Delegate Linda Foley proposes phased state ban and sale prohibition on gas leaf blowers in HB 701

Delegate Linda Foley presented House Bill 701, called the Clean Air Quiet Communities Act, asking the Economic Matters Committee to require state agencies and state contractors to transition away from gasoline-powered leaf blowers and to prohibit retail sales of gas blowers beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

Foley said the bill would “slowly phase out the use of gas powered leaf blowers on state property by state agencies and state contractors,” with a target that the state would replace gas equipment with electric devices as units reach the end of useful life and reach all-electric on state property by Jan. 1, 2030. She included a retail sales prohibition in the bill and said the measure is not a statewide ban on consumers or farmers using gas blowers.

“HB 7 0 1 slowly phases out the use of gas powered leaf blowers on state property by state agencies and state contractors,” Foley said during her opening remarks.

Supporters emphasized pollution and noise. The Maryland Sierra Club’s Marie Laporte told the committee that handheld two‑stroke gas devices are a substantial source of smog-forming pollution in the state and estimated large aggregate emissions reductions if the state switches to electric. Advocates also cited noise and occupational hearing risks, citing National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health guidance and local jurisdictions that have already adopted restrictions.

Opponents—largely landscaping and retail trade groups and turfgrass interests—pressed the committee on commercial feasibility, charging and battery life, upfront costs for commercial-grade batteries and chargers, and unintended consequences for small and minority-owned businesses that hold state contracts. Witnesses said commercial batteries can cost hundreds of dollars, may require multiple spare batteries for a full day of commercial work, and that charging infrastructure or battery trailers can add capital cost (witnesses cited $10,000 as an example for a charging trailer).

Retail representatives asked the committee to add a sell‑through period for existing inventory and to avoid creating a patchwork of local rules that complicate compliance. The Maryland Department of the Environment raised enforcement-resource concerns in written testimony, the sponsor said.

Committee members asked about market trends, battery runtime and charging logistics and whether municipal bans in Montgomery County and elsewhere offer a roadmap. The sponsor said Montgomery County and other jurisdictions already restrict gas blowers and that market trends—retailers reporting increasing electric inventory—support transition, though she also said she would work with the committee to address contractor impacts.

The committee did not record a final vote at the hearing. Members asked for additional information but took testimony from a wide range of supporters and opponents.