Bill > HB361

This bill, the Septic Stewardship Act of 2018, has several key provisions: 1. It exempts users of on-site sewage disposal systems from paying the Bay Restoration Fee if their system uses the best available technology for nitrogen removal and they have not received a state or federal grant or tax credit for the system. 2. It authorizes using 50% of the Bay Restoration Fee revenue collected from on-site sewage system users for grants or loans to upgrade systems to best available nitrogen removal technology, repair or replace failing systems, or connect properties to municipal wastewater facilities. This also covers reasonable costs for the Department of the Environment to implement an education and technical support program. 3. It allows up to 50% of the fee revenue to be used for financial assistance to low-income homeowners for operation and maintenance contracts for nitrogen removal systems, as well as for the reasonable cost of pumping out on-site systems every 5 years, but only if the homeowner's local jurisdiction has developed a septic stewardship plan. 4. The remaining 50% of the fee revenue continues to be transferred to the Maryland Agriculture Water Quality Cost Share Program to fund cover crop activities.

Transportation and Infrastructure

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0361?ys=2018rs