Maryland 2022 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB931 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0931
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 931
8	8	P1, M3 2lr3077
9	9	CF HB 880
10	10	By: Senator Watson
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2022
12	12	Assigned to: Rules
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Environment – Impact of Actions on Climate, Labor, and Environmental Justice 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of prohibiting a certain governmental unit from taking an action unless 3
21	21	the governmental unit has conducted certain evaluations and assessments of the 4
22	22	impact of the action on the climate, labor and employment, environmental justice, 5
23	23	and any overburdened community; authorizing a governmental unit to deny, 6
24	24	condition, approve, or amend an action based on certain findings; requiring 7
25	25	governmental units to coordinate and seek federal funding to meet the requirements 8
26	26	of this Act; and generally relating to the impact of actions on climate, labor, and 9
27	27	environmental justice. 10
28	28
29	29	BY adding to 11
30	30	Article – Environment 12
31	31	Section 1–901 through 1–905 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 9. Impact of 13
32	32	Actions on Climate, Labor, and Environmental Justice” 14
33	33	Annotated Code of Maryland 15
34	34	(2013 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 16
35	35
36	36	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
37	37	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
38	38
39	39	Article – Environment 19
40	40
41	41	SUBTITLE 9. IMPACT OF ACTIONS ON CLIMATE, LABOR, AND ENVIRONMENTAL 20
42	42	JUSTICE. 21
43	43
44	44	1–901. 22
45	45
46	46	(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 23
47	47	INDICATED. 24 2 SENATE BILL 931
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	(B) “ACTION” INCLUDES THE WHOLE O R A PART OF A RULE , AN ORDER, A 1
52	52	LICENSE, AN APPROVAL , A DENIAL SANCTION , OR RELIEF ISSUED BY A 2
53	53	GOVERNMENTAL UNIT . 3
54	54
55	55	(C) “ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 1–701(A) 4
56	56	OF THIS TITLE. 5
57	57
58	58	(D) “LOW–INCOME” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO RESIDES IN A HOUSEHOLD 6
59	59	THAT HAS AN ANNUAL H OUSEHOLD INCOME THAT IS AT OR BELOW 200% OF THE 7
60	60	FEDERAL POVERTY GUID ELINES. 8
61	61
62	62	(E) (1) “OVERBURDENED COMMUNIT Y” MEANS: 9
63	63
64	64	(I) A LOW–INCOME OR MODERATE –INCOME COMMUNITY ; OR 10
65	65
66	66	(II) A COMMUNITY OF COLOR I N WHICH THE RESIDENT S EITHER 11
67	67	PRESENTLY OR HISTORI CALLY HAVE BEEN BURD ENED BY DISPROPORTIO NATELY 12
68	68	HIGH NUMBERS OF ENVI RONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH STRESSORS , INCLUDING 13
69	69	POLLUTION, ADVERSE HEALTH EFFEC TS DUE TO POLLUTION , REDUCED 14
70	70	WELL–BEING, AND DIMINISHED ECONO MIC SUCCESS. 15
71	71
72	72	(2) “OVERBURDENED COMMUNIT Y” INCLUDES: 16
73	73
74	74	(I) ANY CENSUS TRACT IN W HICH, ACCORDING TO THE MOS T 17
75	75	RECENT U.S. CENSUS BUREAU SURVEY : 18
76	76
77	77	1. AT LEAST 25% OF THE RESIDENTS QUA LIFY AS 19
78	78	LOW–INCOME; 20
79	79
80	80	2. AT LEAST 50% OF THE RESIDENTS IDENTI FY AS 21
81	81	NONWHITE; OR 22
82	82
83	83	3. AT LEAST 25% OF THE RESIDENTS HAV E LIMITED 23
84	84	ENGLISH PROFICIENCY ; OR 24
85	85
86	86	(II) AN AREA OR A NEIGHBOR HOOD DESIGNATED BY T HE 25
87	87	SECRETARY AS AN OVERB URDENED COMMUNITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 1–902 OF 26
88	88	THIS SUBTITLE. 27
89	89
90	90	1–902. 28
91	91
92	92	(A) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION AND ON PETITION OF AT 29 SENATE BILL 931 3
93	93
94	94
95	95	LEAST 10 RESIDENTS OF AN AREA OR A NEIGHBORHOOD LO CATED WITHIN A CENSU S 1
96	96	TRACT THAT DOES NOT MEET THE CRITERIA SP ECIFIED IN § 1–901(E)(2)(I) OF THIS 2
97	97	SUBTITLE, THE SECRETARY MAY DESIGN ATE THE AREA OR NEIG HBORHOOD AS AN 3
