HB0796 • 2026

Recycling - Prohibition on the Chemical Conversion of Plastic

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Terrasa , Embry , Fair , Kaufman , Lehman , Moreno , Ruth , Spiegel , and Woorman
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: In the House - Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
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.

Recycling - Prohibition on the Chemical Conversion of Plastic

Altering the definition of recycling to exclude certain chemical conversion processes, pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, methanolysis, gasification, enzymatic breakdown, or similar processes as determined by the Department of the Environment; and prohibiting a person from building in the State a facility that converts plastic to fuel or feedstock through a chemical conversion process.

What This Bill Does

Altering the definition of recycling to exclude certain chemical conversion processes, pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, methanolysis, gasification, enzymatic breakdown, or similar processes as determined by the Department of the Environment; and prohibiting a person from building in the State a facility that converts plastic to fuel or feedstock through a chemical conversion process.

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.

Bill History

2026-02-05 House
Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-04 House
First Reading Environment and Transportation
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Recycling - Prohibition on the Chemical Conversion of Plastic

Official Summary Text

Altering the definition of recycling to exclude certain chemical conversion processes, pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, methanolysis, gasification, enzymatic breakdown, or similar processes as determined by the Department of the Environment; and prohibiting a person from building in the State a facility that converts plastic to fuel or feedstock through a chemical conversion process.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0796*

HOUSE BILL 796
M3 6lr2018
HB 1092/25 – ENT
By: Delegates Terrasa, Embry, Fair, Kaufman, Lehman, Moreno, Ruth, Spiegel,
and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Recycling – Prohibition on the Chemical Conversion of Plastic 2

FOR the purpose of altering the definition of recycling to exclude certain chemical 3
conversion processes; prohibiting a person from building in the State a facility that 4
converts plastic to fuel or feedstock through certain chemical conversion processes; 5
and generally relating to recycling and the chemical conversion of plastic. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Environment 8
Section 9–1701(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Environment 13
Section 9–1701(q) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY adding to 17
Article – Environment 18
Section 9–1715 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL A SSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23

Article – Environment 24
2 HOUSE BILL 796

9–1701. 1

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 2

(q) (1) “Recycling” means any process in which recyclable materials are 3
collected, separated, or processed and returned to the marketplace in the form of raw 4
materials or products. 5

(2) (I) “RECYCLING” DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING 6
CHEMICAL CONVERSION PROCESSES: 7

1. PYROLYSIS; 8

2. HYDROPYROLYSIS; 9

3. METHANOLYSIS; 10

4. GASIFICATION; OR 11

5. ENZYMATIC BREAKDOWN. 12

(II) “RECYCLING” DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY SIMILAR CHEMICAL 13
CONVERSION PROCESSES, AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT. 14

9–1715. 15

(A) A PERSON MAY NOT BUILD IN THE STATE A FACILITY THAT CONVERTS 16
PLASTIC TO FUEL OR FEEDSTOCK THROUGH: 17

(1) PYROLYSIS; 18

(2) HYDROPYROLYSIS; 19

(3) METHANOLYSIS; 20

(4) GASIFICATION; 21

(5) ENZYMATIC BREAKDOWN; OR 22

(6) A SIMILAR CHEMICAL CONVERSION PROCESS, AS DETERMINED BY 23
THE DEPARTMENT. 24

(B) THE DEPARTMENT MAY ADOPT REGULATIONS TO IMPLE MENT THIS 25
HOUSE BILL 796 3

SECTION. 1

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 2
October 1, 2026. 3