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HB 24

Bay Restoration Fund - Authorized Uses - Connection to Existing Municipal Wastewater Facility

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ryan Nawrocki and 1 co-sponsor

Expands Maryland's Bay Restoration Fund to finance property connections to municipal wastewater systems, reducing septic pollution but shifting fund purposes from direct restoration.

Hearing canceled
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Bill Summary · HB 24

Legislative bill overview

HB 24 expands the authorized uses of Maryland's Bay Restoration Fund to include financing connections between properties and existing municipal wastewater facilities. Previously, the fund had narrower purposes focused on bay restoration projects. This bill allows the fund to be used for infrastructure that helps properties tie into centralized sewage systems rather than relying on septic systems or other individual treatment methods.

Why is this important

Wastewater treatment and septic system failures are significant sources of nutrient pollution (nitrogen and phosphorus) that degrade the Chesapeake Bay. By enabling fund financing for connections to municipal systems, the bill aims to reduce this pollution at its source while improving public health and environmental outcomes. However, it fundamentally shifts the Bay Restoration Fund's purpose from direct restoration to prevention-focused infrastructure.

Potential points of contention

  • Fund mission creep: Critics may argue this redirects restoration money away from direct bay cleanup efforts toward infrastructure that could be funded through other mechanisms or utility fees
  • Cost allocation and equity: Subsidizing connections through a restoration fund may disproportionately benefit properties near existing systems while leaving others unserved, raising fairness questions
  • Implementation scope: Unclear definitions of which properties qualify, how much funding gets allocated, and whether this creates competing priorities within a limited budget

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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