EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0014*
SENATE BILL 14
F2, M3 2lr0340
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 100
By: Senator Elfreth
Requested: July 23, 2021
Introduced and read first time: January 12, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Sustainable Maryland Program Fund – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Sustainable Maryland Program Fund as a special, 3
nonlapsing fund to expand and enhance Sustainable Maryland’s promotion and 4
support of communities in Maryland in the effort to realize environmental, economic, 5
and social sustainability; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to 6
the Fund; and generally relating to the Sustainable Maryland Program Fund. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Education 9
Section 13–105 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – State Finance and Procurement 14
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – State Finance and Procurement 19
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)144. and 145. 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2021 Replacement Volume) 22
BY adding to 23
Article – State Finance and Procurement 24
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)146. 25
Annotated Code of Maryland 26 2 SENATE BILL 14
(2021 Replacement Volume) 1
Preamble 2
WHEREAS, Ensuring that Maryland communities are sustainable and 3
environmentally responsible, and use resources efficiently to ensure a prosperous future, is 4
of the utmost importance to our citizens; and 5
WHEREAS, Sustainable Maryland, a program of the Environmental Finance Center 6
at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus, supports the mission and priorities 7
of State agencies by coordinating access to the full suite of State programs and resources 8
that can support communities to enhance and expand local economies, infrastructure, and 9
stewardship; and 10
WHEREAS, Sustainable Mar yland helps Maryland communities to choose a 11
direction for their greening efforts, complete their chosen actions with guidance from 12
program tools, trainings, and other resources, and gain recognition for their 13
accomplishments; and 14
WHEREAS, Sustainable Ma ryland acts as an extension arm of the School of 15
Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; and 16
WHEREAS, Maryland’s Built Environment School serves the University of 17
Maryland’s land grant mission as a conduit for sharing and applying the research, 18
education, and technical resources of the University with communities throughout the 19
State; and 20
WHEREAS, Sustainable Maryland develops the next generation of leaders by 21
offering students paid and volunteer opportunities to apply their knowledge, research, and 22
skills to real–world local issues; now, therefore, 23
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 24
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 25
Article – Education 26
13–105. 27
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “FUND” MEANS THE SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND 28
PROGRAM FUND. 29
(B) THERE IS A SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND PROGRAM FUND. 30
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE 31
SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND’S PROMOTION AND SUPP ORT OF COMMUNITIES I N THE 32
STATE IN THE EFFORT T O REALIZE ENVIRONMEN TAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL 33 SENATE BILL 14 3
SUSTAINABILITY. 1
(D) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER 2
SHALL ADMINISTER THE FUND. 3
(E) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 4
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 5
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 6
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 7
(F) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 8
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 9
(2) INTEREST EARNINGS ; AND 10
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 11
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 12
(G) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR: 13
(1) OFFERING TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO ENSURE COMMUNITIES 14
ARE WELL INFORMED ON ADVANCES IN SUSTAINA BILITY SCIENCE, POLICY, AND 15
PRACTICE; 16
(2) OUTREACH AND ENGAGEME NT TO BUILD LOCAL CA PACITY AND 17
INSTITUTIONALIZE SUSTA INABILITY EFFORTS WI THIN COMMUNITIES , INCLUDING: 18
(I) AN ANNUAL SUSTAINABIL ITY CONFERENCE ; 19
(II) A PEER–TO–PEER LEARNING EXCHAN GE; AND 20
(III) SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND GREEN TEAM R OADSHOWS; 21
(3) DEVELOPING AND EXPAND ING THE SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND 22
PROGRAM; 23
(4) IMPROVING GREEN COMMU NITY CERTIFICATION T IERS WITH NEW 24
STRATEGIES AND ACTIO NS; 25
(5) PROVIDING ANNUAL COMM UNITY INNOVATION SMA LL GRANTS TO 26
HELP COMMUNITIES PIL OT NEW INNOVATIVE ST RATEGIES; 27
(6) RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY EFFORTS TOWARD ACHIE VING GREEN 28 4 SENATE BILL 14
CERTIFICATION ; AND 1
(7) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENS ES RELATED TO THE SUSTAINABLE 2
MARYLAND PROGRAM . 3
(H) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 4
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE INVESTED. 5
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO 6
THE FUND. 7
(I) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 8
WITH THE STATE BUDGET . 9
(J) MONEY EXPENDED FROM T HE FUND FOR THE SUSTAINABLE 10
MARYLAND PROGRAM IS S UPPLEME NTAL TO AND IS NOT I NTENDED TO TAKE THE 11
PLACE OF FUNDING THA T OTHERWISE WOULD BE APPROPRIATED FOR THE 12
SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND PROGRAM . 13
(K) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 14
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRI ATION OF 15
$750,000 TO THE FUND. 16
Article – State Finance and Procurement 17
6–226. 18
(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 19
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 20
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 21
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 22
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 23
Fund of the State. 24
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 25
to the following funds: 26
144. the Health Equity Resource Community Reserve Fund; 27
[and] 28
145. the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund; AND 29
146. THE SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND PROGRAM FUND. 30
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 31 SENATE BILL 14 5
1, 2022. 1