EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0876*
HOUSE BILL 876
M1 2lr2139
By: Delegate Stein
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Forestry Education Fund – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Forestry Education Fund as a special, 3
nonlapsing fund to expand and enhance the Mar yland Forestry Foundation’s 4
capacity to provide certain education and resources to forest landowners, the ability 5
of district forestry boards and the knowledge of local governments to achieve healthy 6
and sustainable forests, and the ability of businesses to test innovative best 7
management practices in forestry; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be 8
credited to the Fund; and generally relating to the Maryland Forestry Education 9
Fund. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Natural Resources 12
Section 5–2001 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 20. Maryland Forestry 13
Education Fund” 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – State Finance and Procurement 18
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2021 Replacement Volume) 21
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 22
Article – State Finance and Procurement 23
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)144. and 145. 24
Annotated Code of Maryland 25
(2021 Replacement Volume) 26
BY adding to 27 2 HOUSE BILL 876
Article – State Finance and Procurement 1
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)146. 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2021 Replacement Volume) 4
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 5
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 6
Article – Natural Resources 7
SUBTITLE 20. MARYLAND FORESTRY EDUCATION FUND. 8
5–2001. 9
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “FUND” MEANS THE MARYLAND FORESTRY 10
EDUCATION FUND. 11
(B) THERE IS A MARYLAND FORESTRY EDUCATION FUND. 12
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE : 13
(1) THE MARYLAND FORESTRY FOUNDATION’S CAPACITY TO 14
PROVIDE EDUCATION AN D RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT MARYLAND’S FOREST 15
LANDOWNERS ; 16
(2) THE ABILITY OF DISTRICT FORESTRY B OARDS AND THE 17
KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL G OVERNMENTS IN MARYLAND TO ACHIEVE: 18
(I) ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL 19
SUSTAINABILITY OF FO REST HEALTH; AND 20
(II) THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEME NT OF FOREST RESOURC ES; 21
AND 22
(3) THE ABILITY OF BUSINE SSES TO TEST INNOVAT IVE BEST 23
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN FORESTRY. 24
(D) THE MARYLAND FORESTRY FOUNDATION SHALL ADMI NISTER THE 25
FUND. 26
(E) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 27
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 28
HOUSE BILL 876 3
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD T HE FUND SEPARATELY , 1
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 2
(F) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 3
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 4
(2) INTEREST EARNINGS ; AND 5
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 6
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 7
(G) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR: 8
(1) PROVIDING TRAINING AND EDUCATI ON TO FOREST 9
LANDOWNERS , DISTRICT FORESTRY B OARDS, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT S TO 10
ENSURE THE LANDOWNER S, BOARDS, AND GOVERNMENTS ARE WELL–INFORMED ON 11
ADVANCES AND DEVELOPMENTS IN: 12
(I) HEALTHY FOREST MANAGE MENT; 13
(II) ECOLOGICAL SERVICE MARKETS; 14
(III) EMERGING FORESTRY THREATS; 15
(IV) CLIMATE SCIENCE ; 16
(V) FOREST CONSERVATION ; 17
(VI) URBAN FORESTRY ; 18
(VII) SUSTAINABILITY SCIENC E; 19
(VIII) FORESTRY POLICY; 20
(IX) FORESTRY PRACTICES; AND 21
(X) RESOURCE OPTIONS THAT PROMOTE THE MULTI PLE 22
BENEFITS OF FOREST M ANAGEMENT ; 23
(2) PROVIDING OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT THAT BUILDS LOCAL 24
CAPACITY AND INSTITU TIONALIZES SUSTAINABILITY EFFOR TS WITHIN 25
COMMUNITIES AND THE DISTRICT FORESTRY BO ARDS, INCLUDING: 26 4 HOUSE BILL 876
(I) HOLDING A FOREST SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE ONCE 1
EVERY 2 YEARS; 2
(II) IMPLEMENTING A PEER–TO–PEER LEARNING EXCHANGE; 3
AND 4
(III) PROVIDING HEALTHY FOREST PRESENTATIONS ; 5
(3) DEVELOPING AND EXPAND ING A HEALTHY FOREST EDUCATION 6
AND CONSERVATION PRO GRAM; 7
(4) IMPROVING THE OUTREACH OF DISTRICT FORESTRY BOARDS BY 8
PROVIDING EDUCATION, RECOGNITION , STRATEGIES, AND ACTIONS THE BOARDS 9
CAN IMPLEMENT ; 10
(5) PROVIDING SMALL GRANT S TO DISTRICT FORESTRY BOARDS , 11
FOREST LANDOWNERS , LOCAL GOVERNMENTS , AND BUSINESSES TO TEST 12
INNOVATIVE BEST MANAGEMENT PRAC TICES IN FORESTRY; 13
(6) RECOGNIZING THE EFFORTS FOREST LANDOWNER S AND LOCAL 14
GOVERNMENTS MAKE TOWARD ACHIEVING HEA LTHY, SUSTAINABLE FOREST 15
MANAGEMENT ; AND 16
(7) EXPENSES RELATED TO T HE ADMINISTRATION OF TH E FUND. 17
(H) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 18
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 19
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO 20
THE FUND. 21
(I) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 22
WITH THE STATE BUDGET . 23
(J) MONEY EXPENDED FROM T HE FUND FOR THE OUTREACH, TRAINING, 24
EDUCATION, AND GRANTS UNDER SUB SECTION (G) OF THIS SECTION IS 25
SUPPLEMENTAL TO AND IS NOT INTENDED TO T AKE THE PLACE OF FUN DING THAT 26
OTHERWISE WOULD BE APPROPRIATED FOR FORESTRY EDUCATION AND 27
OUTREACH. 28
HOUSE BILL 876 5
(K) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 1
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 2
$750,000 TO THE FUND. 3
Article – State Finance and Procurement 4
6–226. 5
(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 6
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 7
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 8
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 9
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 10
Fund of the State. 11
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 12
to the following funds: 13
144. the Health Equity Resource Community Reserve Fund; 14
[and] 15
145. the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund; AND 16
146. THE MARYLAND FORESTRY EDUCATION FUND. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 18
1, 2022. 19