Bill > HB600

This bill increases the required bond amount for the Treasurer and any Deputy Treasurer of the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission from $25,000 to $250,000, providing greater financial security for the State of Maryland, the Commission, and the Commissioners of St. Mary's County. It also changes the requirement for the Metropolitan Commission to conduct studies, plans, and estimates for new facilities from mandatory to optional, and alters the scope of these studies to focus on areas not already covered by the St. Mary's County Comprehensive Water and Sewerage Plan. Furthermore, the bill revises civil and criminal penalties for certain violations, increasing maximum fines for criminal misdemeanors to $1,000 and/or 30 days imprisonment, and establishing a tiered system for civil infraction fines that increase with repeat offenses, with a maximum of $1,000 per day for continuing violations, and also allows for higher fines for unauthorized water removal from public systems.