The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on transportation and public works policy in the 2026 General Assembly session. 
From maintaining local roadways and bridges to coordinating with state systems, county governments operate within a shared transportation network that depends on strong state partnership. MACo continues to press for sustainable, predictable investment in local transportation and public works systems.
During Maryland’s 448th session, transportation policy was shaped by broader fiscal pressures and renewed scrutiny of the state’s Transportation Trust Fund. With competing demands for limited resources, the General Assembly weighed proposals affecting funding allocations, project prioritization, and system maintenance, each with direct implications for county-managed infrastructure.
By engaging across key proposals, MACo advanced priorities around funding reliability, local input, and long-term infrastructure sustainability, helping position counties to meet both current needs and future demands.
Follow these links for more coverage on our Conduit Street blog and Legislative Database.
MACo supported HB 925/SB 719 – Sewage Sludge – Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances – Regulation with amendments. This bill places new limitations on the use of certain wastewater treatment byproducts that exceed specified per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) thresholds. MACo’s amendments sought to refine the bill so that PFAS protections are both effective and financially sustainable for local communities. This bill DID pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 204/SB 264 – Drinking Water – Regulation – Control and Prevention of Waterborne Disease. This bill would have set certain water safety requirements including minimum detectable disinfectant residual levels on certain building owners and water suppliers; creating substantial public health risks due to overexposure to these chemicals. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 992/SB 655 – Electronic Device Producer Responsibility Program – Established. This bill would have established a statewide framework for a producer-driven electronic device recycling program. By reinforcing county infrastructure and preserving reimbursement for existing local services, the bill would have strengthened local environmental protections while supporting flexible, community-based waste management solutions. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 257 – Environment – Flood-Related Watershed Studies and Comprehensive Flood Management Grant Program. This bill would have required the State to identify high-risk flood areas every five years and, in those designated watersheds, require counties to study and address potential flooding impacts before moving forward with new subdivisions. These flood studies must be submitted to the state for review and approval and include specific information on how development could affect local drainage and flood risks. The sponsor withdrew this bill, and it DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
MACo opposed HB 1465/SB 688 – Environment – Stream and Floodplain Restoration Projects – Requirements and Limitations. This bill would have sharply restricted the use of stream restoration as a compliance and watershed management tool by effectively prohibiting the core techniques counties rely on for watershed implementation planning. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 1268/SB 781 – Environmental Permits – Requirements for Burden Analysis, Issuance and Renewal, and Public Participation (Cumulative Harms for Environmental Restoration for Improving Shared Health – CHERISH Our Communities Act). The bill would have established new, more stringent regulatory standards for county infrastructure that receive certain state permits. In effect, it would have made it difficult or impossible to operate or develop new infrastructure. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 331/SB 342 – Maryland Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program. This bill would have required the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to establish the Maryland Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program. When recyclable scrap materials are diverted from county waste streams, local leaders are left with few viable options to replace a significant share of that revenue. If enacted, counties would have needed to either raise revenue or cut services in order to address the newly created deficit. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 984/SB 603 – Mattress Stewardship Program – Establishment with amendments. Designed to shift mattress disposal and recycling responsibility to manufacturers, this bill would have established the Mattress Stewardship Program within the state of Maryland. Counties welcomed this forward-thinking approach, which would have freed up taxpayer-supported solid waste resources for other essential services. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 335/SB 258 – Real Property – Dedication – Roads. This bill would have required that a private road be deemed “dedicated to and accepted by” a county under certain circumstances. This would have further strained county transportation budgets by creating a pathway for potentially significant mileage of private roads to become county obligations, without a corresponding, reliable funding source. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
MACo submitted a letter of information on HB 230/SB 62 – Transportation – Consolidated Transportation Program – Prioritization (Transportation Investment Priorities Act of 2026). The bill proposed updates to the structure and content of the Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP). MACo’s letter provided insight into how state transportation priorities are implemented at the local level. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 58 – Transportation – Paratransit Services – Interjurisdictional Routes. This bill would have imposed uniform, one-size-fits-all service requirements on county paratransit providers, including mandated service to specified healthcare networks that may be located well beyond distances that county transportation systems are designed—and funded—to cover. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo submitted a letter of information on HB 1295/SB 909 – Vehicle Laws – Fully Autonomous Vehicles. This bill would have established a framework to allow fully autonomous vehicles to operate in Maryland. As counties maintain the majority of Maryland’s road network—including the neighborhood streets and rural routes residents use every day— MACo highlighted the practical realities of implementing this emerging technology on local roads. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
