ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor
Ch. 550
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article - Natural Resources
1-702.
(a) IN THIS SECTION, "FUND" MEANS THE STATE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND
ENDANGERED SPECIES FUND.
(B) There is a State Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund.
[(b)] (C) (1) The net proceeds from contributions under the income tax
checkoff system [and], any other donations to the Fund, AND INVESTMENT
EARNINGS OF THE FUND shall be credited to the Fund.
(2) The Secretary shall administer the Fund.
(3) The Fund shall be used only as provided in §§ 1-703 through 1-705 of
this subtitle.
(4) THE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY AND THE
COMPTROLLER SHALL ACCOUNT FOR THE FUND.
(5) THE TREASURER SHALL INVEST THE MONEY OF THE FUND IN THE
SAME MANNER AS OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE INVESTED.
(6) ANY INVESTMENT EARNINGS OF THE FUND MAY NOT BE
TRANSFERRED OR REVERT TO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE, BUT SHALL
REMAIN IN THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITED TO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE.
(7) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE BUDGET.
[(c)] (D) The Fund shall be maintained for the purposes stated in this subtitle
and unspent portions of the Fund shall remain in the Fund and may not revert to the
General Fund of the State.
[(d)] (E) Moneys expended from the Fund for the Chesapeake Bay Trust and
Endangered Species Conservation Programs are supplemental and are not intended
to take the place of funding that would otherwise be appropriated to the Department
of Natural Resources for the Trust or for those Programs.
3-302.
(a) There is an Environmental Trust Fund. For the purpose of this subtitle,
there is established as an added cost of electricity distributed to retail electric
customers within the State, an environmental surcharge per kilowatt hour of electric
energy distributed in the State to be paid by any electric company as defined in §
1-101 of the Public Utility Companies Article. The Public Service Commission shall
impose the surcharge per kilowatt hour of electric energy distributed to retail electric
customers within the State and shall authorize the electric companies to add the full
amount of the surcharge to retail electric customers' bills. To the extent that the
surcharge is not collected from retail electric customers, the surcharge shall be
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