Upcoming March 2022 Hearings of Interest

SB 979
Senators Salling, Klausmeier, Jennings, West, Lam, Hettleman, Sydnor and Kelley
PROHIBITION OF DREDGING ON MAN–O–WAR SHOALS
Prohibiting the Department of Natural Resources from including the dredging of buried oyster shells on Man–O–War Shoals as part of a fishery management plan; and prohibiting the Department from dredging buried oyster shells on Man–O–War Shoals.
Effective Date: June 1, 2022
NR, § 4-215(e)(6) – added and § 4-1103(a) – amended
Committee: Assigned to Senate Rules
Bill Hearing: Wednesday, March 16
Position: OPPOSE

Testimony available here: SB 979 – DFA Testimony Senate EHEA Opposition (3-16-22) with Exhibits.ReducedSize

SJ 6 (Senate Joint Resolution)
Senator Bailey (Dist. 29)
ATLANTIC STATES MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION – ATLANTIC MENHADEN – PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL REDUCTION FISHING
Requesting the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to consider prohibiting the commercial reduction fishing of Atlantic menhaden, including the use of purse seines and spotter planes, in the Chesapeake
Committee: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
Bill Hearing: Tuesday, 3/01 at 1:00 pm
Position: recommend OPPOSE

HB 1133
Delegate Otto, et al (Adams, Clark, Hartman, Jacobs, Mautz and Szeliga)
OYSTERS – TRIBUTARY–SCALE SANCTUARIES
Repealing provisions of law that include the Manokin River Oyster Sanctuary in the network of tributary–scale oyster sanctuaries in the Chesapeake Bay and including the Severn River Oyster Sanctuary in the network.
Effective Date: June 1, 2022
NR, § 4-1014 – amended
Committee: Environment and Transportation
Bill Hearing: Wednesday, 3/2 at 1:00 pm
Position: SUPPORT

HB 1201 / SB 876
Delegate Jacobs, et al
WATER POLLUTION – CIVIL PENALTY SURCHARGE – OYSTER REPLETION FUND
Establishing a surcharge on civil penalties imposed for certain violations that result in the discharge of pollutants into the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries; establishing the Oyster Repletion Fund as in the Department of Natural Resources to finance the repletion of natural oyster bars in waters impacted by water pollution violations; etc.
EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2022
EN, § 9-342 – amended and NR, § 4-209.1 – added
Committee: Environment and Transportation
Bill Hearing: Wednesday, 3/4 at 1:00 pm
Position: SUPPORT

HB 1217
Delegates Mautz and Adams
NATURAL RESOURCES – OYSTER INSPECTION AND SEVERANCE TAXES – INCREASE
Increasing the amount of the inspection tax levied on marketable oysters shipped in the shell to any place outside the State from 30 cents to $1; increasing the amount of the severance tax levied on oysters caught within certain natural oyster bars from $1 to $2 per bushel; and requiring that $1 of the severance tax levied be distributed to certain county oyster committees for the repletion of natural oyster bars within the waters of the counties.
Effective Date: July 1, 2022
NR, § 4-1020(a) through (c) – amended
Committee: Environment and Transportation
Bill Hearing: Wednesday, 3/4 at 1:00 pm
Position: SUPPORT with amendment to include Baltimore County Oyster Committee in Sec. 4-1020 (c)(3)

HB 644 / SB 900
Cecil County Delegation
CECIL COUNTY – FISHING – RESTRICTIONS
Adding Cecil County to a list of counties to which certain riparian laws do not apply; prohibiting a person from placing nets or establishing a haul seine fishery to catch fish for commercial use in the waters of the Susquehanna River in Cecil County; and repealing certain fishing restrictions that apply in Cecil County.
Effective Date: July 1, 2022
NR, §§ 4-712 and 4-717 – amended
Committee: Environment and Transportation
Bill Hearing: Wednesday, 3/9 at 1:00 pm
Position: SUPPORT

HB 1217
Delegates Mautz and Adams
NATURAL RESOURCES – OYSTER INSPECTION AND SEVERANCE TAXES –
INCREASE
Increasing the amount of the inspection tax levied on marketable oysters shipped in the shell to
any place outside the State from 30 cents to $1; increasing the amount of the severance tax levied
on oysters caught within certain natural oyster bars from $1 to $2 per bushel; and requiring that
$1 of the severance tax levied be distributed to certain county oyster committees for the repletion
of natural oyster bars within the waters of the counties.
Effective Date: July 1, 2022
NR, § 4-1020(a) through (c) – amended
Committee: Environment and Transportation
Bill Hearing: Friday, 3/4 at 1:00 pm
Position: SUPPORT with amendment to include Baltimore County
Oyster Committee in Sec. 4-1020 (c)(3)
(oral and written testimony)

HB 1228 / SB 830
Delegates Crosby, Clark, Boyce, Barve and Stein
NATURAL RESOURCES – OYSTERS – SPAT, SHELLS, AND SUBSTRATE
Establishing various programs, goals, research requirements, planning requirements, and funding
requirements related to oyster spat, oyster shells, and oyster substrate; requiring the Maryland
Agricultural and Resource–Based Industry Development Corporation to provide loans and grants
up to a certain amount to finance the eligible costs of certain eligible seafood processing
projects; replacing the oyster shell recycling tax credit with an annual grant program
administered by the Department of Natural Resources; etc.
This bill requires a mandated appropriation in the annual budget bill.
Effective Date: July 1, 2022
EC, § 10-519.1 – added, TG, § 10-724.1 – repealed, and NR, Various Sections – added, amended,
and repealed
Committee: Environment and Transportation
Bill Hearing: Friday, 3/4 at 1:00 pm
Position: OPPOSE with recommendation to refer to the Oyster Advisory
Commission (oral and written testimony)
Final proposed amendments not available as of HB 1228 hearing

HB 1242 / SB 826
Delegate Mautz, et al (Adams, Arentz, Hornberger, Jacobs and McComas)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – MARYLAND WATERMEN’S MICROLOAN
PROGRAM – ESTABLISHMENT
Establishing the Maryland Watermen’s Microloan Program in the Maryland Agricultural and
Resource–Based Industry Development Corporation to provide loans to qualified commercial
fishermen to continue commercial operations in the State; providing, beginning July 1, 2025, that
generational watermen, beginner watermen, and seafood processing businesses are eligible to
receive loans under the Program; requiring a loan made under the Program to be at least $7,000
and not more than $15,000; etc.
This bill requires a mandated appropriation in the annual budget bill.
Effective Date: October 1, 2022
EC, § 10-526 – added
Committee: Environment and Transportation and Ways and Means
Bill Hearing in ET: Wednesday, 3/9 at 1:00 pm
Position: SUPPORT

HB 1311
Delegate Mautz, et al
CHESAPEAKE BAY RESTORATION FUND – AUTHORIZED USES (CHESAPEAKE
BAY RESTORATION FUND LOCKBOX ACT OF 2022)
Restricting the use of the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund to certain purposes directly related
to addressing pollution from wastewater treatment facilities, on–site sewage disposal systems,
sewer systems, and stormwater management systems; repealing provisions of law requiring
certain amounts to be transferred from the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund to the Clean Water
Commerce Account, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010
Trust Fund, and the Department of Agriculture; etc.
Effective Date: July 1, 2022
AG, § 8-706, EN, §§ 9-1605.2(a) and (i) and 9-1605.4(a) through (e), (f)(1), (g), (h), (q)(2), and
(r), and NR, § 8-1911(e) – amended
Committee: Environment and Transportation and Appropriations
Bill Hearing in Appropriations: Thursday, 3/10 at 1:00 pm
Position: SUPPORT