On February 28, 2024, Policy Fellow Kristina Curley testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 1147- Environment- Playground Surfacing Materials- Prohibitions. This bill prohibits the use of certain playground resurfacing materials after October 1, 2024.
With MACo’s amendments, HB 1147 establishes a framework for ensuring playground materials are safe for Marylanders. MACo would like to express sincere gratitude for the sponsor’s willingness to engage in dialogue and find common ground.
While counties have significant concerns with the current language, MACo is grateful to the sponsor for developing a series of amendments that would alleviate county opposition. Specifically:
• Strike all references to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) due to current technological and other concerns; • Strike references to “USE” and replace with “INSTALL”;
• Clarify that this bill only applies to materials that come directly into contact with a person; and
• Clarify that this bill is intended to be applied only prospectively, and not to contracts awarded prior to the implementation date.
Additionally, counties request that the implementation date be adjusted from October 1, 2024, to January 1, 2026, to give county partners in the private sector adequate time to adjust any products or services.
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