EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*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
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2022
CHAPTER ______
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 2 SENATE BILL 14
(2021 Replacement Volume) 1
BY adding to 2
Article – State Finance and Procurement 3
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)146. 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2021 Replacement Volume) 6
Preamble 7
WHEREAS, Ensuring that Maryland communities are sustainable and 8
environmentally responsible, and use resources efficiently to ensure a prosperous future, is 9
of the utmost importance to our citizens; and 10
WHEREAS, Sustainable Maryland, a program of the Environmental Finance Center 11
at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus, supports the mission and priorities 12
of State agencies by coordinating access to the full suite of State programs and resources 13
that can support communities to enhance and expand local economies, infrastructure, and 14
stewardship; and 15
WHEREAS, Sustainable Maryland helps Maryland communities to choose a 16
direction for their greening efforts, complete their chosen actions with guidance from 17
program tools, trainings, and other resources, and gain recognition for their 18
accomplishments; and 19
WHEREAS, Sustainable Maryland acts as an extension arm of the School of 20
Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; and 21
WHEREAS, Maryland’s Built Environment School serves the University of 22
Maryland’s land grant mission as a conduit for sharing and applying the research, 23
education, and technical resources of the University with communities throughout the 24
State; and 25
WHEREAS, Sustainable Maryland develops the next gen eration of leaders by 26
offering students paid and volunteer opportunities to apply their knowledge, research, and 27
skills to real–world local issues; now, therefore, 28
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 29
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 30
Article – Education 31
13–105. 32
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “FUND” MEANS THE SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND 33
PROGRAM FUND. 34
SENATE BILL 14 3
(B) THERE IS A SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND PROGRAM FUND. 1
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE 2
SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND’S PROMOTION AND SUPPORT OF COMMUNITIES IN THE 3
STATE IN THE EFFORT T O REALIZE ENVIRONMEN TAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL 4
SUSTAINABILITY . 5
(D) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER 6
SHALL ADMINISTER THE FUND. 7
(E) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 8
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 9
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 10
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 11
(F) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 12
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 13
(2) INTEREST EARNINGS ; AND 14
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 15
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 16
(G) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR: 17
(1) OFFERING TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO ENSURE COMMUNITIES 18
ARE WELL INFORMED ON ADVANCES IN SUSTAINA BILITY SCIENCE, POLICY, AND 19
PRACTICE; 20
(2) OUTREACH AND ENGAGEME NT TO BUILD LOCAL CA PACITY AND 21
INSTITUTIONALIZE SUS TAINABILITY EFFORTS WITHIN COMMUNITIES , INCLUDING: 22
(I) AN ANNUAL SUSTAINABIL ITY CONFERENCE ; 23
(II) A PEER–TO–PEER LEARNING EXCHANGE ; AND 24
(III) SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND GREEN TEAM R OADSHOWS; 25
(3) DEVELOPING AND EXPAND ING THE SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND 26
PROGRAM; 27
(4) IMPROVING GREEN COMMU NITY CERTIFICATION T IERS WITH NEW 28
STRATEGIES AND ACTIO NS; 29 4 SENATE BILL 14
(5) PROVIDING ANNUAL COM MUNITY INNOVATION SM ALL GRANTS TO 1
HELP COMMUNITIES PIL OT NEW INNOVATIVE ST RATEGIES; 2
(6) RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY EFFORTS TOWARD ACHIE VING GREEN 3
CERTIFICATION ; AND 4
(7) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENS ES RELATED TO THE SUSTAINABLE 5
MARYLAND PROGRAM . 6
(H) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 7
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 8
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO 9
THE FUND. 10
(I) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 11
WITH THE STATE BUDGET. 12
(J) MONEY EXPENDED FROM T HE FUND FOR THE SUSTAINABLE 13
MARYLAND PROGRAM IS S UPPLEMENTAL TO AND I S NOT INTENDED TO TA KE THE 14
PLACE OF FUNDING THA T OTHERWISE WOULD BE APPROPRIATED FOR THE 15
SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND PROGRAM . 16
(K) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 17
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 18
$750,000 TO THE FUND. 19
Article – State Finance and Procurement 20
6–226. 21
(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 22
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 23
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 24
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 25
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 26
Fund of the State. 27
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 28
to the following funds: 29
144. the Health Equity Resource Community Reserve Fund; 30
[and] 31
SENATE BILL 14 5
145. the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund; AND 1
146. THE SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND PROGRAM FUND. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 3
1, 2022. 4
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.