HB 407 DE

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Passed Legislature

House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 407, like the original, does all of the following: clarifies the ability of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to respond to emergent situations, expands the jurisdiction from which DNREC may file to recover costs, and makes certain changes to amounts deposited into the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act Fund. Section 1 provides definitions for “Abate,” “Emergency,” and “Removal Action.” Section 2 clarifies the ability of the Secretary or their authorized employees or agents to determine if an emergency exists and take immediate action to abate the emergency without obtaining public comment. Section 3 allows the Department to authorize removal actions to address releases without first obtaining public comment, and to incorporate the removal action into any proposed plan of remedial action by DNREC. Section 4 expands the jurisdiction of the courts which DNREC may bring enforcement actions and recover costs. Section 5 increases the civil penalty for each fraudulent act from up to $10,000 to $40,000. Section 6 extends the end date from January 1, 2029, to January 1, 2037, for monies to be deposited into the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act Fund (the “Fund.”) Section 7 provides the effective date of this legislation. This Substitute differs from the original House Bill No. 407 in that it removes references to the realty transfer tax.

• Debra Heffernan Democratic · primary
• Melanie Ross Levin Democratic · primary
• Bryant L. Richardson Republican · primary
• Ronald E. Gray Republican · primary
• Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic · primary
• Ray Seigfried Democratic · primary
• Eric Morrison Democratic · primary
• David L. Wilson Republican · primary
• Claire Snyder-Hall Democratic · primary
• Bryan Townsend Democratic · primary
• Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic · primary
• Trey Paradee Democratic · primary

1. Jun 11, 2026 Adopted in lieu of the original bill HB 407, and Assigned to Appropriations Committee in House · lower
2. Jun 12, 2026 Assigned to Ready List · lower
3. Jun 12, 2026 Amendment HA 1 to HS 1 - Introduced and Placed With Bill · lower
4. Jun 18, 2026 Amendment HA 1 to HS 1 - Passed In House by Voice Vote · lower
5. Jun 18, 2026 Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT · lower
6. Jun 18, 2026 Assigned to Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee in Senate · upper
7. Jun 23, 2026 Reported Out of Committee (Environment, Energy & Transportation) in Senate with 5 On Its Merits · upper
8. Jun 25, 2026 Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES · upper