HB 950

Maryland Native Plants Program

Sponsor: Dana Stein (District 11B)Committee: Environment and TransportationSubject: AgricultureStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 489 (as of Nov 9, 2023)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Establishing the Maryland Native Plants Program to respond to the increasing demand for, use of, and sale of native plants at retail garden centers and wholesale nurseries and to educate the public on native plants; requiring the Department of Agriculture to administer the Program in coordination with the University of Maryland Extension and to establish the 'Maryland Natives' marketing program; requiring the University of Maryland Extension to hire an extension agent to serve as a native plant specialist for certain purposes; etc.

AI analysis is off. Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to enable summaries, pros and cons, and questions.

Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (42)

MGA witness list

FAV 35FavorableFWA 5Favorable with amendmentsUNF 2Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Bassett, Elle	Arundel Rivers Federation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jenkins, Robert	Blue Water Baltimore	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Tidd, Jeremy	Bona Terra LLC	Oral
FAV	Myers, Doug	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Position only
FAV	Bright, Matt	Earth Sangha	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bartolomeo, Kathleen	GCAN, MCRT	Position only
FAV	Hoffman, Kirsten	Green Towson Alliance	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Lawson, Nancy	Howard County Bee City	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lawson, Nancy	Humane Gardener	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bevan-Dangel, Jenniferlobbyist	Humane Society of the United States	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Virginia	Indivisible HoCo Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rose, Jodilobbyist	Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake	Written (PDF)
FAV	Nelson, Jen	Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldstein, Mathew	Secular Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Pluta, Matt	ShoreRivers	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fulton, Judith	Sierra Club	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Burnett, Allison	Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Board, Inc.	Position only
FAV	Locke, Mary	The Amateur Gardeners Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Blois, Nancy	The Horticultural Society of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wray, Amanda	WildOnes Greater Baltimore	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Brassil, Margie	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Stein, Delegate Steinlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Fredriksson, Ryanlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Henderson, Jane	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hubbard, Lauren	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jasen, Debi	Individual	Position only
FAV	LAPORTE, MARIE	Individual	Oral
FAV	McDonagh, Meredith	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mochel, Patty	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Parsa, Carolyn	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tangren, Sara	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Tobian, Jennifer	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Willse III, R G	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Duffy, Suzanne	Concerned Citizen	Position only
UNF	Welch, Franklin	Individual	Position only
FWA	Murphy, John	MAGIC	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Ferguson, Colby	Maryland Farm Bureau	Written (PDF)
FWA	Dubik, Steve	Montgomery College	Written (PDF)
FWA	Shofar, Steven	Montgomery County Government, Department of Environmental Protection	Written (PDF)
FWA	Hubbard, Bill	Individual	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Arundel Rivers FederationFAV 1

Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 1

Blue Water BaltimoreFAV 1

Bona Terra LLCFAV 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 1

Concerned CitizenUNF 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 1

Earth SanghaFAV 1

GCAN, MCRTFAV 1

Green Towson AllianceFAV 1

Howard County Bee CityFAV 1

Humane GardenerFAV 1

Humane Society of the United StatesFAV 1

Indivisible HoCo MarylandFAV 1

Interfaith Partners for the ChesapeakeFAV 1

MAGICFWA 1

Maryland Association of Soil Conservation DistrictsFAV 1

Maryland Farm BureauFWA 1

Montgomery CollegeFWA 1

Montgomery County Government, Department of Environmental ProtectionFWA 1

Secular MarylandFAV 1

ShoreRiversFAV 1

Sierra ClubFAV 1

Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Board, Inc.FAV 1

The Amateur Gardeners ClubFAV 1

The Horticultural Society of MarylandFAV 1

WildOnes Greater BaltimoreFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVBevan-Dangel, JenniferHumane Society of the United StatesRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Humane Society of the United States; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Humane World for Animals

FAVRose, JodiInterfaith Partners for the ChesapeakeRegistered for: Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake

FAVFredriksson, RyanRegistered for: National Aquarium