# Maryland SB 0117: Environment - Bay Restoration Fund - Septic System Upgrade Program

Maryland SB 0117, Environment - Bay Restoration Fund - Septic System Upgrade Program, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Katie Fry Hester (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 460); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0117-2025RS
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland SB 0117
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Environment - Bay Restoration Fund - Septic System Upgrade Program
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2024-11-01
- Last action: 2025-05-13, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 460
- Sponsor: Katie Fry Hester (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Environment, Chesapeake Bay Restoration, Coastal Bays, Environment, Department of the, Environmental Incentives, Environmental Matters -see also- Conserv; Nat Resrce; Pollut, Grants, Industry and Technology, Loans -see also- Credit; Mortgages; Scholarships&SFA, Low-Income, Natural Resources -see also- Coal; For&Pks; Rivers; etc., Residency -see also- Immigrants and Citizenship, Revenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax), Rivers, Streams, and Lakes, Sewage, State Aid -see also- Public Benefits, Time, Water -see also- Coastal Bays; Riv,Str,Lks; Wastewater; etc., Water Pollution
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (178 yes, 4 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- More Homeowners Get Septic Funding Priority: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, Maryland expands priority for help repairing or replacing failing septic systems to low- and moderate-income homeowners. The Maryland Department of the Environment defines those income groups; funding favors best available nitrogen-removal technology, then other wastewater s…
- Rolling Age Rules for Sewer Help: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Maryland replaces fixed age cutoffs for Bay Restoration Fund sewer assistance with rolling 15-year tests. For new community sewer projects, each lot needs an occupancy certificate, or equivalent, issued at least 15 years before July 1 of the application year. For municipal c…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Katie Fry Hester (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-07 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 134 | 4 | 3 |
| 2025-03-06 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 44 | 0 | 1 |

## Actions (16)

- 2025-05-13: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 460
- 2025-04-07: Returned Passed (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (134-4) (House)
- 2025-04-05: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House)
- 2025-04-05: Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation (House)
- 2025-03-19: Hearing 3/26 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2025-03-07: Referred Environment and Transportation (House)
- 2025-03-06: Third Reading Passed (44-0) (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Favorable with Amendments {613121/1 Adopted (Senate)
- 2025-03-03: Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate)
- 2025-01-14: Hearing 1/28 at 2:30 p.m. (Senate)
- 2025-01-14: Hearing canceled (Senate)
- 2025-01-14: Hearing 1/14 at 2:30 p.m. (Senate)
- 2025-01-08: First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate)
- 2024-11-01: Pre-filed (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2025-05-13: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_460_sb0117t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2025-03-04: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0117t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2025-01-08: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0117f.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed)
- SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed)
- HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed)
- SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed)
- HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law)
- HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed)

## Sources
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_460_sb0117t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0117t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0117f.pdf)

## Related
- [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS)
- [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS)
- [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS)
- [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS)
- [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS)
- [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS)
- [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills)
- [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0117-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).