HB0817 • 2026

Carbon Dioxide Capture, Removal, and Sequestration Projects - Regulations and Standards for Biochar and Wood Vault Technologies

Agriculture Technology

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Foley , Behler , Fraser-Hidalgo , Lehman , Qi , Wilson , Healey , Odom , and Stein
Last action: 2026-03-23
Official status: In the Senate - First Reading Senate Rules
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

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

Carbon Dioxide Capture, Removal, and Sequestration Projects - Regulations and Standards for Biochar and Wood Vault Technologies

Requiring the Department of the Environment, by January 1, 2028, to develop, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, and adopt regulations and standards governing the permitting of carbon dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or wood vault technologies

What This Bill Does

Requiring the Department of the Environment, by January 1, 2028, to develop, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, and adopt regulations and standards governing the permitting of carbon dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or wood vault technologies

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.

283726/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 283726/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 817 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 817 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
1 On page 1, in the sponsor line, strike “ and Wilson ” and substitute “ Wilson, Healey, Odom, and Stein”; in line 2, strike “Removal Technology and Practices” and substitute “ Dioxide Capture, Removal, and Sequestration Projects ”; in the same line, strike “ Use of Funding ” and substitute “ Standards for Biochar and Wood Vault Technologies”; in line 3, after “to” insert “ develop, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, and ”; in the same line, after “regulations” insert “ and standards”; in line 4, strike “certain”; in t he same line, strike “removal technology and practices” and substitute “ dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or wood vault technologies ”; strike beginning with “requiring” in line 5 down through “practices;” in line 6; in line 7, strike “removal technology and practices” and substitute “dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or wood vault technologies ”; in line 1 0, strike “2 –1213” and substitute “ 9–303.6”; and strike in their entirety lines 13 through 15, inclusive.
AMENDMENT NO.
2 On page 1, in line 19, strike “2–1213.” and substitute “9–303.6.”; in line 21, after “REGULATIONS” insert “AND STANDARDS”; and strike beginning with “REMOVAL” in line 21 down through “BODY” in line 23 and substitute “DIOXIDE CAPTURE, REMOVAL, OR SEQUESTRATION PRO JECTS THAT UTILIZE BIOCHAR OR WOOD VAULT TECHNOLOGIES.

Bill History

2026-04-08 House
Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation
2026-03-24 House
Third Reading Passed (106-22)
2026-03-23 House
Favorable with Amendments { 283726/1 Adopted
2026-03-23 House
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-23 Senate
Referred Rules
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 - Carbon Removal Technology and Practices - Regulations and Use of Funding
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Environment and Transportation
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Carbon Dioxide Capture, Removal, and Sequestration Projects - Regulations and Standards for Biochar and Wood Vault Technologies

Official Summary Text

Requiring the Department of the Environment, by January 1, 2028, to develop, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, and adopt regulations and standards governing the permitting of carbon dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or wood vault technologies

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.
*hb0817*

HOUSE BILL 817
M5, M3 6lr1527
CF SB 625
By: Delegates Foley, Behler, Fraser –Hidalgo, Lehman, Qi, and Wilson Wilson,
Healey, Odom, and Stein
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 23, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Carbon Removal Technology and Practices Dioxide Capture, Removal, and 2
Sequestration Projects – Regulations and Use of Funding Standards for Biochar 3
and Wood Vault Technologies 4

FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of the Environment to develop, in 5
consultation with the Department of Agriculture, and adopt regulations and 6
standards governing the permitting of certain carbon removal technology and 7
practices dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or 8
wood vault technologies ; requiring each State agency to use available funding 9
sources to fund carbon removal projects that utilize certain carbon removal 10
technology and practices; and generally relating to carbon removal technology and 11
practices dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or 12
wood vault technologies. 13

BY adding to 14
Article – Environment 15
Section 2–1213 9–303.6 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18

Preamble 19

WHEREAS, The current practice of applying solid waste regulations to the process 20
of carbon removal is unsuitable; now, therefore, 21
2 HOUSE BILL 817

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

Article – Environment 3

2–1213. 9–303.6. 4

(A) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2028, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T 5
REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS GOVERNING THE PERMIT TING OF CARBON 6
REMOVAL TECHNOLOGY A ND PRACTICES THAT AR E CERTIFIED BY AN 7
INTERNATIONALLY RECO GNIZED THIRD –PARTY CERTIFICATION BODY DIOXIDE 8
CAPTURE, REMOVAL, OR SEQUESTRATION PRO JECTS THAT UTILIZE B IOCHAR OR 9
WOOD VAULT TECHNOLOGIES. 10

(B) IN DEVELOPING THE REG ULATIONS AND STANDAR DS UNDER 11
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONS ULT WITH THE 12
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 13

(B) EACH STATE AG ENCY SHALL USE AVAIL ABLE FUNDING SOURCES TO 14
FUND CARBON REMOVAL PROJECTS THAT UTILIZE CARBON REMOVAL TECHNOLOGY 15
AND PRACTICES THAT A RE CERTIFIED BY AN I NTERNATIONALLY RECOG NIZED 16
THIRD–PARTY CERTIFICATION BODY. 17

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 18
1, 2026. 19

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