[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6592418,"mediaKeyId","2867510-3afb48054f18038a7962d269cf238a99","parentId",2867510,"title","Committee reviews reprint of House Bill 49 on building energy performance standards; places additional analysis and stakeholder review before next action","audioSeconds",1416,"startMs",1224000,"endMs",2640000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2867510-3afb48054f18038a7962d269cf238a99&start=1224&end=2640","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2867510-3afb48054f18038a7962d269cf238a99/thumbnail_1224000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6592418/Maryland/Committee-reviews-reprint-of-House-Bill-49-on-building-energy-performance-standards-places-additional-analysis-and-stakeholder-review-before-next-action","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6592418-75c3f69616f680e18bc1b8fe16a2e8ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188482&Signature=AntopzETpmuMB6rYvdkvBoBIlyKc1hkX2UNEgaLRlQTH8oLNDt0l6j3A212uv2vuFW2BAgMtkWEYmGrzuRNHzSymnX27YW7AV4nXPWAkEfbO7klFxI3~0DFP-i~LDzSldgW8D4d2h1Fcl9OLVjFI-OrzIZlbrds8lb8TO0YgfEe8yU9I0Ht8VeK5HNOjlDj5NDwKCm4-ZdVk6CKxjdw4WeHkVuGFcyAnEVOFWLwwJ0oTtjz7LAyPv1E1Kj~XI0wU~Y1tl7Yw3cKLi-2NByeOpXWxuWLJh-PuzP0K9RcR9dwXtwE3m8NsffxkRwwYPgvdDsEZKJlo6q3kXleMQCwMyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Education, Energy and Environment","date","2025-04-03T20:56:18.573Z","article","The Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee reviewed a reprint of House Bill 49 — the department-drafted Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) proposal — and discussed exemptions, administrative fees and a new statewide study but took no final action.

Committee members heard staff describe the reprint and the House amendments that substantially altered the bill’s coverage. Staff member Devin summarized the reprint and the amendments, saying the House changes \"maintain exemptions and exclusions,\" preserve a potential annual reporting fee and move many operative requirements into a directed study.

The committee spent the bulk of the session on three linked issues: which facilities the bill would exempt, the $100-per-building annual administrative/reporting fee the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) could collect to administer a BEPS program, and the scope and timing of a department study on policy options. Under the reprint the department may certify county programs (the reprint references Montgomery County) and waive statewide compliance for certified county programs that submit annual covered-building lists including energy use intensity and direct greenhouse gas emissions.

Senator Hester described the central purpose of the reworked approach as delaying some prescriptive mandates while assembling data: \"The study says let's look at the costs and benefits and try to achieve the least cost solution,\" she said, noting differences between direct greenhouse-gas targets and energy-use-intensity targets and the practical tradeoffs building owners would face.

Devin told the committee the study MDE would complete should analyze scenarios that include direct-emissions reduction requirements, energy-use-intensity requirements or a combination. The study, as described, must assess program design considerations, greenhouse-gas and energy savings potential, implementation and life-cycle costs to building owners and the department, options for alternative compliance fees (including calculations based on simple payback), and the availability of grants and loans that could offset owner costs. The reprint sets a statutory report deadline of Dec. 31, 2026.

Committee members pressed staff on exemptions. The reprint explicitly exempts certain national-security facilities (sensitive compartmented information facilities), and contains carve-outs for steam production used for sterilization, certain health-care uses, assisted living and nursing facilities, military buildings, life-sciences buildings and backup-power generation for those facilities. Several senators noted the drafting of exemptions was scattered across the reprint and asked for a consolidated, clearly labeled list.

Members also raised county impacts and enforcement authority. The reprint allows MDE to certify a county program adopted by April 1, 2025, and to waive statewide compliance for covered buildings in that county if the county submits required benchmarking data and compliance information. MDE-certified county programs could include alternate compliance pathways and collect alternative compliance fees up to the same amounts set for the statewide program.

Questions from senators focused on who would be captured by the standard and what types of buildings would be exempt. Senator Watson asked how large a share of statewide floor area the exemptions would cover and sought a snapshot of the excluded vs. included building stock; staff did not provide a firm percentage during the meeting. Senator Galien pressed whether public-safety and county emergency facilities were exempt; staff answered there was no specific county-government exemption in the reprint other than the possibility of a county program being certified by MDE.

Committee members and staff agreed on next steps. Because the reprint reflects extensive House amendments and remaining drafting questions, the committee did not vote on the bill. Instead members requested additional follow-up: staff were asked to consolidate exemption language into a single section, confirm the covered-building threshold language and square-foot threshold (which was discussed and appeared unclear during the meeting), and coordinate with stakeholders — including hospital system representatives and Montgomery County officials who attended — before the committee reconvenes to take formal action.

The committee discussion also clarified that the reprint preserves an MDE-administered registry/benchmarking requirement and contemplates a modest administrative fee (characterized in the reprint as $100 per covered building, adjusted for inflation) to offset program costs. The reprint moved many of the compliance-design decisions into the department-led study and deferred final rulemaking and program design questions until the study and subsequent rulemaking process.

