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Committee approves amended Transportation and Climate Alignment Act (HB84) after two amendments
Summary
House Appropriations Transportation and Environment Subcommittee adopted two amendments to HB84 and approved the amended bill on a roll-call showing majority support (3–2 recorded in transcript); amendments tightened project eligibility and reporting and raised the project-cost threshold to $100 million.
The House Appropriations Committee Transportation and Environment Subcommittee voted to adopt two amendments to House Bill 84, the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2025, and then approved the amended bill during the session’s voting period.
DLS summary and amendments
Samuel Quist of the Department of Legislative Services summarized HB84 for the committee: the bill would require the Maryland Department of Transportation to implement multimodal programs, undertake offsetting activities and conduct impact assessments to reduce or offset vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse‑gas emissions associated with major highway expansion projects. Quist said the bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
The committee adopted two amendments: the first was technical; the second raised the project-cost threshold for required impact assessments to $100 million and added clarifying reporting and eligibility language. The amendment also required MDOT to perform impact assessments in addition to multimodal program planning and added reporting requirements.
Vote
Committee members moved and seconded the amendments; the transcript records the committee approving the amendments unanimously. The amended bill then advanced on a committee vote the transcript records as 3 in favor and 2 opposed. The committee chair announced the bill as passed in the committee; next steps would follow the legislative process and any further floor consideration.
Context
HB84 ties transportation project review to greenhouse‑gas and vehicle‑miles‑traveled reduction strategies and sets thresholds and reporting requirements intended to direct MDOT to plan and mitigate climate impacts as part of major highway projects. The increase of the cost threshold to $100 million narrows the set of projects that would be subject to the assessments compared with lower thresholds.
Ending note
The committee’s action produced a durable committee record: two adopted amendments (technical and clarifying) and an amended bill approved in committee (vote recorded in the transcript as 3–2). The transcript indicates committee members may discuss HB84 further in subsequent legislative steps.
