Governor Moore Signs Legislation to Protect and Strengthen the Chesapeake Bay Economy

From: Maryland Governor Wes Moore​
May 13, 2025

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Wes Moore today presided over the fourth bill signing ceremony of 2025, which included the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act-a key component of the Moore-Miller Administration’s legislative and economic agenda. The bill builds upon the administration’s historic efforts to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, providing new economic pathways for farmers and strengthening the Chesapeake Bay economy.

“We have a responsibility to hand over the state to the next generation better than we found it. That’s not just a moral priority - that’s an economic imperative,” said Gov. Moore. “The Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act will uplift every sector of our Bay economy, from agriculture to aquaculture. Together, we will protect and preserve our natural heirlooms and drive economic growth. Those missions aren’t in conflict, they’re in concert.”

The governor also signed legislation to expand access to reproductive health care and ensure equal access to public services for individuals with disabilities or limited English proficiency.

Included among the bills Governor Moore signed today are:

The Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act, modernizes Maryland’s water quality and monitoring program; enhances Maryland’s farmland and ecosystems by promoting regenerative agriculture practices; streamlines the aquaculture leasing process; updates Maryland’s fisheries management program; and develops a collaborative permitting process to expedite watershed projects. The bill would also establish the Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming Pilot Program, allowing the Maryland Department of Agriculture to recognize and further incentivize sustainable land management practices. 

Environment - Packaging and Paper Products - Producer Responsibility Plans, establishes a comprehensive framework for the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility Program, which requires producers of certain materials to submit a plan to the Department of the Environment for managing their product at the end of its useful life. This bill also institutes a process for an alternative collection program through reuse, recycling, or composting, and requires a producer responsibility organization to pay a fee, and prepare an ongoing statewide recycling needs assessment. 

Public Health Abortion Grant Program - Establishment, establishes the Public Health Abortion Grant Program and Fund in the Maryland Department of Health to provide grants to improve access to abortion care clinical services.

Equal Access to Public Services for Individuals With Limited English Proficiency and Individuals With Disabilities, expands existing requirements for state agencies to provide equal access to government services for individuals with limited English proficiency or disabilities. The bill requires the Governor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Department of Disabilities to convene the Maryland Language Advisory Group to advise and make recommendations on oversight, monitoring, investigation, and enforcement of certain provisions of law relating to equal access to public services for individuals who need language assistance.

To view the complete list of bills signed into law today, visit: governor.maryland.gov/news/Pages/bill-signings.aspx.

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