Requiring that an institution from which an applicant for a forestry license graduates on completion of a certain curriculum has certain approval and accreditation; authorizing an applicant to qualify for a forestry license if the State Board of Foresters determines the applicant's education is substantially equivalent to certain requirements; and requiring an applicant to have at least 2 years of experience in forestry that indicates to the Board that the applicant is competent to practice forestry.
What This Bill Does
Requiring that an institution from which an applicant for a forestry license graduates on completion of a certain curriculum has certain approval and accreditation; authorizing an applicant to qualify for a forestry license if the State Board of Foresters determines the applicant's education is substantially equivalent to certain requirements; and requiring an applicant to have at least 2 years of experience in forestry that indicates to the Board that the applicant is competent to practice forestry.
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.
Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 342
(Third Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 342
(Third Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
1
On page 1, strike beginning with “repealing” in line 7 down through “license;” in
line 8.
AMENDMENT NO.
2
On page 2, in line 1, after “(b)” insert “(1)”; in the same line, strike “SUBSECTION
(C) OF THIS SECTION ” and substitute “ PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION ”; in
lines 4 and 5, strike “ (1)” and “ (2)”, respectively, and substitute “ (I)” and “ (II)”,
respectively; in line 8, strike “(c)” and substitute “(2)”; in line 10, strike “SECTION” and
substitute “SUBSECTION”; in line 13, strike “SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION” and
substitute “PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION”; and after line 13, insert:
“(c) The applicant shall have at least 2 years of experience in forestry that
indicates to the Board that the applicant is competent to practice forestry.”.
Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 342
(First Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 342
(First Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
1
On page 1, in the sponsor line, strike “ Delegate Behler ” and substitute
“Delegates Behler, Boyce, and Odom ”; and in line 5, after “accreditation;” insert
“authorizing an applicant to qualify for a forestry license if the State Board of Foresters
determines the applicant’s education is substantially equivalent to certain
requirements; repealing a certain experience requirement for applicants for a forestry
license;”.
AMENDMENT NO.
2
On page 1, in line 17, strike “An” and substitute “SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C)
OF THIS SECTION, AN”; strike beginning with the colon in line 20 down through “ (I)”
in line 21; in line 21, strike the semicolon and substitute a period; and in the same line,
strike “OR”.
Bill History
2026-04-28Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 275
2026-04-06Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-03-24House
House Concurs Senate Amendments
2026-03-24House
Third Reading Passed (128-5)
2026-03-24House
Passed Enrolled
2026-03-20Senate
Third Reading Passed (43-0)
2026-03-18Senate
Favorable with Amendments { 573126/1 Adopted
2026-03-18Senate
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-13Senate
Hearing 3/24 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-23House
Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation
2026-02-20House
Third Reading Passed (134-1)
2026-02-19Senate
Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-02-18House
Favorable with Amendments { 833824/1 Adopted
2026-02-18House
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-01-22House
Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-19House
First Reading Environment and Transportation
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Forestry Licenses - Applicant Qualifications - Alterations
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Environment and Transportation
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Forestry Licenses - Applicant Qualifications - Alterations
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment
Requiring that an institution from which an applicant for a forestry license graduates on completion of a certain curriculum has certain approval and accreditation; authorizing an applicant to qualify for a forestry license if the State Board of Foresters determines the applicant's education is substantially equivalent to certain requirements; and requiring an applicant to have at least 2 years of experience in forestry that indicates to the Board that the applicant is competent to practice forestry.
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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb0342*
HOUSE BILL 342
C3 (6lr1822)
ENROLLED BILL
— Environment and Transportation/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
Introduced by Delegate Behler Delegates Behler, Boyce, and Odom
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval thi s
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Forestry Licenses – Applicant Qualifications – Alterations 2
FOR the purpose of requiring that an institution from which an applicant for a forestry 3
license graduates on completion of a certain curriculum has certain approval and 4
accreditation; authorizing an applicant to qualify for a forestry license if the State 5
Board of Foresters determines the applicant’s education is substantially equivalent 6
to certain requirements; repealing a certain experience requirement for applicants 7
for a forestry license; and generally relating to requirements for forestry licenses. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 10
Section 7–304 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
2 HOUSE BILL 342
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 3
7–304. 4
(a) To qualify for a license, an applicant shall be an individual who meets the 5
requirements of this section. 6
(b) (1) An SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION PARAGRAPH 7
(2) OF THIS SUBSECTION, AN applicant shall have graduated on completion of a 4 –year 8
curriculum in forestry from a college or university that is: 9
(1) (I) approved by the Board [or]; AND 10
(2) (II) accredited by: 11
(I) the Society of American Foresters;. OR 12
(II) AN EQUIVALENT ACCREDITING ENTITY. 13
(c) (2) The applicant shall have at least 2 years of experience in forestry that 14
indicates to the Board that the applicant is competent to practice forestry AN APPLICANT 15
MAY MEET THE REQUIRE MENTS OF THIS SECTION SUBSECTION IF THE BOARD 16
DETERMINES THAT THE APPLICANT’S EDUCATION , INCLUDING A COMPARAB LE 17
GRADUATE DEGREE OR INTERNATIONAL DEGREE, IS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT 18
TO THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION PARAGRAPH (1) 19
OF THIS SUBSECTION. 20
(c) The applicant shall have at least 2 years of experience in forestry that indicates 21
to the Board that the applicant is competent to practice forestry. 22
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 23
October 1, 2026. 24