Back to Maryland

HB0663 • 2026

Department of the Environment - Federal Environmental Policy - Reporting

Department of the Environment - Federal Environmental Policy - Reporting

Energy
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Delegates Rosenberg , Behler , Boyce , Foley , Guyton , Holmes , J. Lewis , Odom , and Stein
Last action
2026-04-28
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 322
Effective date
2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

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

Department of the Environment - Federal Environmental Policy - Reporting

Requiring, beginning on or before July 1, 2026, and every 6 months thereafter, the Department of the Environment to report to the General Assembly on any changes in federal environmental policy that have been deemed legally valid by a final decision of a federal court and, if there has been a change in federal environmental policy, on the steps the State is taking to respond to that change.

What This Bill Does

  • Requiring, beginning on or before July 1, 2026, and every 6 months thereafter, the Department of the Environment to report to the General Assembly on any changes in federal environmental policy that have been deemed legally valid by a final decision of a federal court and, if there has been a change in federal environmental policy, on the steps the State is taking to respond to that change.

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.

763725/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 763725/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 663 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

  • AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 663 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 On page 1, in the sponsor line, strike “ Delegate Rosenberg” and substitute “Delegates Rosenberg, Behler, Boyce, Foley, Guyton, Holmes, Lewis, Odom, and Stein”; in line 2, after “Federal” insert “Environmental”; in the same line, strike “on Greenhouse Gas Emissions”; in line 6, after “federal” insert “environmental”; in the same line, strike “on greenhouse gas emissions”; and in line 7, strike “greenhouse gas emissions” and substitute “federal environmental policy”.
  • AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 On page 1, in line 20, after “ FEDERAL” insert “ENVIRONMENTAL”; and strike beginning with “ON” in line 20 down through “EMISSIONS” in line 21.
903429/1

None • Senator Ready

Floor Amendment { 903429/1 (Senator Ready) Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 663 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 13, strike “OR”; and in line 15, strike “AND” and substitute “OR (V) RELATES TO NUCLEAR POWER; AND”.

  • AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 663 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 13, strike “OR”; and in line 15, strike “AND” and substitute “OR (V) RELATES TO NUCLEAR POWER; AND”.
  • HB0663/903429/1 BY: Senator Ready

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-28 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 322

  2. 2026-04-06 Senate

    Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

  3. 2026-04-01 House

    Returned Passed

  4. 2026-03-25 Senate

    House Refuses Concur Senate Amendments

  5. 2026-03-25 Senate

    House Requests Senate Recede

  6. 2026-03-25 Senate

    House Conference Committee Appointed (Delegates Stein, Fraser-Hidalgo and Anderson)

  7. 2026-03-25 Senate

    Senate Recede

  8. 2026-03-25 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (34-13)

  9. 2026-03-24 House

    House Refuses Concur Senate Amendments

  10. 2026-03-24 House

    House Requests Senate Recede

  11. 2026-03-24 House

    House Conference Committee Appointed (Delegates Stein, Fraser-Hidalgo and Anderson)

  12. 2026-03-21 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (28-13)

  13. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  14. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Floor Amendment { 903429/1 (Senator Ready) Adopted

  15. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  16. 2026-03-18 Senate

    Favorable

  17. 2026-03-18 Senate

    Motion Special Order until 4/8 (Senator Ready) Adopted

  18. 2026-03-13 Senate

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

  19. 2026-03-09 House

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation

  20. 2026-02-27 House

    Third Reading Passed (98-37)

  21. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

  22. 2026-02-26 House

    Favorable with Amendments { 763725/1 Adopted

  23. 2026-02-26 House

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  24. 2026-02-02 House

    Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m.

  25. 2026-01-30 House

    First Reading Environment and Transportation

  26. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Department of the Environment - Federal Policy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Reporting

  27. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Environment and Transportation

  28. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Department of the Environment - Federal Environmental Policy - Reporting

  29. Maryland General Assembly

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

  30. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Department of the Environment - Federal Environmental Policy - Reporting

Official Summary Text

Requiring, beginning on or before July 1, 2026, and every 6 months thereafter, the Department of the Environment to report to the General Assembly on any changes in federal environmental policy that have been deemed legally valid by a final decision of a federal court and, if there has been a change in federal environmental policy, on the steps the State is taking to respond to that change.

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.
*hb0663*

HOUSE BILL 663
M3, M5 6lr1042

By: Delegate Rosenberg Delegates Rosenberg, Behler, Boyce, Foley, Guyton,
Holmes, J. Lewis, Odom, and Stein
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 26, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Department of the Environment – Federal Environmental Policy on Greenhouse 2
Gas Emissions – Reporting 3

FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning on or before a certain date and with a certain 4
frequency thereafter, the Department of the Environment to report to the General 5
Assembly on certain changes in federal environmental policy on greenhouse gas 6
emissions; and generally relating to greenhouse gas emissions federal environmental 7
policy. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Environment 10
Section 2–1213 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2013 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASS EMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Environment 16

2–1213. 17

2 HOUSE BILL 663

(A) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, AND EVERY 6 MONTHS THEREAFTER, THE 1
DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 2
§ 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON: 3

(1) ANY CHANGES IN FEDERA L ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ON 4
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DEEMED LEGALLY VALID BY A FINAL 5
DECISION OF A FEDERAL COURT, INCLUDING ANY CHANGE THAT: 6

(I) RESCINDS A FINDING TH AT THE GREENHOUSE GA S 7
EMISSIONS FROM NEW MOTOR VEHICLES AND ENGINES CAUSE AIR POLLUTION THAT 8
MAY ENDANGER PUBLIC HEALTH OR WELFARE; 9

(II) REPEALS GREENHOUSE GA S EMISSIONS STANDARD S FOR 10
MOTOR VEHICLES AND ENGINES; OR 11

(III) REPEALS GREENHOUSE GA S EMISSIONS STANDARD S FOR 12
STATIONARY SOURCES; AND OR 13

(IV) IMPACTS THE DEPARTMENT’S ADMINISTRATION OF ANY 14
FEDERALLY DELEGATED AUTHORITY; AND 15

(2) IF THERE HAS BEEN A C HANGE IN FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL 16
POLICY ON GREENHOUSE GAS EM ISSIONS THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE REPORTED 17
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SECTION , THE STEPS THE STATE IS TAKING IN 18
RESPONSE TO THE CHANGE. 19

(B) (1) THE INITIAL REPORT SU BMITTED UNDER SUBSEC TION (A) OF 20
THIS SECTION SHALL D ESCRIBE ANY CHANGES IN FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL 21
POLICY ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE JANUARY 1, 22
2024. 23

(2) EACH REPORT SUBMITTED AFTER THE INITIAL RE PORT SHALL 24
DESCRIBE ANY CHANGES IN FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ON GREENHOUSE 25
GAS EMISSIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED D URING THE IMMEDIATE LY PRECEDING 6 26
MONTH PERIOD. 27

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 28
1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of May 31, 2029, 29
this Act, with no further action required by the General A ssembly, shall be abrogated and 30
of no further force and effect. 31