SB0911 • 2026

Environment - Weather Engineering - Prohibition

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Senator Mautz
Last action: 2026-02-10
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 3/03 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.

Environment - Weather Engineering - Prohibition

Prohibiting a person from injecting, releasing, or dispersing a chemical compound, substance, or apparatus into the atmosphere within the State for the purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of the sunlight; and requiring the Department of the Environment, in consultation with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, to establish a method for evaluating a report of weather engineering activity and investigate any report that the Department of the Environment deems in need of further review.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting a person from injecting, releasing, or dispersing a chemical compound, substance, or apparatus into the atmosphere within the State for the purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of the sunlight; and requiring the Department of the Environment, in consultation with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, to establish a method for evaluating a report of weather engineering activity and investigate any report that the Department of the Environment deems in need of further review.

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

2026-02-10 Senate
Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-06 Senate
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Environment - Weather Engineering - Prohibition

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting a person from injecting, releasing, or dispersing a chemical compound, substance, or apparatus into the atmosphere within the State for the purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of the sunlight; and requiring the Department of the Environment, in consultation with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, to establish a method for evaluating a report of weather engineering activity and investigate any report that the Department of the Environment deems in need of further review.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0911*

SENATE BILL 911
M3 6lr3337

By: Senator Mautz
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Environment – Weather Engineering – Prohibition 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from injecting, releasing, or dispersing a chemical 3
compound, substance, or apparatus into the atmosphere within the State for the 4
purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of the sunlight; 5
requiring the Department of the Environment, in consultation with the Maryland 6
Department of Emergency Management, to establish a method for evaluating a 7
report of a certain weather engineering activit y and investigate a report under 8
certain circumstances; and generally relating to weather engineering. 9

BY adding to 10
Article – Environment 11
Section 5–1501 through 5–1504 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 15. Weather 12
Engineering” 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2013 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Environment 18

SUBTITLE 15. WEATHER ENGINEERING. 19

5–1501. 20

IN THIS SUBTITLE, “WEATHER ENGINEERING ACTIVITY” MEANS AN ACTIVITY 21
THAT IS PROHIBITED UNDER § 5–1502 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 22

5–1502. 23
2 SENATE BILL 911

A PERSON MAY NOT INJEC T, RELEASE, OR DISPERSE, BY ANY MEANS , A 1
CHEMICAL COMPOUND , SUBSTANCE, OR APPARATUS INTO TH E ATMOSPHERE 2
WITHIN THE STATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF A FFECTING THE TEMPERA TURE, 3
WEATHER, CLIMATE, OR INTENSITY OF THE SUNLIGHT. 4

5–1503. 5

(A) A PERSON WHO OBSERVES A WEATHER ENGINEERING ACTIVITY MAY 6
REPORT THE ACTIVITY TO THE DEPARTMENT ONLINE OR BY TELEPHONE, MAIL, OR 7
E–MAIL. 8

(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE ON ITS WEBSITE AN E–MAIL 9
ADDRESS AND ONLINE F ORM FOR THE REPORTING OF A WEATHER ENGINEERIN G 10
ACTIVITY. 11

(1) ESTABLISH A METHOD FOR EVALUATING REPORTS MADE UNDER 14
THIS SECTION; AND 15

(2) INVESTIGATE ANY REPOR T THAT THE DEPARTMENT DE EMS IN 16
NEED OF FURTHER REVIEW. 17

5–1504. 18

(A) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, A PERSON 19
WHO VIOLATES § 5–1502 OF THIS SUBTITLE IS GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON 20
CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $100,000. 21

(B) AN AIRCRAFT OPERATOR OR CONTROLLER WHO PARTICIPATES IN A 22
WEATHER ENGINEERING ACTIVITY IS GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON CONVICTION IS 23
SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000 OR IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 5 24
YEARS OR BOTH. 25

(D) MONEY COLLECTED FROM FINES IMPOSED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL 27
BE DEPOSITED INTO THE BAY RESTORATION FUND ESTABLISHED UNDER § 9–1605.2 28
OF THIS ARTICLE. 29

SENATE BILL 911 3

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