The meeting concluded with the committee chair asking members to review the reprint, collect stakeholder input and return with targeted drafting fixes and questions for staff. No vote was taken on House Bill 49 during this session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","EEE Committee Session, 4/3/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","The Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee reviewed a reprint of House Bill 49 — the department-drafted Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) proposal — and discussed exemptions, administrative fees and a new statewide study but took no final action.","taxTitle","Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, SENATE, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15092,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6592413,"Committee advances multiple bills; greenhouse-gas cost study, gas pipe restrictions and local school schedule option move forward",0,997000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2867510-3afb48054f18038a7962d269cf238a99&start=997&end=997","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2867510-3afb48054f18038a7962d269cf238a99/thumbnail_997000.jpg","/articles/6592413/Maryland/Committee-advances-multiple-bills-greenhouse-gas-cost-study-gas-pipe-restrictions-and-local-school-schedule-option-move-forward","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6592413-d89a1375cfc85e0dea320ff091939f0e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188482&Signature=DuolzjCKbf72tLoWyFUhexj7waNbG1Xyl-ggZan~PrSMgRlDSNDd~-Ef12koq8b8zkiAPhtMV99XHoh0nQRKniwPj6TU-AKb5lNinkWKbR4L4VFpOmCUnAYv-6f3Haqq~ogDSRtyMpywmS1dJAzr0YRad7HlY9Xa4zJ03nEb4rpPk6LPz8-VrxXPHpdM87lXJZNBhYKaDKmKjLO4IvShVb8~5Np1~KGCtwpbrjQPMCJVZ8IyTfLQMiPs8F84-wp4dUnXOPJdzT2YWx9PHtESBroe0C6vLxdgqJDfiuxXg4KxBbZvmm6LDDk4HRPxLfHi168w8ieZeZh-YqzKYeRJUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee considered and voted on several bills, moving a package of mostly cross-file measures forward and recording outcomes on amendments in committee.

Major actions taken

- House Bill 128 (cross-file of Senate Bill 149): A study to assess the total economic cost of greenhouse-gas emissions in Maryland. The committee adopted a technical amendment and passed the bill as amended (motion by Senator Hester, second Senator Augustine). The committee recorded the final tally as 8–2 in favor.

- House Bill 222 (cross-file of Senate Bill 175): Prohibits sale, transfer or distribution of non-arc-resistant jacketed corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) and directs a joint study by the Department of Labor and the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Amendments requiring joint study were adopted and the bill as amended carried unanimously.

- House Bill 226 (local Anne Arundel County bill) and Senate Bill 569 (conforming Senate bill): Authorized the Anne Arundel County Board of Education to operate an alternative schedule that can eliminate early-dismissal days if minimum annual hours are met. The committee moved HB226 favorably; separate conforming posture action on SB569 also carried unanimously.

- House Bill 270 (cross-file of Senate Bill 116): Required an interagency analysis (MDE, Maryland Energy Administration and University of Maryland School of Business) of environmental, energy and economic impacts of data center development. The committee moved HB270 favorably and carried the motion unanimously.

- House Bill 376 (cross-file Senate Bill 294): Altered Maryland Cybersecurity Council membership, shifting some appointment authority and adding specified institutional representatives. The committee concurred with the House amendments and passed the bill.

- House Bill 427 (cross-file of Senate Bill 148): Allowed the State Board of Public Accountancy to place a licensee on emeritus status and to reinstate licenses under specified circumstances. The committee adopted a technical conforming amendment and passed the bill.

- House Bill 426 (election-law risk-limiting audits, cross-file SB313): The committee adopted a conforming amendment and moved HB426 as amended (committee action carried).

- House Bill 71 (Holocaust Education Assistance Grant Program): The bill would establish a $50,000 appropriation for a Holocaust education assistance grant program. Committee discussion included questions about overlap with existing programs; Senator Washington asked that the committee \"hold it\" for further consideration. No final vote was recorded in committee during this session.

Other procedural notes

Several bills were advanced on voice or hand-raise votes with unanimous outcomes after brief discussion or adoption of conforming technical amendments. Where specific roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript, they are noted above. Where the committee recorded a unanimous voice/hand-raise vote, the transcript reports the motion \"carries\" or \"motion carries unanimously.\"

What’s next

Bills advanced by the committee will continue through the legislative process as cross-files or local bills; the committee paused longer debate on House Bill 49 (BEPS reprint) and requested additional staff drafting and stakeholder engagement before resuming action.","The Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee voted on numerous cross-file bills during the session, advancing a greenhouse-gas cost study, restricting certain corrugated stainless steel tubing, approving a local Anne Arundel County school schedule option, and moving several other cross-file bills. Several measures carried unanimously; one","actionData","errors"]

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Committee reviews reprint of House Bill 49 on building energy performance standards; places additional analysis and stakeholder review before next action

Committee advances multiple bills; greenhouse-gas cost study, gas pipe restrictions and local school schedule option move forward