POLICY WATCH 2023
Maryland's 188 State Representatives took their seats on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, to open the 445th Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly. The presiding officers swore in eight new members of the Senate and 38 new members of the House of Delegates. The election year and change in administration, allowed changes in leadership with committee roster changes.
Legislators pre-filed 253 bills between August and December, with 12 pieces of legislation that could impact the Maryland energy economy. Two of these bills were introduced during the 2022 Legislative Session. The House Economic Matters and the Senate Education, Energy, and Environment Committees typically hear energy-related legislation. The Maryland General Assembly posts hearing dates online if you wish to sign up to testify or listen in to proceedings. Find more information regarding hearing dates and how to get in touch with legislators.
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The MCEC Legislative Committee hosts a weekly call each Friday, at 9:00 AM, during session, to review pending legislation and facilitate a discussion among industry stakeholders. Please contact Pamela Powers at 301-314-6065 for more information.
TRACKED LEGISLATION
Synopsis: Altering certain qualifications for a journeyman license to provide heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration services to require having held an apprentice license for 4 rather than 3 years and having completed at least 6,000 rather than 1,875 hours of training under the direction and control of a licensed contractor.
SB0023 Pre-Filed 11.18.22 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0132 Cross-Filed 01.13.23 House Economic Matters Committee
Synopsis: Altering the entity that must administer or approve an apprenticeship program for electricians; substituting the term "uninsured" for the term "inactive" in certain provisions of law relating to liability insurance requirements for certain electricians; prohibiting a certain electrician from contracting to provide electrical services unless the electrical work is covered by certain liability insurance; specifying who is authorized and required to purchase certain insurance; etc.
SB0044 Pre-Filed 09.28.22 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0149 Cross-Filed 01.16.23 House Economic Matters Committee
Synopsis: Prohibiting local jurisdictions from imposing certain limitations and land use restrictions on pollinator-friendly vegetation management activities of public service companies within property, easements, or rights-of-way of public service companies under certain conditions.
HB0062 Pre-Filed 09.22.22 House Economic Matters Committee
SB0062 Pre-Filed 11.09.22 Senate Education, Energy, and The Environment Committee
Synopsis: Requiring the Department of General Services to establish and update standards for State buildings to conserve energy and minimize adverse impacts on birds; requiring the Maryland Green Building Council to include the standards in any requirements established for participation in a higher-performance building program in the State; and defining "State building" as one acquired, constructed, or renovated by the State or one for which 50% of the money for acquisition, construction, or renovation came from State funds.
SB0092 Pre-Filed 10.27.22 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0006 Pre-Filed 10.27.22 House Health and Government Operations and Appropriations Committee
Synopsis: Allowing a credit against the State income tax for the costs of certain photovoltaic property placed into service by an individual during the taxable year; prohibiting an individual from claiming the credit under certain circumstances; providing for the carryforward of any unused credit; etc.
SB0103 Pre-Filed 11.18.22 Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
Synopsis: Authorizing an eligible customer-generator to accrue net excess generation for an indefinite period; requiring an eligible customer-generator that elects to accrue net excess generation for an indefinite period to forfeit any net excess generation at the time an account is closed; and altering the month used to establish an annual billing cycle for the payment of net excess generation accrued.
HB0068 Pre-Filed 10.12.22 House Economic Matters Committee
SB0143 Cross-Filed 01.16.23 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
Synopsis: Requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development to procure or provide for electricity customers energy efficiency and conservation programs and services designed to achieve certain target annual incremental gross energy savings in certain years; requiring the Department to update the weather-normalized gross retail sales against which savings are measured for certain plans; requiring the target annual incremental gross energy savings to be achieved based on an average of certain Department plans; etc.
SB0144 Introduced 01.16.23 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0169 Introduced 01.16.23 House Economic Matters Committee
Synopsis: Establishing the Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund to promote the equitable and inclusive development of transit-oriented developments; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to the Fund; authorizing the Department of Transportation to use the Fund to provide financial assistance to local jurisdictions; requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill an appropriation sufficient to ensure a fund balance of at $10,000,000 at the start of the fiscal year; etc.
HB0012 Pre-Filed 09.09.22 House Environment and Transportation & Ways and Means Committees
SB0151 Introduced 01.16.23 Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
Synopsis: Establishing the Green and Renewable Energy for Nonprofit Organizations Loan Program in the Maryland Energy Administration to provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations for the purchase and installation of qualifying energy systems and technical assistance for the planning and installation of qualifying energy systems; establishing the Green and Renewable Energy for Nonprofit Organizations Loan Fund; requiring the Governor, in fiscal year 2025, to include $5,000,000 in the annual budget bill for the Fund; etc.
