ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION
CLIMATE SOLUTIONS NOW!
Addressing the climate crisis has long been a priority for me and a top one for D16 residents. This year, we passed first in the nation legislation that will make Maryland carbon-free by 2045. The most aggressive climate action of any state, the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 (SB 528), requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of solutions including electrifying state-owned vehicles, establishing energy conservation requirements for buildings, modernizing our electricity grid, and providing funding for at least one net-zero school in each county.
You can READ MORE HERE from the League of Conservation Voters.
Other Important Legislation
We also required the state pension system to invest sustainably and consider climate change as an investment risk (HB 740) and established a 3-year electric school bus pilot program (HB 696). HB 1391 extends the tax credit for electric vehicle purchases under $50k while HB 15 reduces the number of invasive plants entering the state and harming native plants The Great Maryland Outdoors Act (SB 541) makes significant investments in Maryland State Parks.
Thanks to the leadership of District 16’s Delegate Sara Love, we passed legislation that bans the use, manufacture or sale of products that contain toxic PFAS chemicals (HB 275), and legislation that will improve our water pollution inspection process and end expired “zombie” permits. D16’s Delegate Marc Korman continued his great work to convert the state’s bus fleet to zero-emission buses with HB 10 which requires the administration to report on the implementation of the transition.
The Vision Zero Implementation Act (HB 254) requires the State Highway Administration (SHA) to conduct a review of each pedestrian or bicyclist fatality that occurs on a State highway or intersection within six months of the accident and publish the review on the SHA website.
HB 778, the Maryland Regional Rail Transformation Act, requires the Transit Authority (MTA) to advance service operation plans for projects including a third track on the Brunswick line from Rockville to Germantown and expansion of Penn line service south to Alexandria and north to Newark, Delaware. This bill allows the MTA to leverage the federal funding coming to the state from the federal infrastructure legislation.
senatorarianakelly.com 