Maryland legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Maryland HB506: Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act
Status: Chaptered, May 13, 2025
Establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program; establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program Fund to support actions associated with the Program's purpose; altering the definition of "healthy soils" for purposes of the Maryland Healthy Soils Program; exempting certain holders of certain fishing licenses from the requirement to obtain a food establishment license from the Maryland Department of Health; establishing the Water Quality Monitoring Program; etc.
What the bill says
An act concerning Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program; establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund; altering the definition of "healthy soils" for purposes of the Maryland Healthy Soils Program; exempting certain holders of certain fishing licenses from the requirement to obtain a food establishment license from the Maryland Department of Health; establishing the Water Quality Monitoring Program…
From the enrolled text, May 15, 2025:
AN ACT concerning Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program; establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund; altering the definition of "healthy soils" for purposes of the Maryland Healthy Soils Program; exempting certain holders of certain fishing licenses from the requirement to obtain a food establishment license from the Maryland Department of Health; establishing the Water Quality Monitoring Program; altering provisions of law regarding fisheries management plans, including the entities required to be consulted, circumstances under which a plan may be prepared, authorizing rather than requiring that certain measures be adopted by regulation, and the location of certain public hearings; altering application and public informational meeting requirements and authorizations for certain submerged land or water column leases; altering reporting requirements for the leaseholder of certain aquaculture and submerged land leases; authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to lease certain land to a person implementing practices that support healthy soils and regenerative practices and traditions; establishing a process to develop a plan for permitting and expediting the permitting of certain projects under the Whole Watershed Restoration Partnership; requiring the Department of the Environment, by a certain date, to authorize certain projects to be eligible to generate water quality trading credits and …