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Prohibiting a person from distributing, selling, or using corn, soybean, or wheat seeds that have been coated in or treated with neonicotinoid pesticides; prohibiting an individual from applying neonicotinoid pesticides to treat outdoor ornamental plants and turf; and authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to temporarily suspend the prohibitions under the Act based on certain determinations made by the Secretary in consultation with the Department of the Environment and the Department of Natural Resources.

Prohibiting the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from suspending or revoking a license to practice veterinary medicine in the State, reprimanding or censuring a licensee, or placing a licensee on probation solely on the basis of the licensee discussing or recommending the use of cannabis or a product that contains cannabidiol on an animal for potential therapeutic effect or health supplementation purposes; etc.

Authorizing the governing body of a county or municipality to adopt certain ordinances to regulate tree of heaven and certain invasive trees; and authorizing the governing body of a county or municipality to establish certain programs to incentivize the removal of tree of heaven and certain invasive trees.

Continuing the Maryland Horse Industry Board in accordance with the provisions of the Maryland Program Evaluation Act (sunset law) by extending to July 1, 2036, the termination provisions relating to the statutory and regulatory authority of the Board.

Authorizing the governing body of a county or municipality to adopt certain ordinances to regulate the nonnative, highly invasive, deciduous hardwood tree known as tree of heaven and certain invasive trees; and authorizing the governing body of a county or municipality to establish a bounty or native tree replacement program to incentivize the removal of tree of heaven and certain invasive trees.

Authorizing certain governmental entities to waive certain fees imposed by statute for veterans; and requiring certain governmental entities to adopt regulations before waiving certain fees imposed by statute for veterans.

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.

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.

Establishing a certain immunity from liability for a person who donates a pet item or dispenses a donated pet item; and authorizing the State Department of Agriculture to inspect donated commercial feed and establish procedures for handling donated commercial feed.

Prohibiting the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from suspending or revoking a license to practice veterinary medicine in the State, reprimanding or censuring a licensee, or placing a licensee on probation solely on the basis of the licensee discussing or recommending the use of cannabis or a product that contains cannabidiol on an animal for potential therapeutic effect or health supplementation purposes.

Requiring the Secretary of Agriculture, by December 1, 2026, and each December 1 thereafter, to report to the Governor and the General Assembly on additional types of equipment that the Secretary recommends should qualify for the subtraction modification under the Maryland income tax for enhanced agricultural management equipment; allowing a certain parent of a stillborn child a refundable credit of $1,000 against the State income tax for each birth for which a certain certificate has been issued; etc.

Modifying certain reporting requirements, boards, and commissions for practicability and efficiency; repealing certain reporting requirements that are unnecessary, obsolete, or duplicative; repealing as obsolete the Renewable Fuels Incentive Board, Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board, Two-Generation Family Economic Security Commission, and Commission on Trauma-Informed Care; repealing as unnecessary the Partnership for Workforce Quality Advisory Board; etc.

Requiring research facilities that are located in the State and required to submit an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Form 7023 to pay contributions for the Human-Relevant Research Fund to the Department of Agriculture, rather than the Maryland Department of Health; and establishing that a research facility that fails to pay the contribution required by the Act may be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 per day.

Prohibiting a research facility or a testing facility from using certain dogs and cats for research or testing purposes; prohibiting a research facility or testing facility from performing devocalization procedures on dogs or cats; prohibiting a testing facility from using traditional animal test methods under certain circumstances; applying certain provisions of law regarding the adoption of dogs and cats used for scientific research purposes to testing facilities; etc.

Applying certain provisions of law regarding the adoption of dogs and cats used for scientific research purposes to testing facilities; requiring certain research facilities and testing facilities to submit to the Department of Agriculture certain information regarding dogs and cats on or before January 31 each year; and requiring a school or an institution of higher education that uses animals for certain purposes to submit a report on the results of certain inspections to the General Assembly on or before December 31 each year.

