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Bill would require MDE to report every six months on federal regulatory changes affecting greenhouse-gas policy
Summary
HB 663 would direct the Maryland Department of the Environment to report semiannually on federal regulatory actions upheld by courts that change the basis for greenhouse-gas regulation, enabling state review and action; MDE supports the bill as a coordination tool.
Delegate Rosenberg presented House Bill 663 to require the Maryland Department of the Environment to provide the General Assembly with six-month reports on changes in federal regulatory policy that have been upheld by federal courts and that could affect Maryland's regulatory authority on greenhouse gases.
Jeremy D. Baker of the Maryland Department of the Environment told the committee MDE supports the bill, describing the EPA's 2009 endangerment finding as the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act and noting the agency was signaling reconsideration. Baker warned that the endangerment finding's erosion could jeopardize vehicle, power-plant and other emissions rules and that the issue could lead to protracted litigation.
Delegates asked whether the bill should broaden the reporting trigger to include federal actions under challenge, and the sponsor said he would welcome a broader reporting definition to increase early legislative awareness. Supporters framed HB 663 as an administrative tool to improve communication between the legislature and executive about federal litigation and regulatory shifts that affect state policy.
No committee vote or formal action was recorded during the hearing; the measure is positioned for further legislative consideration and potential expansion of its reporting triggers.