98	98	OVERBURDENED COMMUNI TY IF THE SECRETARY DETERMINES THAT THE AREA OR 4
99	99	NEIGHBORHOOD OTHERWI SE QUALIFIES AS AN O VERBURDENED COMMUNIT Y. 5
100	100
101	101	(B) THE SECRETARY MAY DENY A PETITION SUBMITTED U NDER 6
102	102	SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION IF THE SECRETARY DETERMINES THAT THE AREA 7
103	103	OR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF TH E PETITION: 8
104	104
105	105	(1) HAS AN ANNUAL MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME THA T EXCEEDS 9
106	106	125% OF THE STATEWIDE MED IAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME ; 10
107	107
108	108	(2) HAS A MAJORITY OF IND IVIDUALS AT LEAST 25 YEARS OLD THAT 11
109	109	HAVE A COLLEGE EDUCA TION; 12
110	110
111	111	(3) DOES NOT BEAR AN UNFA IR BURDEN OF ENVIRON MENTAL 13
112	112	POLLUTION; AND 14
113	113
114	114	(4) HAS MORE THAN LIMITED ACCESS TO NATURAL RE SOURCES, 15
115	115	INCLUDING OPEN SPACE S, WATER RESOURCES , AND PLAYGROUNDS AND OTHER 16
116	116	CONSTRUCTED OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL FACILIT IES AND VENUES. 17
117	117
118	118	1–903. 18
119	119
120	120	A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT MA Y NOT TAKE AN ACTION UNLESS THE 19
121	121	GOVERNMENTAL UNIT HA S CONDUCTED THE EVAL UATIONS, ASSESSMENTS , AND 20
122	122	RELATED ACTIVITIES R EQUIRED UNDER § 1–904 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 21
123	123
124	124	1–904. 22
125	125
126	126	(A) BEFORE TAKING AN ACTION, A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT SHALL EVALUATE 23
127	127	AND MAKE A DETERMINA TION ON WHETHER AND TO WHAT EXTENT THE A CTION MAY 24
128	128	NEGATIVELY AFFECT TH E CLIMATE, LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT , ENVIRONMENTAL 25
129	129	JUSTICE, AND ANY OVERBURDENED COMMUNITY . 26
130	130
131	131	(B) AN EVALUATION CONDUCT ED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL INCLUDE 27
132	132	CONSIDERATION AND AN ALYSIS OF: 28
133	133
134	134	(1) THE IMPACT OF THE ACT ION ON THE ENVIRONME NT, INCLUDING: 29
135	135
136	136	(I) THE GREENHOUSE GAS EM ISSIONS AND CLIMATE EFFECTS 30
137	137	OF THE ACTION BASED ON THE BEST AVAILABL E SCIENTIFIC INFORMA TION 31 4 SENATE BILL 931
138	138
139	139
140	140	RECOGNIZED BY THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE; 1
141	141
142	142	(II) WHETHER THE GREENHOUS E GAS EMISSIONS AND CLIMATE 2
143	143	EFFECTS OF THE ACTIO N ARE CONSISTENT WIT H THE STATE’S CLIMATE 3
144	144	COMMITMENTS FOR REDU CING STATEWIDE GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS , 4
145	145	INCLUDING THOSE SPEC IFIED IN TITLE 2, SUBTITLE 12 OF THIS ARTICLE; 5
146	146
147	147	(III) THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE ACTION BASED 6
148	148	ON THE BEST AVAILABL E SCIENTIFIC INFORMA TION RECOGNIZED BY T HE 7
149	149	INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE; AND 8
150	150
151	151	(IV) THE POTENTIAL GREENHO USE GAS EMISSIONS SAVINGS 9
152	152	ASSOCIATED WITH USIN G A CARBON–FREE ENERGY SOURCE A S AN ALTERNATIVE TO 10
153	153	A PROPOSED ENERGY SO URCE. 11
154	154
155	155	(2) THE IMPACT OF THE ACT ION ON LABOR AND EMP LOYMENT, 12
156	156	INCLUDING WHETHER TH E EMPLOYERS , CONTRACTORS , AND SUBCONTRACTORS 13
157	157	ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PROJECT RESULTING FR OM THE ACTION : 14
158	158
159	159	(I) PAY THE AREA PREVAILI NG WAGE FOR EACH TRA DE, 15
160	160	INCLUDING WAGES AND FRINGE BENEFITS ; 16
161	161
162	162	(II) OFFER HEALTH CARE AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS TO THE 17
163	163	EMPLOYEES WORKING ON THE PROJECT OR AN IT EM ASSOCIATED WITH T HE 18
164	164	PROJECT; 19
165	165
166	166	(III) PARTICIPATE IN AN APP RENTICESHIP PROGRAM 20
167	167	REGISTERED WITH THE STATE FOR EACH TRADE EMPLOYED ON A PROJEC T OR 21
168	168	OTHER ITEM ASSOCIATE D WITH THE PROJECT ; 22
169	169
170	170	(IV) ESTABLISH AND EXECUTE A PLAN FOR OUTREACH , 23
