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HB0255 • 2026

Natural Resources - Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program - Alterations

Natural Resources - Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program - Alterations

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee (By Request - Departmental - Natural Resources ) and Delegates Boyce , Holmes , and Odom
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 112
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Natural Resources - Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program - Alterations

Altering the stated purpose of the Pamela J.

What This Bill Does

  • Altering the stated purpose of the Pamela J.
  • Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program to include the promotion of community participation in tree planting and stewardship and the planting and maintenance of native trees and shrubs through community forestry activities.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

553825/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 553825/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 255 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

  • AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 255 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 On page 1, in the sponsor line, after “Resources)” insert “and Delegates Boyce, Holmes, and Odom”; strike beginning with “the” in line 5 down through “through” in line 6; in line 6, after “promotion” insert “of community participation in tree planting and stewardship and the planting”; and in the same line, after “shrubs” insert “through community forestry activities”.
  • AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 On page 1, strike beginning with “ ADVANCING” in line 19 down through the second comma in line 20 and substitute “PROMOTING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN T REE PLANTING AND STEWARD SHIP AND THE PLANTING”; in line 20 , after “MAINTAINING” insert “ OF”; and in the same line , after “shrubs” insert “ THROUGH COMMUNITY FORESTRY ACTIVITIES”.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 112

  2. 2026-04-03 Senate

    Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

  3. 2026-03-22 House

    Returned Passed

  4. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (44-0)

  5. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  6. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  7. 2026-03-02 House

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation

  8. 2026-02-23 House

    Third Reading Passed (120-9)

  9. 2026-02-22 House

    Favorable with Amendments { 553825/1 Adopted

  10. 2026-02-22 House

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  11. 2026-02-22 Senate

    Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

  12. 2026-01-19 House

    Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

  13. 2026-01-14 House

    First Reading Environment and Transportation

  14. 2025-09-26 House

    Pre-filed

  15. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Natural Resources - Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program - Alterations

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Environment and Transportation

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Natural Resources - Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program - Alterations

  18. Maryland General Assembly

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

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Natural Resources - Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program - Alterations

Official Summary Text

Altering the stated purpose of the Pamela J. Kelly Tree-Mendous Maryland Program to include the promotion of community participation in tree planting and stewardship and the planting and maintenance of native trees and shrubs through community forestry activities.

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.
*hb0255*

HOUSE BILL 255
M1 6lr0134
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 164
By: Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee (By Request –
Departmental – Natural Resources) and Delegates Boyce, Holmes, and
Odom
Requested: September 26, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 22, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Natural Resources – Pamela J. Kelly Tree–Mendous Maryland Program 2
– Alterations 3

FOR the purpose of altering the stated purpose of the Pamela J. Kelly Tree –Mendous 4
Maryland Program to include the advancement of forest health and resilience 5
through the promotion of community participation in tree planting and stewardship 6
and the planting and maintenance of native trees and shrubs through community 7
forestry activities ; and generally relating to the Pamela J. Kelly Tree –Mendous 8
Maryland Program. 9

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Natural Resources 11
Section 5–435 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Natural Resources 17

5–435. 18
2 HOUSE BILL 255

(a) There is a Pamela J. Kelly Tree –Mendous Maryland Program in the 1
Department. 2

(b) The Program is established for the purpose of ADVANCING FOREST HEALTH 3
AND RESILIENCE BY PR OMOTING, planting, PROMOTING COMMUNITY 4
PARTICIPATION IN TRE E PLANTING AND STEWA RDSHIP AND THE PLANT ING AND 5
MAINTAINING OF native trees and shrubs THROUGH COMMUNITY FO RESTRY 6
ACTIVITIES on public lands, community open spaces, school grounds, and rights–of–way. 7

(c) The Department shall administer the Program. 8

(d) The Department may adopt regulations to carry out this part. 9

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall ta ke effect 10
October 1, 2026. 11

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