HB1618 • 2026

Department of the Environment - Procedures for Permitting Efficiency - Requirements

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegate Qi
Last action: 2026-02-20
Official status: In the House - First Reading House Rules and Executive Nominations
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.

Department of the Environment - Procedures for Permitting Efficiency - Requirements

Requiring the Department of the Environment, in coordination with the Department of Commerce, to adopt procedures on or before October 1, 2027, to streamline the permitting process for certain entities and certain environmental permits; requiring the Department to issue a determination on a certain application within 60 days after receipt of the application; etc.

What This Bill Does

Requiring the Department of the Environment, in coordination with the Department of Commerce, to adopt procedures on or before October 1, 2027, to streamline the permitting process for certain entities and certain environmental permits; requiring the Department to issue a determination on a certain application within 60 days after receipt of the application; etc.

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

2026-02-20 House
First Reading House Rules and Executive Nominations
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Department of the Environment - Procedures for Permitting Efficiency - Requirements

Official Summary Text

Requiring the Department of the Environment, in coordination with the Department of Commerce, to adopt procedures on or before October 1, 2027, to streamline the permitting process for certain entities and certain environmental permits; requiring the Department to issue a determination on a certain application within 60 days after receipt of the application; etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1618*

HOUSE BILL 1618
M3 6lr3580

By: Delegate Qi
Introduced and read first time: February 20, 2026
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Department of the Environment – Procedures for Permitting Efficiency – 2
Requirements 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of the Environment, in coordination with the 4
Department of Commerce, to adopt procedures on or b efore a certain date to 5
streamline the permitting process for certain entities and certain permits; and 6
generally relating to permitting efficiency for environmental permits. 7

BY adding to 8
Article – Environment 9
Section 1–608 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2013 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14

Article – Environment 15

1–608. 16

(A) IN THIS SECTION, “DEDICATED NAVIGATOR” MEANS A REPRESENTATIVE 17
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OR FROM A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ASSISTANCE AGENCY OR 18
ORGANIZATION WHO: 19

(1) IS IN PERSONAL CONTACT WITH A PERMIT APPLICANT; AND 20

(2) ASSISTS THE APPLICANT IN THE PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS. 21

2 HOUSE BILL 1618

(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS ISSUED IN 1
ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 2, TITLE 4, TITLE 9, AND TITLE 16 OF THIS ARTICLE BY A 2
PERSON CONDUCTING OR OPERATING A TRADE OR BUSINESS THAT IS PRI MARILY 3
ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIE S THAT , IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HE NORTH AMERICAN 4
INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS), UNITED STATES MANUAL, 5
UNITED STATES OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, 2012 EDITION, WOULD BE 6
INCLUDED IN SECTOR 31, 32, OR 33. 7

(C) (1) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2027, THE DEPARTMENT, IN 8
COORDINATION WITH TH E DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, SHALL ADOPT 9
PROCEDURES TO STREAM LINE THE PERMITTING PROCESS IN ACCORDANC E WITH 10
THIS SECTION. 11

(2) A STREAMLINED PERMITTI NG PROCESS ADOPTED U NDER THIS 12
SECTION SHALL, AT A MINIMUM: 13

(I) REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE A DETERMINATION 14
ON A PERMIT APPLICAT ION WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH THE 15
DEPARTMENT RECEIVES THE PERMIT APPLICATION; 16

(II) PROVIDE FOR A DEDICATED NAVIGATOR; AND 17

(III) ESTABLISH A SINGLE DI GITAL PORTAL THROUGH WHICH 18
PERMIT APPLICATIONS MAY BE SUBMITTED. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. 21