Government Relations Committee, continued...
Hunting • SB 100/HB 857 authorizes hunters who wound a deer during legal hunting hours to pursue and kill the deer after legal hunting hours. House version has crossed over to the Senate.
General Agriculture Related • SB 203/HB 225 requires people driving “all types of farm vehicles . . . exempt from the periodic inspection requirements“ for exceptional hauling permits to have “a valid North American Standard Driver/Vehicle Level 1 OR LEVEL 5” inspection report issued within the preceding 364 days that shows no out–of–service violations, defects or critical items. Both cross-files have crossed over and are now in the opposite chambers. • SB 428/HB 506 establishes the Maryland Leaders in Environmen- tally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program Fund to support and provide incentives for agricultural and conservation best practices. MDA has been holding focus sessions with farmers as it designs this program, and MHC has been invited to, and participated in, each of those sessions. House version has crossed over to the Senate.
Public Utility Siting • HB 829 requires that applicants for certificates of public convenience and necessity to construct an overhead transmission line must submit to the Public Service Commission, and that PSC must consider, evidence that the applicant considered any local, state or federal, or PJM planning processes, including alternative technologies, routings, distribution systems, costs to ratepayers, impact on the environment, plus an analysis of cost estimates, construction schedule, acquisition of land, the applicant’s experience work- ing with communities and stakeholders. Also requires regular reports from operators of overhead transmission lines about transmission congestion.
Bills That Did Not Cross Over
Business Related • SB 642 would have amended last year’s controversial bill making writ- ten waivers of ordinary negligence unenforceable in lawsuits. Te bill would restrict the law’s application to just indoor trampoline parks. At the hearing, members of the Judicial Proceedings Committee seemed very receptive to amending the law to exempt equestrian facilities. • SB 658/HB 1288 permits noncompete clauses that apply while em- ployment is ongoing, i.e., “moonlighting.” • SB 584/HB 113 repeals the cap on noneconomic (commonly referred to as “pain and suffering”) damages in civil actions for personal injury or wrongful death. Tese damages are currently capped at $950,000 in Mary- land. Repealing the cap could result in higher liability insurance premiums. • SB 938/HB 1096 prohibits a person from knowingly making or using, or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement resulting in underpayments of unemployment insurance contributions or payment of unemployment insurance benefits of more than a certain amount; and alters the enforcement mechanisms of the Maryland Wage and Hour Law, the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law, workplace fraud laws, living wage laws, and prevailing wage laws • SB 1045/ HB 1554 imposes a 2.5% tax on certain labors and services if both the provider of the service and the buyer are business entities.
son, and reduces safety zone from 150 yards to 50 yards from certain buildings in Prince Georges County. • HB 654 rolls back the 10:30 am time restriction on Sunday hunting in Wicomico County. • SB 796 rolls back the 10:30 am time restriction on Sunday hunting in Dorchester County. • SB 634/HB741 would require fox chasers to purchase full hunting licenses, but would exempt fox chasers from the requirement to take hunter safety courses. Tis bill was amended in Committee to delete the requirement to license fox chasers.
General Agriculture Related • SB 990/ HB 1345 requires, to make a claim under a warranty for certain agricultural equipment, a consumer to provide written notice to report a nonconformity, defect, or condition occurring in certain agricultural equipment; requires certain parties to correct the nonconformity, defect, or condition in a certain manner; requires certain parties to provide a consumer with the opportunity to replace agricultural equipment or re- ceive a refund under certain circumstances. • SB 736/HB 1511 establishes the Wildlife Damage Prevention and Re- imbursement Fund to reimburse a person for damage caused by deer, geese, and other wildlife to crops and other agricultural products. • SB 958/HB 1024 authorizes the Department of Agriculture to take extraordinary measures to control local deer populations and prevent fu- ture crop loss if the Department determines that deer have caused cata- strophic damage to a field; and defines “catastrophic damage” as the loss of 50% or more of crops from a single field. • HB 907 imposes notice requirements for jurisdictions removing a property tax credit on urban agricultural properties, defined to include properties where “raising livestock” is conducted and that engage in “ag- ricultural education and agritourism activities.” • HB 766 requires that the DNR Wildlife Advisory Commission mem- ber appointed to represent the farming community be selected from a list of candidates provided by the Maryland Farm Bureau. We discussed with the Farm Bureau the idea that at least one of those names come from the equestrian community.
Other Bills • HB 1393 would put new requirements on “youth sports programs” below the high school level of play (including riding programs), covering things like background checks for personnel, whether paid or volunteer, and removal and return to play policies after injuries. Tis could apply to pony clubs. • HB 549 authorizes an individual to bring a nuisance action for dam- ages caused by rodent harborage on certain real property against a prop- erty owner, owner’s agent, or property manager; authorizes a landlord to bring a breach of lease action against a tenant for behavior that causes or contributes to rodent harborage; and provides that a nuisance action may not be brought under the Act if the rodent harborage occurs on property that is zoned for agricultural use and is actually and primarily used as agricultural property.
Racing Related • SB 982/HB 1048 authorizes Historical Horse Racing at certain race- tracks and other facilities. • HB 856 provides a funding mechanism for the race courses at Fair Hill by redirecting, if and when Rosecroft Raceway closes, funds in the Race- track Facility Renewal Account allocated to Rosecroft, to Fair Hill instead.
Hunting • SB 417/HB 832 authorizes year round Sunday hunting in Carroll County. • SB 272/HB 882 authorizes all day Sunday hunting in the archery sea-
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Bills Related to the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project Proposed Transmission Line and Utility Siting Generally • SB 189/HB 631 prohibits the State or a political subdivision from tak- ing property by eminent domain that is subject to a “perpetual agricul- tural or conservation easement.” • SB 661/HB 81 requires that the fair market value of property actively used for farm or agricultural purposes in a condemnation proceeding be 350% of the highest appraisal value of the property, and that the require- ment be retroactive. • HB 645 requires each county and Baltimore City to update its compre- hensive plan to include an electric system planning element for purposes of minimizing the impact of future transmission line development in THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | APRIL 2025 | 21
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