SB 599

On-Farm Organics Diversion and Recycling Grant Program - Established

Sponsor: Katie Fry Hester (District 9)Committee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: EnvironmentStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 249 (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Establishing, beginning July 1, 2028, the On-Farm Organics Diversion and Recycling Grant Program in the Department of Agriculture to award grants to eligible entities to develop and implement on-farm organics recycling, compost use, wasted food prevention, and food rescue; requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $250,000 for the program; and requiring the Department, beginning December 31, 2028, to annually report to the General Assembly on the impact of the grant program.

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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 (47)

MGA witness list

FAV 45FavorableINFO 2Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Position only
FAV	Mauk, Jeff	Ceres	Position only
FAV	Stegman, Matt	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Position only
FAV	Jakuta, Joseph	Climate Parents of Prince George's	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stewart, Frances	Elders Climate Action Maryland	Position only
FAV	Hance, Rosalobbyist	Enhanced Impact LLC	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hance, Rosalobbyist	Enhanced Impact LLC	Written (PDF)
FAV	Perez, Monica	Howard County Government	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Virginia	IndivisibleHoCoMD	Position only
FAV	Jones, Sophia	Institute for Local Self-Reliance	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jones, Sophia	Institute for Local Self-Reliance	Written (PDF)
FAV	Feighner, Liz	Liz Feighner, self	Position only
FAV	Butchko, Dominic	Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Nelson, Jen	Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts	Written (PDF)
FAV	Nelson, Jen	Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts	Written (PDF)
FAV	Zelaya, Michellelobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Zelaya, Michellelobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hough, Tylerlobbyist	Maryland Farm Bureau	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hough, Tylerlobbyist	Maryland Farm Bureau	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Capodanno, Matthewlobbyist	Maryland Food Bank	Written (PDF)
FAV	Houstle, Peter	Maryland Recycling Network	Written (PDF)
FAV	Price, Sarahlobbyist	Maryland Retailers Alliance	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fry Hester, Katie	Maryland Senate	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ainsworth, Martha	Maryland Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fitzgerald, Garrett	Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection	Written (PDF)
FAV	Doordan, Kellylobbyist	Trash Free Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Position only
FAV	Clancy, Isabella	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cleaver, Joanna	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cooke, Alexandria	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Crouse, Hilary	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Evans, Lucas	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fanning, Lauren	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ferrufino, Emily	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gupta, Kareena	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lang, Alan	Individual	Position only
FAV	Ranson, Emilylobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ranson, Emilylobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schmidt-Perkins, Dru	Individual	Oral
FAV	Senator Hester, Senator Hesterlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Senator Hester, Senator Hesterlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Suwito, Nicholas	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Swimmer, Sarah	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Taylor, Tom	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Thompson, Lindsaylobbyist	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
INFO	Palmer, Harrison	Maryland Department of Agriculture	Written (PDF)
INFO	Baker, Jeremy D	Maryland Department of the Environment	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 1

CeresFAV 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 1

Climate Parents of Prince George'sFAV 1

Elders Climate Action MarylandFAV 1

Enhanced Impact LLCFAV 2

Howard County GovernmentFAV 1

IndivisibleHoCoMDFAV 1

Institute for Local Self-RelianceFAV 2

Liz Feighner, selfFAV 1

Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)FAV 1

Maryland Association of Soil Conservation DistrictsFAV 2

Maryland Catholic ConferenceFAV 2

Maryland Department of AgricultureINFO 1

Maryland Department of the EnvironmentINFO 1

Maryland Farm BureauFAV 2

Maryland Food BankFAV 1

Maryland Recycling NetworkFAV 1

Maryland Retailers AllianceFAV 1

Maryland SenateFAV 1

Maryland Sierra ClubFAV 1

Montgomery County Department of Environmental ProtectionFAV 1

Trash Free MarylandFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVHance, RosaEnhanced Impact LLCRegistered for: Enhanced Impact LLC; Potomac Riverkeeper Network; Sierra Club Maryland Chapter; Advanced Energy United; American Whitewater; Waterkeepers Chesapeake…

FAVZelaya, MichelleMaryland Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

FAVHough, TylerMaryland Farm BureauRegistered for: Maryland Farm Bureau

FAVCapodanno, MatthewMaryland Food BankRegistered for: Maryland Food Bank

FAVPrice, SarahMaryland Retailers AllianceRegistered for: Maryland Retailers Alliance; Maryland Retailers Association

FAVDoordan, KellyTrash Free MarylandRegistered for: Trash Free Maryland

FAVRanson, EmilyRegistered for: Clean Water Action

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