EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1024*
HOUSE BILL 1024
M4, M2 5lr3449
CF SB 958
By: Delegates Hutchinson, Adams, Arentz, Beauchamp, Jacobs, and Otto
Introduced and read first time: February 3, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Agriculture – Catastrophic Damage Caused by Deer 2
FOR the purpose of authorizing the Department of Agriculture to take extraordinary 3
measures to control deer populations and prevent future crop loss under certain 4
circumstances; and generally relating to deer and crop damage. 5
BY adding to 6
Article – Agriculture 7
Section 2–108 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Agriculture 13
2–108. 14
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE ” MEANS THE LOSS OF 50% 15
OR MORE OF CROPS FRO M A SINGLE FIELD. 16
(B) IF THE DEPARTMENT DET ERMINES THAT DEER HA VE CAUSED 17
CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO A FIELD , THE DEPARTMENT MAY TAKE 18
EXTRAORDINARY MEASUR ES TO CONTROL THE LO CAL DEER POPULATION AND 19
PREVENT FUTURE CROP LOSS. 20
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO IMP LEMENT THIS 21
SECTION. 22 2 HOUSE BILL 1024
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2025. 2