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HB0218 • 2026

Office of the Attorney General - Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit - Reporting Requirement

Office of the Attorney General - Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit - Reporting Requirement

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee (By Request - Office of the Attorney General )
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 473
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide additional details on the content or format of the report beyond what activities must be included.

Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit Reporting Requirement

This law changes the date by which the Attorney General must report on activities related to environmental crimes from November 30 to October 1.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the date by which the Attorney General must submit an annual report from November 30 to October 1.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Office of the Attorney General
  • The Governor and the General Assembly

Terms To Know

Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit
A part of the Office of the Attorney General that deals with crimes related to environmental protection.
Fiscal Year
The period used for calculating annual financial statements, typically from July 1 to June 30 in Maryland.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the content or format of the report beyond what activities must be included.
  • Does not provide details on how the reporting process will change with the new deadline.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 473

  2. 2026-04-10 Senate

    Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

  3. 2026-04-02 House

    Returned Passed

  4. 2026-03-27 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (43-0)

  5. 2026-03-23 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  6. 2026-03-23 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  7. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Hearing 3/24 at 1:00 p.m.

  8. 2026-03-02 House

    Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation

  9. 2026-02-23 House

    Third Reading Passed (129-0)

  10. 2026-02-22 House

    Favorable Adopted

  11. 2026-02-22 House

    Second Reading Passed

  12. 2026-02-22 Senate

    Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

  13. 2026-01-19 House

    Hearing 2/04 at 1:00 p.m.

  14. 2026-01-14 House

    First Reading Environment and Transportation

  15. 2025-10-23 House

    Pre-filed

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Office of the Attorney General - Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit - Reporting Requirement

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Environment and Transportation

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Office of the Attorney General - Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit - Reporting Requirement

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment

  20. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Office of the Attorney General - Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit - Reporting Requirement

Official Summary Text

Altering the date, from November 30 to October 1 each year, by which the Office of the Attorney General must report on certain activities of the Office's Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit and certain activities taken by the Department of the Environment and the Department of Natural Resources in response to findings of the Unit.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0218*

HOUSE BILL 218
P1, M3, M1 6lr1306
(PRE–FILED)
By: Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee (By Request – Office of
the Attorney General)
Requested: October 23, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 22, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Office of the Attorney General – Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes 2
Unit – Reporting Requirement 3

FOR the purpose of altering the date by which the Office of the Attorney General is required 4
to report each year to the Governor and the General Assembly on certain activities 5
of the Office’s Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit and certain 6
activities taken by the Department of the Environment or the Department of Natural 7
Resources in response to findings of the Unit; and generally relating to t he 8
Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit. 9

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – State Government 11
Section 6–702(a)(1) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – State Government 16
Section 6–702(d) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

2 HOUSE BILL 218

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2

Article – State Government 3

6–702. 4

(a) (1) There is an Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit of the 5
Office of the Attorney General. 6

(d) On or before [November 30 ] OCTOBER 1 each year, the Attorney General 7
shall report to the Governor, and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of this article, the General 8
Assembly on: 9

(1) all the activities of the Unit DURING THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR; 10
and 11

(2) any actions taken by the Department of the Environment or the 12
Department of Natural Resources in response to findings and recommendations of the Unit. 13

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
1, 2026. 15

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.