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Bill would boost eminent‑domain compensation for farmland taken for infrastructure projects
Summary
House Bill 81 would increase compensation for condemned farmland by adding a 350% premium to the highest appraisal; sponsor and supporters said the change is intended to deter use of eminent domain for large‑scale transmission or data‑center projects that convert productive farmland.
Delegate Nina Mangione, sponsor of House Bill 81, told the committee the bill would add a 350% premium to the highest appraisal when productive farmland is taken by condemnation proceedings. “This bill…adds a 350% premium to the highest appraisal of farmland taken by the eminent domain process,” Mangione said, arguing the premium recognizes farmland’s long‑term productivity and community value.
Witnesses supporting the bill said large infrastructure and data‑center projects threaten Maryland farmland and that higher compensation would protect agricultural communities. An activist identified as Bridal Hill argued that AI‑infrastructure projects — defined in testimony to include data centers, transmission lines and cooling systems — are pressing for eminent domain on preserved and privately owned agricultural land and urged higher valuation, even proposing a 10‑times market‑value approach for some projects.
Proponents cited Maryland’s agricultural economy and statistics on acreage and farm cash receipts to contextualize the proposal. Committee members asked proponents about how the premium was calculated and whether the measure might affect project development timelines; proponents said the measure is intended to raise the stakes for projects that seek farmland by eminent domain but acknowledged policy tradeoffs.
No formal vote or amendment was recorded during the hearing; the sponsor requested a favorable report.
