Maryland SB 414: Climate Solutions Now Act of 2021

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.
*sb0414*

SENATE BILL 414
M3, M5 1lr0877
CF HB 583
By: Senators Pinsky, Augustine, Kelley, Hettleman, Ellis, Smith, Zucker, Kagan,
Patterson, Young, Hester, Feldman, Kramer, Lee, Rosapepe, Elfreth,
Guzzone, Waldstreicher, Washington, Beidle, and Lam
Introduced and read first time: January 20, 2021
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs and Budget and Taxation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: February 22, 2021

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Climate Solutions Now Act of 2021 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the State to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by a 3
certain percentage from certain levels by a certain year; requiring the State to 4
achieve net–zero statewide greenhouse gas emissions by a certain year; providing 5
that certain net–zero energy requirements do not apply to certain public school 6
buildings, subject to certain exceptions; requiring certain schools to be constructed 7
to meet certain net–zero energy requirements subject to the availability of certain 8
funding; requiring a certain school system to provide a certain notice to the 9
Interagency Commission on School Construction; requiring certain schools to be 10
solar–ready; requiring the State to make available a certain loan to cover certain 11
costs incurred in constructing a new school to meet certain net–zero energy 12
requirements, subject to the availability of certain funding; requiring the 13
Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities to recommend 14
a certain methodology, develop certain recommendations, set certain goals, and 15
make a certain report on or before a certain date; requiring the Commission on 16
Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities to consider certain factors in 17
evaluating certain methodologies; requiring the Commission on Environmental 18
Justice and Sustainable Communities to hold certain meetings and solicit certain 19
input in carrying out its responsibilities under this Act; authorizing certain meetings 20
to be held using teleconference or Internet–based conferencing technology under 21
certain circumstances; requiring the Department of the Environment to require a 22
certain landfill operator to take certain actions if certain methane emissions data 23

2 SENATE BILL 414

acquired from aircraft observations exceeds certain ground–level emissions data; 1
requiring the Department of the Environment to publicly disclose certain data and 2
discrepancies on the Department of the Environment’s website; requiring the 3
Department of the Environment to submit certain plans to the Governor and the 4
General Assembly on or before certain dates; requiring the Department of the 5
Environment to adopt a certain final plan on or before a certain date; requiring the 6
Department of the Environment to review and, as necessary, revise a certain plan 7
on or before a certain date; establishing certain requirements for a certain final plan; 8
requiring the Department of the Environment, in developing and implementing 9
certain plans, to ensure that certain greenhouse gas emissions reduction measures 10
incorporate certain methane emissions data and use certain best available scientific 11
data; specifying that certain economic benefits should be compared with a no–action 12
scenario and requiring a certain economic benefit analysis to include the social cost 13
of carbon, in accordance with certain requirements; specifying that certain 14
greenhouse gas emissions reduction measures should encourage certain employment 15
opportunities particularly in certain areas of the State; requiring the Maryland 16
Commission on Climate Change to establish a Just Transition and Employment 17
Retraining Working Group; providing for the composition, chair, and staffing of the 18
Working Group; prohibiting a member of the Working Group from receiving certain 19
compensation, but authorizing the reimbursement of certain expenses; requiring the 20
Working Group to study, identify, and advise on certain matters; requiring the 21
Working Group to report its findings to the General Assembly on or before a certain 22
date; requiring certain reports of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change to 23
include a certain analysis in certain years; requiring the Maryland Department of 24
Labor to adopt regulations establishing certain energy conservation requirements 25
for certain buildings on or before a certain date; specifying the energy use reductions 26
that certain regulations must require certain buildings to achieve; establishing 27
certain exceptions to certain energy conservation requirements; requiring the 28
Maryland Department of Labor to adopt