# Maryland SB 0871: Department of the Environment - Community Water and Sewerage Systems - Cybersecurity Planning and Assessments Maryland SB 0871, Department of the Environment - Community Water and Sewerage Systems - Cybersecurity Planning and Assessments, 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 495) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0871-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland SB 0871 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Department of the Environment - Community Water and Sewerage Systems - Cybersecurity Planning and Assessments - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-03 - Last action: 2025-05-13, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 495 - Sponsor: Katie Fry Hester (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Environment, Cybersecurity, Awareness and Outreach, Certifications, Committees and Commissions, Community Facilities and Services, Communications -see also- ElecComm; Intergov; Telecom; etc., Disclosure, Emergency Management, Department of, Emergencies -see also- Pandemics, Environment, Department of the, Environmental Matters -see also- Conserv; Nat Resrce; Pollut, Equipment -see also- Charging; Med. Equip.; MV Equip; etc., Goods and Services -see also- Retail Sales; TermnSvc; TrfGds, Independent Contractors, Information Technology, Department of, Intergovernmental Cooperation -see also- AdmAgn; Cmts; etc., Investigations and Inquiries -see also- Crim Bckgrnd Invest, Job Training -see also- Continuing Ed; Vocational Rehab, Local Government Mandates, Privacy, Reports, Rules and Regulations, Sewage, Standards and Best Practices, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Utilities -see also- Recycl; Refuse; Sewage; Teleph; Water, Wastewater, Water -see also- Coastal Bays; Riv,Str,Lks; Wastewater; etc., Work, Labor, and Employment -see also- JobTrn; Leave; etc. - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (182 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Water systems get state cybersecurity support: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland must employ a cybersecurity specialist trained to protect technology that controls water systems. All Maryland water and wastewater sector members can join the state's information-sharing center. State agencies must promote guidance meeting or exceeding federal c… - Required yearly water cyber exercises end: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland's Cyber Preparedness Unit no longer must host a yearly water and wastewater cyber exercise. The removed requirement called for at least one tabletop exercise each year to improve state and local responses. The law ends the requirement; it does not ban these exerc… - Larger water systems face cybersecurity checks: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, community water and sewer systems serving more than 3,300 customers must implement Maryland's cybersecurity standards. They must commit to a zero-trust approach and begin planning and putting it in place as appropriate for their systems. They must assess cybersecurity for… - Water providers face new cybersecurity rules: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland must set water and sewer cybersecurity standards at least as strong as federal goals. State rules must require incident reports and cyber-related service disruption plans. Every community water and sewer provider must name a cybersecurity contact and attend annua… - Public access to security records narrows: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland public-records officials must withhold portions of records containing system-security information. This covers computer systems, equipment-control technology, and critical infrastructure, including community water and sewer systems. The rule protects sensitive se… - Water systems must report cyber incidents: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, each Maryland community water and sewer system must report cyber incidents to the State Security Operations Center. This includes attacks on computer systems and technology that controls equipment. The State Chief Information Security Officer sets reporting circumstances,… ## 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 | 140 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-03-17 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 42 | 0 | | ## Actions (13) - 2025-05-13: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 495 - 2025-04-07: Returned Passed (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (140-0) (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. (Environment and Transportation) (House) - 2025-03-17: Referred Environment and Transportation Health and Government Operations (House) - 2025-03-17: Third Reading Passed (42-0) (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments {383122/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Hearing 2/27 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate) - 2025-02-03: First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-05-13: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_495_sb0871t.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0871t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-02-04: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0871f.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (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_495_sb0871t.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0871t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0871f.pdf) ## Related - [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) - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [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) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0871-2025RS (as of 2026-10-19).