---
type: "Bill"
title: "Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Variances - Alterations"
description: "Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Variances - Alterations"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 247"
citation: "Maryland HB 247 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 15
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2025-09-30"
last_action: "2026-04-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d112f534-3a72-49f1-8ee9-790e3c254f3b"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0247?ys=2026RS"
source_hash: "0bd39b606686ccdb415b35eb69bb7b4041c522210f4a511c9a737b9a49bcd44c"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-md"]
---

# Maryland HB 247 (2026) — Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Variances - Alterations

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Chapter - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Variances - Alterations** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_79_hb0247t.pdf)
2. **First - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Variances - Alterations** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0247f.pdf)
3. **Third - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Variances - Alterations** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0247t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading — **33–8** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading — **96–37** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee — primary (organization)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-09-30** Pre-filed `introduction`
- **2026-01-14** First Reading Environment and Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-19** Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2026-03-16** Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-17** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-17** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2026-03-18** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2026-03-19** Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-20** Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2026-04-08** Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-08** Favorable Adopted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-08** Second Reading Passed
- **2026-04-09** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2026-04-09** Returned Passed
- **2026-04-14** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 79 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d112f534-3a72-49f1-8ee9-790e3c254f3b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).