EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1068*
HOUSE BILL 1068
M3, J2 2lr2427
CF SB 113
By: Delegate Stein
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2022
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation and Health and Government Operations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Local Health Departments, Environmental Health Specialists, and On–Site 2
Sewage Disposal Systems – Systems Standards, Regulations, Applications, and 3
Funding 4
FOR the purpose of requiring a database or system created by the Department of the 5
Environment for local health departments to be designed in a certain manner; 6
requiring the Department of the Environment to take certain actions regarding 7
applications and plans for the installation of on–site sewage disposal systems; 8
requiring the approving authority for an application for the installation of an on–site 9
sewage disposal system to provide certain information to an applicant under certain 10
circumstances; requiring the Maryland Department of Health, in consultation with 11
the Department of the Environment, to promote certain standards and regulations, 12
develop certain statewide standards, and host certain informational meetings; 13
requiring the Governor, beginning in a certain fiscal year, to include in the annual 14
budget bill a certain appropriation to the Maryland Department of Health for 15
environmental health specialists; requiring the Department of the Environment to 16
adopt regulations on or before a certain date establishing that a certain requirement 17
regarding subsurface disposal of sewage applies to detached dwellings; and generally 18
relating to environmental health specialists and on–site sewage disposal systems. 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Environment 21
Section 1–408 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2013 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 24
BY adding to 25
Article – Environment 26
Section 9–1114 27
Annotated Code of Maryland 28
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 29 2 HOUSE BILL 1068
BY adding to 1
Article – Health Occupations 2
Section 21–103 and 21–104 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND , 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Environment 8
1–408. 9
ANY DATABASE OR SYSTE M CREATED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR LOCAL 10
HEALTH DEPARTMENTS S HALL BE DESIGNED IN A MANNER THAT : 11
(1) AUTOMATICALLY FILLS I N RELEVANT DATA THAT HAS ALREADY 12
BEEN ENTERED FOR OTH ER STATE AND LOCAL DATAB ASES AND SYSTEMS ; AND 13
(2) MAKES THE DATA ENTERE D AVAILABLE FOR AUTO MATICALLY 14
FILLING OTHER STATE AND LOCAL DATABA SES AND SYSTEMS . 15
9–1114. 16
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 17
(1) CREATE A SYSTEM FOR T RACKING ONLINE THE S TATUS OF AN 18
APPLICATION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF AND ASSOCIATED PERMITS F OR AN 19
ON–SITE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM; AND 20
(2) DEVELOP AND MAKE AVAILABLE STAND ARDIZED PERMIT FORMS 21
FOR THE INSTALLATION OF ON–SITE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS. 22
(B) IF AN APPROVING AUTHORI TY DENIES AN APPLICATION FOR T HE 23
INSTALLATION OF AN O N–SITE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM, THE APPROVING 24
AUTHORITY SHALL PROV IDE THE APP LICANT WITH INFORMAT ION ON HOW TO 25
APPEAL THE DECISION . 26
Article – Health Occupations 27
21–103. 28
THE DEPARTMENT , IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THE 29
ENVIRONMENT , SHALL: 30 HOUSE BILL 1068 3
(1) PROMOTE CONSISTENT ST ANDARDS AND REGULATI ONS UNDER 1
THIS TITLE; 2
(2) DEVELOP AND MAKE AVAI LABLE STATEWIDE STAN DARDS FOR 3
PRIVATE ENVIRONMENTA L HEALTH SPECIALISTS WHO WORK WITH ON –SITE 4
SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYST EMS; AND 5
(3) HOST MONTHLY INFORMAT IONAL MEETINGS ON TH E 6
INTERPRETATION AND A PPLICATION OF THIS T ITLE AND CORRESPONDI NG 7
REGULATIONS FOR LOCA L GOVERNMENT EMPLOYE ES WHO ARE OR WORK W ITH 8
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS. 9
21–104. 10
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 11
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 12
$5,000,000 TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR ADDRESS ING WAGE DISPARITIES AND 13
STAFFING SHORTAGES O F ENVIRONMENTAL HEAL TH SPECIALISTS LICEN SED BY 14
THE BOARD. 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That on or before October 1, 2023, 16
the Department of the Environment shall adopt regulations establishing that the 17
requirement for a minimum area of 10,000 square feet for subsurface disposal of sewage 18
under COMAR 26.03.03.03 applies to detached dwellings. 19
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2022. 21