

      For

    SB460

No Action

 

 

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