Repealing a provision 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 to authorize a person to begin construction on any part of a new animal feeding operation under an approval process established by the Department that requires the person to demonstrate compliance with certain requirements, laws, and regulations.

Prohibiting a research facility or a testing facility from using certain dogs and cats for research or testing purposes; prohibiting a research facility or testing facility from performing devocalization procedures on dogs or cats; prohibiting a testing facility from using traditional animal test methods under certain circumstances; applying certain provisions of law regarding the adoption of dogs and cats used for scientific research purposes to testing facilities; etc.

Applying certain provisions of law regarding the adoption of dogs and cats used for scientific research purposes to testing facilities; requiring certain research facilities and testing facilities to submit to the Department of Agriculture certain information regarding dogs and cats on or before January 31 each year; and requiring a school or an institution of higher education that uses animals for certain purposes to submit a report on the results of certain inspections to the General Assembly on or before December 31 each year.

Establishing that certain provisions of law prohibiting the abandonment or certain neglect of an animal do not apply to a person who is providing care to a community cat under a trap-neuter-return policy; establishing that a local law that establishes a trap-neuter-return policy is subject to certain requirements and restrictions; and providing that the Act supersedes and preempts any law, ordinance, policy, regulation, or rule of any local government body, person, or corporation that restricts the practice of trap-neuter-return; etc.

Requiring the Department of Agriculture, based on a finding of Palmer amaranth on land, to issue an order to an owner of the land to eradicate the Palmer amaranth within 2 weeks after the order was issued and requiring the Department to inspect the land every 2 weeks until the Department determines that the Palmer amaranth has been eradicated.

Requiring research facilities that are located in the State and required to submit an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Form 7023 to pay contributions for the Human-Relevant Research Fund to the Department of Agriculture, rather than the Maryland Department of Health.

Requiring the Department of Agriculture, based on a finding of Palmer amaranth on land, to issue an order to an owner of the land to eradicate the Palmer amaranth within 2 weeks after the order was issued and requiring the Department to inspect the land every 2 weeks until the Department determines that the Palmer amaranth has been eradicated.

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.

Establishing the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund to provide grants that advance agricultural fairs and education in the State; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to the Fund; requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $200,000 to the Fund each year; requiring the Comptroller to pay $100,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc, and $100,000 to the Maryland FFA Association from the Fund for agricultural education programs; etc.

Requiring the owner or possessor of a weight and measure used for the retail sale of electricity as a vehicle fuel to display certain information in a conspicuous manner; requiring all electricity possessed, offered, or exposed for sale and sold at retail as a vehicle fuel to be measured and sold in units of kilowatt-hours; authorizing the owner or possessor of a weight and measure used for the retail sale of electricity as a vehicle fuel to charge certain fees for certain services; etc.

Requiring the owner or possessor of a weight and measure used for the retail sale of electricity as a vehicle fuel to display certain information in a conspicuous manner; requiring all electricity possessed, offered, or exposed for sale and sold at retail as a vehicle fuel to be measured and sold in units of kilowatt-hours; authorizing the owner or possessor of a weight and measure used for the retail sale of electricity as a vehicle fuel to charge a certain fee which is required to be itemized on the customer's receipt; etc.

Requiring the Department of the Environment to adopt regulations that consider certain best management practices for stormwater management for agritourism; requiring Montgomery County and the Montgomery Soil Conservation District, in consultation with the Department, to review certain processes for reviewing and approving certain stormwater management plans and submit their findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31, 2026; etc.

Establishing that the prohibition against abandoning an animal does not apply to a person who is providing care to a community cat under a certain trap-neuter-return policy; establishing that a local law that establishes a trap-neuter-return policy is subject to certain requirements and restrictions; and providing that the Act supersedes and preempts any law, ordinance, policy, or regulation of any local government body and any policy or rule of any person or corporation that prohibits or restricts the practice of trap-neuter-return.