SB0186 Introduced 01.20.23 Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
Synopsis: Requiring the Department of the Environment to adopt regulations on or before December 1, 2023, establishing requirements for the sale of new zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the State.
SB0224 Introduced 01.23.23 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0230 Introduced 01.23.23 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Requiring local school systems, from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2034, to consider whether to construct schools with solar panels on the roofs of the schools; and requiring local school systems to provide to the Interagency Commission on School Construction an explanation for a decision not to include solar panels as part of the construction of a school.
SB0235 Introduced 01.23.23 Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
HB0300 Introduced 01.23.23 House Appropriations Committee
Synopsis: Requiring each county to prepare a climate crisis plan to address the effects of climate change in the county; requiring each county to submit its plan to the Department of the Environment for review and feedback on or before June 1, 2024; requiring the Department to provide feedback to each county on or before November 1, 2024; requiring each county to finalize its plan on or before January 1, 2025; and requiring each county to review and update its plan at least once every 3 years.
SB0250 Introduced 01.25.23 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0147 Introduced 01.16.23 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Establishing the Maryland Forestry Education Fund to expand and enhance the Maryland Forestry Foundation's capacity to provide certain education and resources to forest landowners, the ability of district forestry boards and the knowledge of local governments to achieve healthy and sustainable forests, and the ability of businesses to test innovative best management practices in forestry; and requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill $250,000 for the Fund in fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year thereafter.
SB0282 Introduced 01.26.23 Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
HB0289 Introduced 01.25.23 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Establishing the Whole-Home Repairs Program in the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide grants to certain local administering agencies for the purposes of ensuring that owner-occupied and rental units are free of habitability concerns, improving coordination across home repairs programs, and increasing retention in workforce development programs; and establishing the Whole-Home Repairs Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund.
SB0296 Introduced 1.27.23 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0079 Pre-Filed 11.18.22 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Allowing a credit against the State income tax for certain costs, paid or incurred after July 1, 2023, by an owner of certain residential property for certain energy efficiency upgrades; requiring the owner to obtain a tax credit certificate from the Maryland Energy Administration; and prohibiting a taxpayer from claiming the tax credit for a taxable year during which the Governor declares a state of emergency.
SB0317 Introduced 1.27.23 Budget & Taxation Committee
Synopsis: Allowing certain persons to claim a credit against the State income tax for certain costs incurred during the taxable year to purchase and install certain indoor air quality equipment in a certain home, rental dwelling unit, or commercial building; requiring the Comptroller, in consultation with the Maryland Energy Administration, to publish on the Comptroller's website a list of approved indoor air quality equipment on or before September 30 each year; etc.
SB0318 Introduced 1.27.23 Budget & Taxation Committee
Synopsis: Altering requirements for members of the Washington County Board of Electrical Examiners and Supervisors; altering requirements for the examination and licensing of Restricted Electricians in the county; requiring Master Electricians to be registered by the county instead of licensed by the county; and altering the Washington County Department of Permits and Inspections to be the Washington County Division of Permits and Inspections.
SB0326 Introduced 1.27.23 Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0414 Pre-Filed 11.18.22 House Economic Matters Committee
Synopsis: Altering the application of a provision of law that requires investor-owned electric companies and gas and electric companies to require contractors and subcontractors on certain projects to take certain actions related to employment and licensure; and altering the actions that the contractors and subcontractors must take with respect to apprenticeship programs and wages.
SB0337 Introduced 1.27.23 Senate Finance Committee
HB0061 Pre-Filed 10.17.22 House Economic Matters Committee
Synopsis: Altering the compliance fee for a shortfall from the required percentage of energy from Tier 1 renewable sources to be derived from solar energy for the renewable energy portfolio standard beginning in 2025 and later.
SB0357 Introduced 1.30.23 Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
HB0511 Introduced 02.01.23 House Economic Matters Committee
Synopsis: Establishing the Apprenticeship 2030 Commission to examine and make recommendations to expand access to apprenticeships to reduce skill shortages in high-demand occupations and provide affordable training for career pathways for young people to participate in apprenticeships; and requiring the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2023.
SB0413 Introduced 02.01.23 Finance Committee
Synopsis: Altering the composition of the State Board of Electricians; and requiring the Board to license limited energy contractors and limited energy integrators as State licenses.
SB0444 Introduced 2.02.23 Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
Synopsis: Establishing an Anaerobic Digestion Workgroup to study, identify, examine, and make recommendations on certain aspects of anaerobic digestion; and requiring the Workgroup to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 30, 2023.
