SB 523

Department of Natural Resources - Water Resources - Identification of Vernal Pools (Jack Cover Vernal Pools Act of 2026)

Sponsor: Mary Washington (District 43)Committee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: EnvironmentStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 164 (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring the Department of Natural Resources in coordination with the Department of the Environment to identify certain vernal pools in the State; requiring the Department to create and maintain a certain list of vernal pools in the State in a certain manner; and requiring the Department of the Environment to designate staff to receive training in vernal pool identification and to notify the Department of Natural Resources of a location that may qualify for inclusion on the list of vernal pools.

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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 (50)

MGA witness list

FAV 44FavorableFWA 1Favorable with amendmentsUNF 3UnfavorableINFO 2Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Hudson, Jennie	Anacostia Watershed Society	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Jennie	Anacostia Watershed Society	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bassett, Elle	Arundel Rivers Federation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bassett, Elle	Arundel Rivers Federation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Swanson, Taylor	Assateague Coastal Trust	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Written (PDF)
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dunlap, Julie	Audubon Society of Central Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Vogel, Eli	Audubon Society of Central Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Vogel, Eli	Audubon Society of Central Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	DeMinco, Lynne	BCRW	Position only
FAV	Volpitta, Alice	Blue Water Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	johnson, barbara	Blue Water Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stegman, Matt	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stegman, Matt	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shingledecker, Susan	Chesapeake Conservancy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Demiray, Sonia	Climate Communications Coalition	Position only
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ostdahl, Maggielobbyist	National Aquarium	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Devers, Diana	Patapsco Heritage Greenway	Written (PDF)
FAV	Southerland, Mark	Safe Skies Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Southerland, Mark	Safe Skies Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	iliff, jesse	Severn River Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kelleher, Zack	ShoreRivers	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fulton, Judith	Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fulton, Judith	Sierra Club	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Sharif, Humnalobbyist	The Nature Conservancy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Parham, Martinna	Waterkeepers Chesapeake	Written (PDF)
FAV	Parham, Martinna	Waterkeepers Chesapeake	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Marlene	Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay Chapter	Written (PDF)
FAV	Broadman, Dorie	Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region Chapter	Written (PDF)
FAV	Broadman, Dorie	Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region Chapter	Written (PDF)
FAV	Alexander, Peter	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	DeLeo, Amanda	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Durholz, Marlene	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kerr, Cait	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	McDowell, Liz	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	McDowell, Liz	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	McKnight, Jonathan	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	O'Brien, Laura	Individual	Position only
FAV	Parsa, Carolyn	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ranson, Emilylobbyist	Individual	Position only
FAV	Senator Washington, M., Senator Washington, M.legislator	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Senator Washington, M., Senator Washington, M.legislator	Individual	Oral
UNF	Graf, Lorilobbyist	Maryland Building Industry Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Ballentine, Tom	NAIOP Maryland	Written (PDF)
UNF	Lang, Alan	Individual	Position only
FWA	Ostdahl, Maggielobbyist	National Aquarium	Written (PDF)
INFO	McPherson, Lydia	Maryland Department of Natural Resources	Written (PDF)
INFO	Baker, Jeremy D	Maryland Department of the Environment	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Anacostia Watershed SocietyFAV 2

Arundel Rivers FederationFAV 2

Assateague Coastal TrustFAV 1

Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 2

Audubon Society of Central MarylandFAV 3

BCRWFAV 1

Blue Water BaltimoreFAV 2

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 2

Chesapeake ConservancyFAV 1

Climate Communications CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesINFO 1

Maryland Department of the EnvironmentINFO 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

NAIOP MarylandUNF 1

National AquariumFAV 1FWA 1

Patapsco Heritage GreenwayFAV 1

Safe Skies MarylandFAV 2

Severn River AssociationFAV 1

ShoreRiversFAV 1

Sierra ClubFAV 2

The Nature ConservancyFAV 1

Waterkeepers ChesapeakeFAV 2

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay ChapterFAV 1

Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region ChapterFAV 2

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVOstdahl, MaggieNational AquariumRegistered for: National Aquarium

FAVSharif, HumnaThe Nature ConservancyRegistered for: Nature Conservancy, The

FAVRanson, EmilyRegistered for: Clean Water Action

UNFGraf, LoriMaryland Building Industry AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Building Industry Association

FWAOstdahl, MaggieNational AquariumRegistered for: National Aquarium

Journey

Feb 4First reading in the SenateAssigned to Education, Energy, and the Environment
Feb 24Education, Energy, and the Environment hearingTue, Feb 24, 1:00 PM
Mar 20Committee report: Favorable with Amendments
Mar 4Second reading (Senate): Passed with Amendments
Mar 6Third reading (Senate): Passed
Mar 11First reading in the HouseAssigned to Environment and Transportation
Apr 2Environment and Transportation hearing (House)Thu, Apr 2, 1:00 PM
Apr 8Committee report (House): Favorable with Amendments
Mar 23Second reading (House): Passed with Amendments
Mar 26Third reading (House): Passed with Amendments
Mar 26Concurred
Mar 26Enacted as Chapter 164Signing date is not in the MGA feed

Documents