Requiring the Department of the Environment to adopt regulations that consider certain best management practices for stormwater management for agritourism; and requiring Montgomery County and the Montgomery Soil Conservation District jointly, in consultation with the Department, to review certain processes for reviewing and approving certain stormwater management plans and submit their findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31,2026.

Requiring the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Natural Resources jointly to convene a workgroup to examine challenges and opportunities in the State related to seafood marketing; and on or before December 1, 2026, requiring the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Natural Resources jointly to report the findings of the workgroup and any recommendations of the workgroup, including recommendations for legislation, to the Governor and certain committees of the General Assembly.

Requiring the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Natural Resources jointly to convene a workgroup to examine challenges and opportunities in the State related to seafood marketing; and on or before December 1, 2026, requiring the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Natural Resources jointly to report the findings of the workgroup and any recommendations of the workgroup, including recommendations for legislation, to the Governor and certain committees of the General Assembly.

Establishing certain requirements for a pesticide business licensee that has a subscription contract for pest control with a residential customer; requiring the Department of Agriculture to establish a Residential Pollinator Protection and Neighbor Notification Registry for the purpose of registering certain individuals who are interested in receiving notice of certain pesticide applications; requiring the Department to prepare a certain list from the Registry and distribute the list to certain licensees; etc.

Prohibiting the per port registration fee charged for a weight and measure used for the retail sale of electricity as a motor fuel from exceeding the fee charged per meter for a retail motor fuel dispenser meter; requiring funding for the purchase of equipment necessary to inspect the weight and measure to be provided from the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund; and altering the uses of the Fund.

Requiring the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to expand a certain expedited process for authorizing a certain veterinary practitioner licensed to practice veterinary medicine in another state or jurisdiction to become licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State to include a similar expedited process for veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants; etc.

Authorizing grants to controlled-environment or hydroponic farmers under the Urban Agriculture Water and Power Infrastructure Grant Fund; requiring the Department of Agriculture to establish a certain one-stop portal as a centralized source of certain information about the permitting and licensing of controlled-environment or hydroponic agriculture in the State; establishing the Maryland Controlled-Environment and Hydroponic Agriculture Program Fund to provide grants; etc.

Requiring an owner or operator of a data center to comply with certain standards under certain circumstances; requiring the Department of the Environment to establish by regulation certain sound and vibration controls and requirements for backup power generation for data centers; prohibiting a local approving authority from authorizing the construction of a data center on certain agricultural land; and requiring a certain applicant to submit a certain report to a local approving authority under certain cirucmstances.

Establishing the Dog Breeder Accountability Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund; requiring, on or before July 1, beginning in 2028, a dog breeder to register annually with the Department of Agriculture and, at the time of registration, pay an annual registration fee of $150; requiring, beginning on July 1, 2029, and within 30 days after the birth of a litter, a dog breeder to apply to the Department for a puppy birth certificate for each puppy born in the litter; etc.

Authorizing certain governmental entities to waive certain fees imposed by statute for veterans; and requiring certain governmental entities to adopt regulations before waiving certain fees imposed by statute for veterans.

Requiring the State Department of Agriculture to establish a hemp manufacturing license and licensing procedure that authorizes a licensee to engage in certain activities subject to certain penalties; authorizing a person who holds a hemp manufacturing license to manufacture, possess, store, and transport in-process hemp extract subject to certain criteria; etc.

Establishing the Food Security Coordination Office within the Department of Agriculture; requiring the Department to establish a rural-to-urban produce distribution program to connect local farmers with urban and suburban communities experiencing food insecurity; requiring the Department to establish the Maryland Rural-to-Urban Produce Financing Program to provide financial assistance for projects that stabilize and expand the movement of Maryland-grown produce to certain communities; etc.

Requiring the State Department of Agriculture to establish a hemp manufacturing license and licensing procedure that authorizes a licensee to engage in certain activities subject to certain penalties; authorizing a person who holds a hemp manufacturing license to manufacture, possess, store, and transport in-process hemp extract subject to certain criteria; etc.