SB0447 Introduced 2.02.23 Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee
Synopsis: Altering the Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment Rebate Program by extending the duration of the Program through fiscal year 2027, increasing the total amount of rebates issued annually under the Program to $2,000,000, repealing the rebates that may be issued to retail service station dealers, limiting the issuance of rebates to one recharging system per individual per address, and authorizing the Maryland Energy Administration to offer additional benefits under certain circumstances; etc.
HB0007 Pre-Filed 11.09.22 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Authorizing certain governing bodies of a condominium to grant an interest affecting the common elements of the condominium for the installation and use of leased clean energy equipment; and generally relating to the common elements of a condominium and leased clean energy equipment.
HB0101 Pre-Filed 09.16.22 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Authorizing certain plug-in electric drive vehicles for which a permit has been issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration to use high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes regardless of the number of passengers in the vehicles; authorizing the Administration to charge a fee, not to exceed $20, for issuing the permit; and requiring, on or before January 1 of each year, a report to be submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly on the effect of the use of the plug-in electric drive vehicle permits on the operation of HOV lanes.
HB0123 Pre-Filed 09.28.22 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Prohibiting the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority from issuing bonds beginning June 1, 2023; requiring the Department of Legislative Services to evaluate the Authority providing enough detail for the General Assembly to determine whether the Authority should continue in its current form; requiring the Maryland Environmental Service and the Maryland Clean Energy Center to review certain aspects of the Authority and analyze whether the Environmental Service or the Clean Energy Center could assume those aspects; etc.
HB0161 Introduced 01.16.23 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Requiring the Department of the Environment, on or before December 1, 2023, to develop certain policies and recommendations to require at least 40% of overall spending on certain programs, projects, or investments to benefit communities with low- to moderate-income households, starting with fiscal year 2025; requiring the Department to conduct public information-gathering sessions in different areas of the State to solicit input; etc.
HB0310 Introduced 01.25.23 House Environment and Transportation and Economic Matters Committees
Synopsis: Establishing a fee of $14 to be collected once every 2 years on each motor vehicle registered in the State that is granted a waiver from, exempted from, or not subject to the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program; and requiring the fee to be deposited in the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund and used to provide rebates on the sale of electric vehicles, purchase electric vehicles, and expand electric vehicle infrastructure.
HB0312 Introduced 01.25.23 House Environment and Transportation Committee
Synopsis: Authorizing the Attorney General to investigate, commence, and prosecute or defend any suit or action that holds accountable a publicly traded entity with market capitalization greater than $1,000,000,000 or its subsidiaries for any tortious or otherwise unlawful conduct that has contributed to climate change; and authorizing the Attorney General to hire outside counsel on a contingency fee basis to assist with an action under the Act if the Attorney General makes a certain determination.
HB0347 Introduced 01.26.23 House Health and Government Operations Committee
Synopsis: Prohibiting the State from purchasing a gasoline-powered leaf blower beginning July 1, 2023; and prohibiting the State from using a gasoline-powered leaf blower beginning July 1, 2025.
HB0399 Introduced 01.27.23 House Health and Government Operations Committee
Synopsis: Finding that local governments pay electric companies large sums to light streets and are limited in how this public safety resource can be managed, the Act authorizes certain counties or municipalities to acquire certain street lighting equipment by purchase or condemnation, convert its street lighting service to a customer-owned street lighting tariff, enter into an agreement to purchase electricity, and contract with an electric company for the maintenance of the street lighting equipment; etc.
HB0459 Introduced 01.30.23 House Economic Matters Committee
Synopsis: Requiring the Department of the Environment to deploy ambient air monitors sufficient to monitor levels of particulate matter and fine particulate matter in certain census tracts on or before January 1, 2026; requiring the Department to provide public access to certain current ambient air monitoring data and related information through the Internet; requiring the Department to take into consideration certain ambient air monitoring data before approving certain air emissions permits; etc.
HB0473 Introduced 01.30.23 House Economic Matters and Environment and Transportation Committees
Synopsis: Prohibiting the Department of the Environment from adopting certain regulations to implement certain new motor vehicle emissions standards and compliance requirements adopted by the California Air Resources Board unless certain analyses are prepared and submitted to the General Assembly and the General Assembly enacts a law authorizing the adoption of the regulations.
HB0487 Introduced 01.30.23 House Environment and Transportation and Economic Matters Committees
Synopsis: Authorizing the Public Service Commission to enforce certain prevailing wage requirements for contractors and subcontractors working on certain projects involving and traffic control activities related to underground gas or electric infrastructure of an investor-owned gas company, electric company, or gas and electric company.
HB0513 Introduced 02.01.23 House Economic Matters Committee
