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Rep. Larry Lambert’s cleanup bill on Community Environmental Project Fund released from committee
Summary
The House Natural Resources and Energy Committee voted to release HB 391, which aligns reporting to annual grant cycles and reflects a prior increase of community-directed fines from 25% to 40%, with sponsors arguing the change reduces administrative burden on DNREC and impacted communities.
Representative Larry Lambert introduced House Bill 391 to the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee as a cleanup to existing law governing the Community Environmental Project Fund. The bill would change reporting and confirmation requirements to match the annual distribution of grants and reflects last year’s adjustment that increased the share of fines directed to impacted communities.
Lambert told the committee that last session’s House Bill 210 raised the proportion of fines going to communities "from 25% to 40%," and that the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control currently provides confirmations quarterly while grants are distributed annually. "If they're given out annually, reporting annually should be sufficient," Lambert said, arguing the change would reduce administrative costs and mismatch between reporting and grant cycles.
Representative Krista Griffith and other committee members expressed support for the bill. The committee accepted public comment procedures for in-person testimony and staff confirmed there were no virtual commenters for HB 391. After brief discussion, Representative Krista Griffith moved to release the bill from committee; the motion was seconded and the chair called the roll.
The committee recorded affirmative votes from members present and the chair announced the bill had received the required votes to be released from committee. The chair said the bill would be circulated for signatures and entered into the legislative record for consideration on the House floor. The committee did not take further action on amendments during the meeting.
What happens next: HB 391 will be circulated for committee signatures and reported out on the legislature’s website; additional floor action will depend on scheduling by House leadership.
