LEGISLATION OF INTEREST
With Maryland's General Assembly being conducted virtually MGPA members have the ability to submit testimony without having to travel to Annapolis. If you are interested in submitting written or verbal testimony, be sure to create a MyMGA account
here.
This week yielded two big wins for agriculture in Annapolis. First, the Senate voted to postpone indefinitely the veto override consideration on SB300 from the 2020 session which would have legislatively banned Chlorpyrifos. After enacting regulations to phase out Chlorpyrifos, Governor Hogan vetoed SB300 and the Senate now, will not be overriding that veto. This is important so there is not a precedent set of legislatively banning pesticides.
Second, the Natural Resources and Agriculture Subcommittee of the Environment and transportation committee gave an unfavorable report to HB472 which would have banned glyphosate in Maryland.
HB84 - Consumer Protection - Right to Repair
Delegate Feldmark
*Hearing held 1/27 - no further action
This bill requires an original equipment manufacturer, on fair and reasonable terms, to make available to an independent repair provider or owner of digital electronic equipment any documentation, parts, tools, or updates to information or embedded software. It also requires, as it applies to equipment that contains a security-related function, any documentation, tools, parts, or updates needed to reset the lock or function when disabled.
MGPA SUPPORTS House Bill 84
SB151 - Constitutional Amendment - Environmental Rights
*Hearing held 1/26 - no further action
This proposed constitutional amendment establishes that every person has the right to a clean and healthy environment, including the right to clean air; pure water; ecosystems that sustain the State’s natural resources, including the waters of the State, air, flora, fauna, climate, and public lands; and the preservation of the natural, healthful, scenic, and historic values of the environment. This would give citizens in Maryland standing to intervene on any state application process if they believe it interferes with any of those clean environment definitions mentioned above. Some examples would include, CAFO's, irrigation, hemp, new buildings, composting, commercial fishing, and aquaculture permits.
MGPA OPPOSES Senate Bill 151
SB119/HB507
- Clean Water Commerce Act of 2021
*Hearings on 1/28 and 2/10 - no further action
This bill addresses the sunset of the pilot program and establishes the Clean Water Commerce Fund as a special, non-lapsing fund. It requires the Department of the Environment to transfer $20,000,000 from the Bay Restoration Fund to the Clean Water Commerce Fund beginning in the fiscal year 2022. 35% of this funding would be dedicated to agricultural practices.
MGPA has been involved in the workgroup to craft this legislation. We will be supporting the sponsor amendments based on this workgroup's recommendations.
MGPA SUPPORTS Senate Bill 119 & House Bill 84
SB508/HB584 - Public Utilities - Net Energy Metering
This bill increases the maximum generation capacity of an electric generating system used by an eligible customer-generator for net metering to 5 megawatts. It also prohibits the Public Service Commission from prohibiting the construction or operation of multiple net metered solar generating facilities located on contiguous lots that are owned by a local government solely because the capacity of the combined net metering systems exceeds the 5 megawatt limit.
MGPA opposes the loss of prime and productive farm land to solar energy generation.
HB581/SB486 - Labor and Employment - Employment Standars During an Emergency (Maryland Essential Workers' Protection Act)
This legislation would create a number of new essential employer mandates and costs including: 1) hazard pay; 2) financial assistance for healthcare costs; and 3) universal health and bereavement leave, among many other problematic and challenging provisions for Maryland’s job creators; 4) Employee right to refuse to report.
MGPA OPPOSES House Bill 581 & Senate Bill 486
HB860/SB692 - State Planning - Preservation of Agricultural Land - Goal
Extending the timeline for the State goal of preserving a total of 1,030,000 acres of productive agricultural land to 2030 through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, the Maryland GreenPrint Program, the Rural Legacy Program, the Maryland Environmental Trust, and local land preservation programs. The current goal expires in 2022.
MGPA SUPPORTS House Bill 860 & Senate Bill 692
HB1025 - Pesticides - Carbofuran - Collection, Disposal, and Prohibition on Possession or Storage
This bill makes it illegal to possess or store Carbofuran after January 1, 2024 and sets up penalties for violation. The bill gives the Natural Resources Police and Dept of Agriculture the authority to seize Carbofuran. MDA is also required to set up a take back program through the pesticide recycling program.
*Carbofuran was de-registered by EPA and all uses for feed and food crops were revoked in 2009.
MGPA is investigating this bill further for potential impacts on grain farmers.
