The 2025 Maryland legislative session convened on January 8, 2025. Your membership dollars make it possible for Maryland Grain farmers to have representation in Annapolis during the legislative session. Our Executive Director, Lindsay Thompson serves as the voice for the best interest of Maryland grain farmers.
HB225/SB203 – Exceptional Hauling Permits for Farm Products
Sponsored by the Environment and Transportation Committee Chair
Creating an exception for vehicles carrying fluid milk products to the prohibition against driving a vehicle subject to an exceptional hauling permit on the interstate highway system; altering certain weight limits and tolerances under an exceptional hauling permit; altering the preventive maintenance documents that an individual operating under an exceptional hauling permit must possess; and altering certain record-keeping requirements and the application of certain administrative penalties under an exceptional hauling permit.
Hearing – 2/6 at 1:00 PM
MGPA Supports
HB483 – Income Tax Credit – Venison Donations
Sponsored by Delegate Ziegler
Repealing the limitation on the maximum amount of a credit against the State income tax that an individual may claim for certain expenses incurred for a donation of deer meat to certain organizations; and applying the Act to all taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.
Hearing 2/6 at 1:00 PM
MGPA Supports
HB386/SB345 – PFAS Chemicals – Prohibitions
Sponsored by Delegate Ruth
Requiring, by January 1, 2026, the Department of Agriculture to develop and maintain a list of certain registered pesticides that list PFAS chemicals as an active ingredient on the labeling accompanying the pesticide; prohibiting, beginning June 1, 2026, a person from using, for certain purposes, PFAS pesticides listed by the Department; prohibiting, beginning June 1, 2028, a person from using PFAS pesticides in the State; etc.
Hearing – 2/12 at 1:00 PM
MGPA Opposes
SB189/HB631 – Eminent Domain – Agriculture and Conservation Easements – Prohibited Taking
Sponsored by Senators Brooks and Hettleman
Prohibiting the State or any of its instrumentalities or political subdivisions from taking privately owned property that is subject to a perpetual agricultural or conservation easement.
In the Senate – Hearing was held 1/23
MGPA Supports
HB278 – Income Tax – Subtraction Modification – Enhanced Agriculture Management Equipment
Sponsored by Delegate Bouchat and Fair
Altering a subtraction modification under the Maryland income tax for enhanced agricultural management equipment to include equipment that the Secretary of Agriculture determines by regulation to qualify as enhanced agriculture management equipment; and applying the Act to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.
In the House – Hearing was held 1/23
MGPA Supports
HB173 – Deer Management Program – Establishment
Sponsored by Delegate Nawrocki
Requiring the Department of Recreation and Parks of Baltimore County to establish a deer management program to manage the deer population on county parklands.
In the House – First Reading Environment and Transportation
MGPA Supports
For information only.
