• Purpose: The bill aims to alter the authorized uses of a certain account of the Bay Restoration Fund to include the cost of connecting certain properties using on-site sewage disposal systems to existing municipal wastewater facilities under certain circumstances.

• Key Changes:

  • Allows funds to be used for connecting properties in low-income areas using on-site sewage disposal systems to existing municipal wastewater facilities, regardless of the level of nutrient removal or biological nutrient level treatment.

  • Specifies that the cost of connection includes payment of the principal, but not interest, of debt issued by a local government for such connection costs.

  • Establishes criteria for funding eligibility, including household income limits and proximity to existing sewer mains

• Purpose: The bill aims to establish the Reservoir Augmentation Program in the Department of the Environment and require a permit for reservoir augmentation.

• Key Changes:

  • Establishes the Reservoir Augmentation Program in the Department of the Environment.

  • Requires a permit from the Department to perform reservoir augmentation.

  • Provides for the issuance, modification, renewal, denial, or revocation of a reservoir augmentation permit.

  • Specifies the standards and conditions for reservoir augmentation permits.

  • Requires revenues collected under the program to be used for its operation and oversight

• Purpose: The bill aims to alter the authority of local legislative bodies to regulate land use planning on certain land located within a certain radius of, or adjacent to, certain transit stations.

• Key Changes:

  • Exempts certain special taxes for the benefit of transit-oriented development from any county tax limitation or bond cap.

  • Exempts transit-oriented development from certain provisions of State procurement law.

  • Authorizes the deposit of certain bond proceeds into the Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund.

  • Repeals a certain geographical limitation on the use of certain money in the Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund.

  • Alters the authorized uses of the Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund to include certain planning and financing costs.

  • Authorizes the Maryland Department of Transportation to establish transit-oriented development (TOD) corridor funds financed by revenue from county special taxing districts to benefit transit-oriented development.

• Purpose: The bill aims to authorize the Department of the Environment to establish performance-based funding levels for best available nitrogen removal technologies for on-site sewage disposal systems.

• Key Changes:

  • Allows the Department to evaluate and rank nitrogen removal technologies and establish performance-based funding levels.

  • Alters priorities for funding the repair or replacement of on-site sewage disposal systems.

  • Expands funding eligibility criteria for on-site sewage disposal systems and community sewerage systems.

  • Exempts procurements by the Department for certain nitrogen removal technologies from general procurement law provisions.

proposes changes to the eminent domain process in Maryland. Key provisions include:

• Prohibiting the State or its instrumentalities or political subdivisions from taking privately owned property that is subject to a perpetual agricultural or conservation easement.

• Repealing and reenacting certain sections of the Real Property Article to reflect these changes.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

Proposes changes to the use of persistent aerial surveillance by state units, agencies, or political subdivisions in Maryland. Key provisions include:

• Prohibiting persistent aerial surveillance to gather evidence or information in a criminal investigation, with certain exceptions.

• Allowing persistent aerial surveillance in specific situations, such as with a valid search warrant, during an arrest warrant execution, in fresh pursuit of a suspect, for search and rescue operations, to locate an escaped prisoner, to prevent imminent serious bodily harm, or if there is a high risk of a terrorist attack.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

• Purpose: The bill aims to authorize the Department of the Environment to establish performance-based funding levels for best available nitrogen removal technologies for on-site sewage disposal systems.

• Key Changes:

  • Allows the Department to evaluate and rank nitrogen removal technologies and establish performance-based funding levels.

  • Alters priorities for funding the repair or replacement of on-site sewage disposal systems.

  • Expands funding eligibility criteria for on-site sewage disposal systems and community sewerage systems.

  • Exempts procurements by the Department for certain nitrogen removal technologies from general procurement law provisions.

Proposes changes to the eminent domain process in Maryland. Key provisions include:

- Prohibiting the State or its instrumentalities or political subdivisions from taking privately owned property that is subject to a perpetual agricultural or conservation easement.
- Repealing and reenacting certain sections of the Real Property Article to reflect these changes.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

• Purpose: The bill aims to alter the authority of local legislative bodies to regulate land use planning on certain land located within a certain radius of, or adjacent to, certain transit stations.

• Key Changes:

  • Exempts certain special taxes for the benefit of transit-oriented development from any county tax limitation or bond cap.

  • Exempts transit-oriented development from certain provisions of State procurement law.

  • Authorizes the deposit of certain bond proceeds into the Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund.

  • Repeals a certain geographical limitation on the use of certain money in the Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund.

  • Alters the authorized uses of the Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund to include certain planning and financing costs.

  • Authorizes the Maryland Department of Transportation to establish transit-oriented development (TOD) corridor funds financed by revenue from county special taxing districts to benefit transit-oriented development.

• Purpose: The bill aims to alter the authorized uses of the Maryland Clean Air Fund and establish various fees, penalties, and funding mechanisms for environmental regulation.

• Key Changes:

  • Expands the use of the Maryland Clean Air Fund to include activities related to reducing air pollution.

  • Specifies that money in the Maryland Clean Air Fund cannot revert to the General Fund.

  • Increases the maximum fee for air quality control permits.

  • Authorizes the Department of the Environment to charge fees for processing and issuing on-site sewage disposal permits and individual well construction permits.

  • Establishes the Private Dam Repair Fund to provide financial assistance for the repair, upgrade, or removal of private dams.

  • Alters penalties for dam safety violations and requires penalties to be deposited into the Private Dam Repair Fund.

  • Modifies various fees under the wetlands and waterways program.

  • Establishes a fee for the Responsible Personnel Training Program Certification.

  • Alters the fee for the initial application to the Voluntary Cleanup Program and requires additional costs to be paid by applicants if review costs exceed the application fee

• Purpose: The bill aims to establish the Reservoir Augmentation Program in the Department of the Environment and require a permit for reservoir augmentation.

• Key Changes:

  • Establishes the Reservoir Augmentation Program in the Department of the Environment.

  • Requires a permit from the Department to perform reservoir augmentation.

  • Provides for the issuance, modification, renewal, denial, or revocation of a reservoir augmentation permit.

  • Specifies the standards and conditions for reservoir augmentation permits.

  • Requires revenues collected under the program to be used for its operation and oversight.

• Landward Boundaries of Wetlands:

  • Update and precisely mark the landward boundaries of certain wetlands after shoreline stabilization improvements.

Key Provisions:

• Tidal Wetlands License:

  • Any fast land created under a tidal wetlands license must be described by metes and bounds.

• Landward Boundaries:

  • The Department of the Environment must update the landward boundaries of wetlands on suitable maps or aerial photographs at a scale of 1 inch to 200 feet after shoreline stabilization improvements.

Regulations:

• The Department will adopt regulations to implement these provisions.

Effective Date: October 1, 2025.