Environment and Transportation Committee clears beverage-container stewardship, fisheries monitoring and six local bills in fast voting session

The House Environment and Transportation Committee approved six bills during a short, two-part voting session, advancing measures on beverage-container recycling, fisheries monitoring, local land use reviews, water-system development charge exemptions, property appraisals and community-association registration.

The largest policy change was House Bill 232, which the committee approved as amended. The bill establishes a Maryland beverage container recycling fund and a litter reduction program within the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). It creates a framework for a beverage container stewardship organization to develop and implement a stewardship plan on behalf of producers, requires that stewardship plans provide compensation to material recovery facilities for handling unredeemed containers, clarifies that local jurisdictions may not be required to host or operate redemption facilities, delays statewide implementation by three years, and directs MDE to report back to the General Assembly. Delegate Morgan said he supports recycling in general but expressed continuing concerns about the legislation’s details: "I'm totally a big recycling fan, but I still got some issues with the bill for the time being. That's just my 2¢ worth." The committee recorded six delegates in opposition to HB232: Delegates Jacobs, Otto, Siliberte, Naraki, Morgan and Baker.

The committee also approved House Bill 889, a fisheries measure that members referred to on the floor as "Jay's Law." As amended, HB889 directs the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to conduct monitoring to determine striped bass abundance in the Chesapeake Bay using the same or equivalent methods as the young-of-the-year juvenile index survey and to add monitoring at least two additional Central Bay sites. Amendments to the bill passed on voice votes; members added Delegates Ruth, Guyton, Layman and Healy as cosponsors during the session.

House Bill 1266, passed with amendments, establishes a task force to study land-use issues in Prince George's County, focusing on planning-related matters, decisionmaking and review. The committee reported the bill favorable with subcommittee amendments before passing it.

House Bill 360 (listed in the session as "house bill 3 60") passed as amended. The measure requires the Prince George's County Office of Communications to use revenues from the annual community association management registration fee to fund alternative dispute resolution offered through the county for disputes between community associations and owners. The amendments require the county executive to establish the annual fee and an administrative hearing process and require each community association in the county to register before January 31 of each year.

House Bill 1151, approved as amended, authorizes specified parties (a seller, a prospective buyer and an owner in some circumstances) to provide additional information to an appraiser for consideration and requires that licensed-appraiser training and continuing education in the state include specified information. Committee members described one technical amendment and then passed the bill.

House Bill 1230, a local by-county bill supported by both delegations, passed as amended. The measure requires the Montgomery County Council and the Prince George's County Council to grant exemptions from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's (WSSC) system development charges for specified properties and projects in Montgomery County.

Votes at a glance • HB232 — Maryland beverage container recycling fund and stewardship program (MDE); amendments passed; committee recorded Delegates Jacobs, Otto, Siliberte, Naraki, Morgan and Baker in opposition; bill approved by the committee. • HB889 — Fisheries monitoring ("Jay's Law"): requires DNR monitoring of striped bass at two additional Central Bay sites; amendments passed; bill approved by the committee. • HB1266 — Task force to study land-use issues in Prince George's County (and Montgomery County aspects): amendments passed; bill approved by the committee. • HB360 (listed as "house bill 3 60") — Prince George's County community association registration fee to fund alternative dispute resolution; requires registration by Jan. 31; amendments passed; bill approved by the committee. • HB1151 — Appraiser information and appraiser training requirements; technical amendment and additional conforming amendment passed; bill approved by the committee. • HB1230 — Local WSSC system development charge exemptions for specified Montgomery County properties and projects; amendments passed; bill approved by the committee.

Committee process and next steps The committee conducted these votes as part of its first of two voting sessions for the day and indicated that additional voting would occur after floor action. Committee members made several short announcements at adjournment: the Land Use and Ethics Subcommittee will meet five minutes after adjournment (virtually), the Environment Subcommittee will meet at 12:45, and Housing and Real Property will meet at 12:45; the Motor Vehicle and Transportation Subcommittee does not anticipate meeting again until after crossover.

The committee's recorded remarks and roll-call items are reflected in the committee's official minutes and transcript.