Departmental Proposed and Emergency Regulations

The following outlines current Notices of Public Comment, Notices of Emergency Action, Notices of Proposed Action, and Notices of Final Action that have been requested by the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture and published in the Maryland Register. 

Visit the Maryland Register Online to read the most recent proposed regulations in their entirety.

Note: Notices of Final Action will stay on this page for six months. After that, all state regulations can be viewed at the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) site​.​

Notices of Public Comment

Notices of Emergency Action

COMAR 15.01.17 Hemp Farming Program - Emergency Status Extended

In August 2022, the AELR Committee approved MDA's request to grant emergency status to certain amendments to the Hemp Farming Program. Recently, the AELR Committee approved MDA's request to extend this Emergency Status until August 10, 2023. MDA is currently working on a Proposed Action to amend the regulations governing the Hemp Farming Program which, if adopted, will include all of the amendments in the Emergency Action plus additional amendments.


15.01.05 Cost Sharing—Water Pollution Control Program
Authority: Agriculture Article, §§2-103, 8-703, 8-704, and 8-803.1, Annotated

The Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review has granted emergency status to amendments to Regulation .10 under COMAR 15.01.05 Cost Sharing—Water Pollution
Control Program. Emergency status began: January 1, 2024; Emergency status expires: June 30, 2024.


Notices of Proposed Action​

Notice of Proposed Action 
The State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners proposes to amend Regulation .03 under COMAR 15.14.09 Qualifications for Licensure, by Examination, as a Veterinarian.

Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this action is to increase the age of a passing score for certain examinations that the State Board will accept from a veterinarian who is applying to be licensed in this State from 5 years to 7 years. 

Comments may be sent to Nathaniel Boan, Executive Director, State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401, or call 410-841-5804, or email to nathaniel.boan@maryland.gov. Comments will be accepted through January 16, 2024. A public hearing has not been scheduled.

15.01.05 Cost Sharing—Water Pollution Control  Program 
Authority: Agriculture Article, §§2-103, 8-703, 8-704, and 8-803.1, Annotated Code of Maryland 

Notice of Proposed Action 
The Maryland Department of Agriculture proposes to amend Regulation .10 under COMAR 15.01.05 Cost Sharing — Water Pollution Control Program. 

Statement of Purpose 
The purpose of this action is to amend the Maryland Agricultural  Water Quality Cost-Share Program and, in doing so, assist the State of  Maryland in meeting its WIP III goals by 2025. It is anticipated that  the proposed action will incentivize more landowners to install more  practices designed to prevent or control agriculturally-related nonpoint  source water pollution.  

Comments may be sent to Jason Keppler, Acting Conservation Grants Manager, Watershed Implementation Program, Office of Resource Conservation, Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401, or call 410-841-5864, or email to Jason.Keppler@maryland.gov. Comments will be accepted through February 26, 2024. 


15.14.12 Fees Subtitle 14 BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS​
Authority: Agriculture Article, §2-303, Annotated Code of Maryland

Notice of Proposed Action

The Maryland Department of Agriculture proposes to amend Regulation .02 under COMAR 15.14.12 Fees.

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this action is to increase certain fees needed to cover the direct and indirect costs of fulfilling the statutory and regulatory duties of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (SBVME). For several years, the fees that the SBVME adopted by regulation have not brought in sufficient revenue to cover its annual costs. Fee increases are needed to meet the SBVME’s increased costs due to inflation, cost-of-living adjustments, and increased staffing to accommodate the increased workload from consumer complaints and licensing applications.

Comments may be sent to Nathaniel Boan, Executive Director, Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401, or call 410-841-5804, or email to nathaniel.boan@maryland.gov. Comments will be accepted through February 26, 2024.

Notices of Final Action
On December 20, 2023 the Maryland Department of Agriculture submitted the Notice of Final Action (to the Division of State Documents for publication in the Maryland Register) to adopt the amendments to the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program - Appeal Procedure, COMAR 15.01.18.  The effective date for these amendments will be January 22, 2024.





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