171	171	RECRUITMENT , AND RETENTION OF STATE RESIDENTS TO PERFORM WORK ON A 24
172	172	PROJECT OR OTHER ITE M ASSOCIATED WITH TH E PROJECT, WITH AN ASPIRATIONAL 25
173	173	GOAL OF 25% OF TOTAL WORK HOURS PERFORMED BY STATE RESIDENTS , 26
174	174	INCLUDING RESIDENTS WHO ARE: 27
175	175
176	176	1. RETURNING CITIZENS ; 28
177	177
178	178	2. WOMEN; 29
179	179
180	180	3. MINORITY INDIVIDUALS ; OR 30
181	181
182	182	4. VETERANS; 31 SENATE BILL 931 5
183	183
184	184
185	185
186	186	(V) HAVE BEEN IN COMPLIAN CE WITH FEDERAL AND STATE 1
187	187	WAGE AND HOUR LAWS F OR THE IMMEDIATELY P RECEDING 3 YEARS; 2
188	188
189	189	(VI) ARE IN GOOD STANDING WITH ALL STATE REPORTING AND 3
190	190	COMPLIANCE REQUIREME NTS; AND 4
191	191
192	192	(VII) MAINTAIN ALL APPROPRI ATE LICENSES IN GOOD 5
193	193	STANDING; AND 6
194	194
195	195	(3) THE IMPACT OF THE ACT ION ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND 7
196	196	ANY OVERBURDENED COM MUNITY, INCLUDING THE POTENT IAL FOR: 8
197	197
198	198	(I) THE DETERIORATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH ; 9
199	199
200	200	(II) AN INCREASE IN POLLUT ION, INCLUDING THE ASSOCI ATED 10
201	201	BURDEN TO PUBLIC HEAL TH AND THE ENVIRONME NT; AND 11
202	202
203	203	(III) A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON T HE ECONOMIC WELL –BEING OF 12
204	204	RESIDENTS OF THE STATE. 13
205	205
206	206	(C) (1) BASED ON THE EVALUATI ONS CONDUCTED UNDER SUBSECTION 14
207	207	(B) OF THIS SUBSECTION , A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT SHALL ISSUE A WRITTEN 15
208	208	GENERAL IMPACT REPOR T THAT INDICATES WHE THER AND TO WHAT EXT ENT A 16
209	209	PROPOSED ACTION MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT TH E CLIMATE , LABOR AND 17
210	210	EMPLOYMENT , ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTIC E, OR ANY OVERBURDENED COMMUNITY . 18
211	211
212	212	(2) A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT TH AT ISSUES A GENERAL IMPACT 19
213	213	REPORT UNDER THIS SU BSECTION SHALL MAKE THE REPORT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. 20
214	214
215	215	(D) IF A GOVERNMENTAL UNI T DETERMINES THAT AN ACTION MAY 21
216	216	NEGATIVELY AFFECT AN OVERBURDENED COMMUNI TY, THE GOVERNMENTAL UNI T 22
217	217	SHALL: 23
218	218
219	219	(1) CONDUCT FURTHER ASSES SMENT SUPPORTED BY D ATA, STUDIES, 24
220	220	OR OTHER APPROPRIATE SOURCES, INCLUDING: 25
221	221
222	222	(I) AN ANALYSIS OF THE NE GATIVE IMPACTS ON TH E 26
223	223	OVERBURDENED COMMUNI TY; AND 27
224	224
225	225	(II) AN ANALYSIS OF THE ME ASURES NECESSARY TO 28
226	226	SUBSTANTIALLY DECREA SE OR ELIMINATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE 29
227	227	OVERBURDENE D COMMUNITY ; 30 6 SENATE BILL 931
228	228
229	229
230	230
231	231	(2) ASSESS OPPORTUNITIES TO DIRECT PROCEEDS , BENEFITS, OR 1
232	232	INVESTMENTS WHICH MA Y RESULT FROM THE AC TION IN A MANNER THA T WILL 2
233	233	BENEFIT THE OVERBURD ENED COMMUNITY ; 3
234	234
235	235	(3) ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL COMMUNICATION WITH T HE PUBLIC 4
236	236	REGARDING THE NEGATI VE IMPACTS AND POSSI BLE MITIGATION STRAT EGIES; AND 5
237	237
238	238	(4) REVISE THE GENERAL IM PACT REPORT REQUIRED UNDER 6
239	239	SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION TO R EFLECT THE FINDINGS UNDER THIS 7
240	240	SUBSECTION. 8
241	241
242	242	(E) A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT MA Y DENY, CONDITION, APPROVE, OR AMEND 9
243	243	AN ACTION BASED ON ITS FIND INGS UNDER SUBSECTIO N (D) OF THIS SECTION. 10
244	244
245	245	1–905. 11
246	246
247	247	GOVERNMENTAL UNITS SH ALL COORDINATE AND S EEK FEDERAL FUNDING , 12
248	248	INCLUDING FUNDING AV AILABLE UNDER THE FE DERAL INFRASTRUCTURE 13
249	249	INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT, TO MEET THE REQUIREM ENTS OF THIS SUBTITLE. 14
250	250
251	251	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15
252	252	October 1, 2022. 16
253	253