SB225 expands Maryland’s statutory treatment of interjurisdictional watersheds for flood-management planning. The bill amends Environment Article § 5-803 to expressly designate several watersheds as interjurisdictional flood hazard watersheds for planning and review purposes, including Carroll Creek in Frederick City and Frederick County, Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls, and Herring Run in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. It also adds the Patapsco River, including all headwaters and tributaries in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, Carroll County, and Anne Arundel County, as an interjurisdictional flood hazard watershed.
The bill requires that flood management plans for these watersheds be reviewed and approved by the Department as a single plan when they cross local boundaries. It preserves the rule that any disapproval must be based only on flood-management considerations and must be explained in writing. The bill also leaves in place the existing authority for the Department to designate interjurisdictional watersheds by regulation and the existing framework for local flood management planning, grant review, and approval.
Impact
SB225 changes the Environment Article by expanding the list of watersheds subject to coordinated, cross-jurisdictional flood management review and by specifically adding the Patapsco River system to that category. This affects state oversight of local flood management plans, especially where multiple counties and Baltimore City share a watershed, and it may influence how local governments design, submit, and coordinate flood-control projects when seeking state grant funding or approval. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests strong support for the bill. It received a favorable committee report with amendments, was adopted by the Senate, and passed third reading unanimously with 44 yeas and 0 nays. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, but the voting record indicates broad agreement on the need for coordinated flood-management planning in shared watersheds.
Contention
No major opposition is evident in the provided materials. The main policy issue implicit in the bill is the expansion of state review over local flood-management planning in multi-jurisdictional watersheds, which could raise concerns about local control, administrative burden, or project approval timelines. However, the unanimous Senate vote suggests those concerns were either minimal or resolved through the amendment process.
Environmental Permits - Requirements for Public Participation and Impact and Burden Analyses (Cumulative Harms to Environmental Restoration for Improving Shared Health - CHERISH Our Communities Act)