Back to Maryland

SB0625 • 2026

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

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

Agriculture Technology
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Senator Feldman
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 411
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not explicitly state that state agencies must fund carbon removal projects using biochar or wood vault technology. It only requires them to use available funding sources if they choose to do so.

Regulations for Carbon Capture Technologies

This law requires the Department of the Environment to create rules and standards by January 1, 2028, for projects that capture carbon dioxide using biochar or wood vault technologies.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of the Environment to develop regulations and standards governing the permitting of carbon dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or wood vault technologies by January 1, 2028.
  • The new rules must be made in consultation with the Department of Agriculture.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of the Environment
  • The Department of Agriculture

Terms To Know

Biochar
A type of charcoal made from organic materials, used to store carbon.
Wood Vault Technology
A method for storing wood in a way that keeps the carbon locked inside it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much funding state agencies must provide.
  • It is unclear what specific regulations will be created by January 1, 2028.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

273322/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 273322/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 625 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

  • AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 625 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 On page 1, 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”; in line 3, after “regulations” insert “ and standards ”; in line 4, strike “certain”; in the same line, strike “removal technology and practices” and substitute “ dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects”; strike beginning with “requiring” in line 5 down through “practices;” in line 6; and in line 7, strike “removal technology and practices” and substitute “dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects”.
  • AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 On page 1, in line 20, after “ (A)” insert “IN THIS SECTION, “CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE, REMOVAL, OR SEQUESTRATION PRO JECT” MEANS A PROJ ECT THAT PROVIDES OR SEEKS TO PROVIDE FOR THE LONG –TERM ISOLATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE THROUGH STORAGE IN A GEOLOGIC FORMATION.
703624/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 703624/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 625 (Third Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

  • AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 625 (Third Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 On page 1, in line 3, after “Standards” insert “for Biochar and Wood Vault Technologies”; in line 4, after “to” insert “develop, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, and ”; in lines 6 and 10, in each instance, after “ projects” insert “ that utilize biochar or wood vault technologies”; in line 13, strike “2–1213” and substitute “9– 303.6”; and strike in their entirety lines 16 through 18, inclusive.
  • AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 On page 2, in line 2, strike “2–1213” and substitute “9–303.6”; strike beginning with “IN” in line 3 down through “(B)” in line 7; and in line 11, after “PROJECTS” insert “THAT UTILIZE BIOCHAR OR WOOD VAULT TECHNOLOGIES.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 411

  2. 2026-04-08 House

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation

  3. 2026-03-30 House

    Third Reading Passed (110-25)

  4. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Senate Concurs House Amendments

  5. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (43-4)

  6. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Passed Enrolled

  7. 2026-03-25 House

    Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m.

  8. 2026-03-23 House

    Favorable with Amendments { 703624/1 Adopted

  9. 2026-03-23 House

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  10. 2026-03-20 Senate

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

  11. 2026-03-10 House

    Referred Environment and Transportation

  12. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (40-0)

  13. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Favorable with Amendments { 273322/1 Adopted

  14. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  15. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.

  16. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Hearing canceled

  17. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Hearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m.

  18. 2026-02-05 Senate

    First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Carbon Removal Technology and Practices - Regulations and Use of Funding

  20. Maryland General Assembly

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

  21. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Carbon Dioxide Capture, Removal, and Sequestration Projects - Regulations and Standards

  22. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Environment and Transportation

  23. Maryland General Assembly

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

  24. Maryland General Assembly

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

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.
*sb0625*

SENATE BILL 625
M5, M3 (6lr3129)
ENROLLED BILL
— Education, Energy, and the Environment/Environment and Transportation —
Introduced by Senator Feldman

Read and Examined by Proofreaders:

_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.

Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this

_______ day of _________ ______ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.

______________________________________________
President.

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 sources 9
to fund carbon r emoval projects that utilize certain carbon removal technology and 10
practices; and generally relating to carbon removal technology and practices dioxide 11
capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or wood vault 12
technologies. 13

BY adding to 14
2 SENATE BILL 625

Article – Environment 1
Section 2–1213 9–303.6 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 4

Preamble 5

WHEREAS, The current practice of applying solid waste regulations to the process 6
of carbon removal is unsuitable; now, therefore, 7

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 9

Article – Environment 10

2–1213 9–303.6. 11

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTU RE, REMOVAL, OR 12
SEQUESTRATION PROJEC T” MEANS A PROJECT THAT PROVIDE S OR SEEKS TO 13
PROVIDE FOR THE LONG–TERM ISOLATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE THROUGH STORAGE 14
IN A GEOLOGIC FORMATION. 15

(B) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2028, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T 16
REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS GOVERNING THE PERMIT TING OF CARBON 17
REMOVAL TECHNOLOGY AND PRACTICES THAT ARE C ERTIFIED BY AN 18
INTERNATIONALLY RECO GNIZED THIRD –PARTY CERTIFICATION BODY DIOXIDE 19
CAPTURE, REMOVAL, OR SEQUESTRATION PRO JECTS THAT UTILIZE BIOCHAR OR 20
WOOD VAULT TECHNOLOGIES. 21

(B) IN DEVELOPING THE REG ULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER 22
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONS ULT WITH THE 23
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 24

(B) EACH STATE AGENCY SHALL US E AVAILABLE FUNDING SOURCES TO 25
FUND CARBON REMOVAL PROJECTS THAT UTILIZE CARBON REMOVAL TECHNOLOGY 26
AND PRACTICE S THAT ARE CERTIFIED BY AN INTERNATIONALL Y RECOGNIZED 27
THIRD–PARTY CERTIFICATION BODY. 28

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 29
1, 2026. 30