Maryland Legislative Session Makes Strong Environmental Progress

The Maryland General Assembly concluded its 2022 legislative session on Monday. Several of the bills have already been enacted, while many others await the Governor’s signature. Already, we know the environment will benefit from important enacted bills advancing clean energy, natural places, clean transportation, and social equity. We also had some disappointments, but we hope to prevail in future sessions. 

We are grateful to the many Senators and Delegates who worked diligently to protect our environment and promote social equity. We also thank you – our members and supporters – for all your efforts. Our issue teams and partners helped legislators craft some of the most important bills that passed this session. We submitted written testimony on over 120 bills – a record number – and provided oral testimony and consultation on many of these. Join us to celebrate legislative wins on May 7th!

Clean Energy 

Our efforts helped enact the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022!

• The Act will help shift buildings away from using fossil fuels for heating, electrify the state vehicle fleet, and create a climate corps.
• The Act sets a statewide 2031 goal of a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 levels and a 2045 goal of zero net emissions. While some important elements of the bill were dropped to achieve a veto-proof majority, the Act sets one of the strongest carbon pollution reduction goals in the country.
• The Act includes the GRID Act, which will help prepare our electric grid for greater use of renewable energy.
  
  

Natural Places 

• We helped lead efforts to boost funding and improve access to state parks through the Great Maryland Outdoors Act and to strengthen oversight of water pollution discharges and eliminate outdated (or “zombie”) permits!
• We testified in support of an important bill that will help phase out use of PFAS, or “forever chemicals” that threaten water supplies and natural water bodies.
• We helped pass bills to address invasive plant species and protect old growth forests and other irreplaceable natural areas. We also helped improve a bill on stream restorations.
• The Mel Noland Woodland Incentive Fund from the Maryland the Beautiful Act passed as part of the parks bill. The Urban Parks and Revolving Loan Fund for Land Trusts programs did not pass and await our support next session.
  
  

Transportation 

• The General Assembly passed several clean transportation bills this session, including the electric school bus pilot project and the Clean Cars Act!
• We are also happy to see passage of the Transportation Equity Act that promotes equity in transportation planning and decision making.
• We are thrilled the General Assembly overrode a veto on a bill to improve and expand MARC rail service!
• We were disappointed that the Zero-Emission Truck Act, which would adopt California’s phased-in sales requirements for trucks and other large vehicles, did not advance in either chamber. Together, we will continue pushing Maryland to adopt this rule. 
  
  

Zero Waste 

• The Zero Waste Team did outstanding work developing and advocating for a variety of bills!
• A major achievement was completion of an inventory of synthetic turf fields in Maryland in support of a bill requiring a chain of custody for these fields, from installation to disposal.  
• The synthetic turf bill, as well as a bill to promote paint recycling made it through the House, but stalled in the Senate. Two bills that will expand composting in schools were enacted, however.
  
  

Environmental Rights

• One of our biggest disappointments was the failure of the General Assembly to advance the proposed Environmental Human Rights Amendment (EHRA).
• We helped build strong support for the EHRA among the general public, student groups, and a wide range of civic organizations, and are grateful for the Delegates and Senators who supported the bill. We learned some valuable things this year and will work hard to enact it in the future.

Please view our webpage to see all the bills we testified on, and to read our written testimony. Our work on policy initiatives for the 2023 session will begin soon. To find out how to get involved, join our next volunteer orientation on May 1st. View the list of our Chapter committees and teams, find one that interests you, and reach out to the contact.

Again, thanks to all of you – legislators, Chapter staff, issue teams, Lobby Night attendees and organizers, email and letter-writers, rally goers, and financial donors – for your support of the Maryland Sierra Club and the environment.