---
type: "Bill"
title: "Watershed, Stream, and Floodplain Restoration - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration and Stream and Floodplain Restoration Funding (Whole Watershed Act)"
description: "Watershed, Stream, and Floodplain Restoration - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration and Stream and Floodplain Restoration Funding (Whole Watershed Act)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "SB 969"
citation: "Maryland SB 969 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Elfreth", "Guzzone", "Hester"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 22
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2024-02-02"
last_action: "2024-05-09"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c7cd9f9d-1d82-4828-87be-06eadb273361"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0969?ys=2024RS&search=True"
source_hash: "c5679a4e826c8affedbedadc54561467717d1b1d39b721ac7c52b19a7b604565"
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 SB 969 (2024) — Watershed, Stream, and Floodplain Restoration - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration and Stream and Floodplain Restoration Funding (Whole Watershed Act)

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Watershed, Stream, and Floodplain Restoration - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration and Stream and Floodplain Restoration Funding (Whole Watershed Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/Chapters_noln/CH_559_sb0969e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Watershed, Stream, and Floodplain Restoration - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration and Stream and Floodplain Restoration Funding (Whole Watershed Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/sb/sb0969e.pdf)
3. **First - Stream and Watershed Restoration – Stream Restoration Contractor Licensing and Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration and Funding (Whole Watershed Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/sb/sb0969f.pdf)
4. **Third - Stream and Watershed Restoration - Stream Restoration Contractor Licensing and Projects and Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration and Funding (Whole Watershed Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/sb/sb0969t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading — **44–0** (pass) · upper
- On third reading — **47–0** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading (Amend) — **100–37** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Elfreth — primary (person)
- Guzzone — primary (person)
- Hester — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-02-02** First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-07** Hearing 2/20 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2024-02-07** Hearing canceled
- **2024-02-09** Hearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2024-03-15** Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-15** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-15** Motion Special Order until 3/18 (Senator Hester) Adopted
- **2024-03-18** Floor Amendment {
- **2024-03-18** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2024-03-18** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2024-03-19** Referred Environment and Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-21** Hearing 3/26 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2024-03-27** Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-27** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-27** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2024-03-29** Motion Special Order until 4/01 (Delegate Stein) Adopted
- **2024-04-03** Floor Amendment {
- **2024-04-03** Third Reading Passed with Amendments `passage`
- **2024-04-04** Senate Concurs House Amendments
- **2024-04-04** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2024-04-04** Passed Enrolled
- **2024-05-09** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 559 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c7cd9f9d-1d82-4828-87be-06eadb273361`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).