HB 395

Water Pollution Control - Discharge Permits - Animal Feeding Operations

Sponsor: Regina T. Boyce (District 43A)Committee: Environment and TransportationSubject: EnvironmentStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 254 (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Repealing certain provisions of law requiring a person to hold a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) general discharge permit issued by the Department of the Environment before the person may begin construction on any part of a new CAFO; and authorizing the Department, under certain circumstances, to authorize a person to begin construction on any part of a new animal feeding operation under a certain approval process established by the Department.

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Testimony (43)

MGA witness list

FAV 17FavorableUNF 26Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Boyce, Delegate Regina T.	Delegate Regina T. Boyce	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cronshaw, Jason	Delmarva Chicken Association	Oral
FAV	Middleton, Graysonlobbyist	Delmarva Chicken Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Feindt, Jennifer	Horizon Farm Credit	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Brubaker, Zac	Marydel Ag Supply	Oral
FAV	Nelson, Jen	Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts	Written (PDF)
FAV	Allen, Hannahlobbyist	Maryland Chamber of Commerce	Written (PDF)
FAV	Atticks, Kevin	Maryland Department of Agriculture	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Baker, Jeremy D	Maryland Department of the Environment	Written (PDF)
FAV	McIlwain, Serena	Maryland Department of the Environment	Oral
FAV	Covington, Rusty	Perdue	Oral
FAV	Snow, Ryanlobbyist	R&R Solutions	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	DeCheubel, Leeza	Rural Maryland Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	Alder, Benjamin	The Land Group	Oral
FAV	Delegate Boyce, Delegate Boycelegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Thompson, Lindsaylobbyist	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	khan, asif	Individual	Oral
UNF	Bassett, Elle	Arundel Rivers Federation	Written (PDF)
UNF	Swanson, Taylor	Assateague Coastal Trust	Written (PDF)
UNF	Stegman, Matt	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Isaacson, Evan	Chesapeake Legal Alliance	Written (PDF)
UNF	Demiray, Sonia	Climate Communications Coalition	Written (PDF)
UNF	Ross, Gabrielle	Concerned Citizens Against Industrial CAFOs (CCAIC)	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Aguilar, Jorgelobbyist	Food & Water Watch	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Armus, Molly	Friends of the Earth	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Organization, HoCo Climate Action	HoCo Climate Action	Position only
UNF	Anderson, Patti	Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Feighner, Liz	Less Plastic Please	Position only
UNF	Feighner, Liz	Liz Feighner, self	Position only
UNF	Olszewski, Marisa	Maryland League of Conservation Voters	Written (PDF)
UNF	Nicholas, Betsy	Potomac Riverkeeper Network	Written (PDF)
UNF	Casteel, Rachel	Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Payan, Maria	Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health	Oral
UNF	Payan, Michael	Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health	Oral
UNF	Richards, Annie	ShoreRivers	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Broder, Robin	Waterkeepers Chesapeake	Written (PDF)
UNF	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Position only
UNF	Brooks, Monica	Individual	Oral
UNF	Holcomb, Karen	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Johnson III, Frederick	Individual	Oral
UNF	Meyerovich, Mark	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Ruhl, Janet	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Stuart, Desmond	Individual	Oral

Organizations on record

Arundel Rivers FederationUNF 1

Assateague Coastal TrustUNF 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationUNF 1

Chesapeake Legal AllianceUNF 1

Climate Communications CoalitionUNF 1

Concerned Citizens Against Industrial CAFOs (CCAIC)UNF 1

Delegate Regina T. BoyceFAV 1

Delmarva Chicken AssociationFAV 2

Food & Water WatchUNF 1

Friends of the EarthUNF 1

HoCo Climate ActionUNF 1

Horizon Farm CreditFAV 1

Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable FutureUNF 1

Less Plastic PleaseUNF 1

Liz Feighner, selfUNF 1

Marydel Ag SupplyFAV 1

Maryland Association of Soil Conservation DistrictsFAV 1

Maryland Chamber of CommerceFAV 1

Maryland Department of AgricultureFAV 1

Maryland Department of the EnvironmentFAV 2

Maryland League of Conservation VotersUNF 1

PerdueFAV 1

Potomac Riverkeeper NetworkUNF 1

R&R SolutionsFAV 1

Rural Maryland CouncilFAV 1

Sentinels of Eastern Shore HealthUNF 3

ShoreRiversUNF 1

The Land GroupFAV 1

Waterkeepers ChesapeakeUNF 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVMiddleton, GraysonDelmarva Chicken AssociationRegistered for: Delmarva Chicken Association

FAVAllen, HannahMaryland Chamber of CommerceRegistered for: Maryland Chamber of Commerce

FAVSnow, RyanR&R SolutionsRegistered for: Araminta USA; Dorchester County, Maryland; For All Seasons; Maryland Farm Bureau; Talbot Watermen's Association; Tetrus Corp.…

FAVThompson, LindsayRegistered for: Alliance to Prevent Legionnaire's Disease; American Farmland Trust; CropLife America; Delaware-Maryland Agribusiness Association; Denali Water Solutions; Horizon Farm Credit…

UNFAguilar, JorgeFood & Water WatchRegistered for: Food & Water Watch