The MRN Legislative Team met virtually on October 30 to discuss the upcoming Maryland legislative session as well as provide updates on its committee activities currently in progress.
Here is a brief rundown of what’s happening at this point. As always, stay up to date on all legislative activities via our
Legislative Regulatory page.
➡
EPR Needs Assessment: In 2023, The Maryland General Assembly passed a
packaging EPR bill requiring a needs assessment and establishing an Advisory Council to recommend legislative language to the General Assembly. The needs assessment is underway but is unlikely to be finished before the end of the year. The Council has met several times with more meetings planned for this year. Several MRN members are on the Council. Chaz Miller is representing the MRN.
Side note: Chaz Miller will be part of an
EPR panel to discuss the realities of EPR at the
Resource Recycling Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday, November 14 (the conference runs from 11/13-15). MRN will see if there is a possibility of sharing a summary of the panel discussion with the MD House, Senate and EPR committees.
➡
Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Commission: Established by
HB0468 /
SB0532 to study and make recommendations on advancing battery safety, the commission began meeting in October. MRN president Kitty McIlroy is representing MRN.
At this point, four sub-committees have been created to begin the assessment process.
1. Consumer and transportation applications -
Leader: Vincent Baker, Assistant Battalion Chief/Howard County Fire Marshal
2. Utility Applications, with review and consideration of the NFPA 855 Standards for Grid Scale Storage and Safety -
Leader: Haley Kotzker, Energy Policy Manager at Maryland Energy Administration
3. Prevent, detect and suppress lithium-ion fires at recycling facilities -
Leader: Chris Pilzer, Director, Sustainable Growth WM
4. Reusing, recycling and decommissioning lithium-ion batteries -
Leader: Emil Nusbaum, VP of Strategy, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Automotive Recyclers Association
The Commission must report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2025.
➡
The Maryland Scrap Tire Law Workgroup: The first meeting of the workgroup was held Friday, 11/1. Led by Kitty McIlroy, MRN president, the workgroup explored the problems and limitations of
The Scrap Tire Recycling Act of 1991 and hopes to develop possible solutions to improve the program as well as decrease the rate of illegal dumping. Participants in the workgroup include representatives of MDE, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Farm Bureau, SWANA, and tire recyclers/processors as well as Delegate Regina Boyce, who has previously expressed concern regarding illegal tire dumping in Baltimore City.
Update: The November 1st meeting began with an overview/goal of the group followed by MDE’s presentation of the law and its role in compliance/enforcement of the regulations as written. MDE is currently reviewing these regulations and offering proposed changes to update and streamline the process.
After the presentation, there was a discussion on the root causes of non-compliance, the licensing fee structure, and whether a regulatory solution rather than a legislative solution would be the better option. We will keep you updated on the workgroup’s progress.
➡
Electronics Recycling: Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the E-cycling bill – which would have revised the existing Statewide Electronics Recycling Program – will be reintroduced in 2025. It is a bill that Kitty McIlroy and the Legislative Committee helped draft and strongly supported
(read the session recap). We will keep advocating for a sustainable e-cycling program and let you know if anything changes.
The following bills may be resubmitted for the 2025 session…
• Postconsumer Recycled Content
• Bottle Deposit
• State Yard Waste Procurement
• Mattress Recycling/Diversion
Stay tuned for more legislative news as the 2025 session nears.