MARYLAND, January 2 - For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 1, 2022

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 1, 2022—Today Councilmember Tom Hucker and Council President Gabe Albornoz introduced Bill 3-22, Legislative Branch - Climate Assessments - Required. Council Vice President Evan Glass and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson, Nancy Navarro, Sidney Katz, Hans Riemer, Will Jawando and Craig Rice are cosponsors. 

Bill 3-22 would require the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) to provide the Council with a climate assessment for each bill, zoning text amendment, master plan, and master plan amendment under consideration by the Council. A climate assessment would be submitted to the Council no more than 21 days after a bill is introduced, unless the Council president approves an extension after receiving a written request from the OLO director. The OLO director would also need to submit an annual report to the Council that compiles and analyzes the climate assessments provided during the preceding year.  

"As policymakers, we should be aware of the climate impacts of the policies we enact," said Councilmember Hucker, chair of the Transportation and Environment Committee. "This legislation requires all bills and zoning text amendments to have a climate impact assessment, which will ensure our policies are made through a lens of sustainability and equity. If passed, this legislation will be among the first of its kind in the region and can serve as a model for jurisdictions across the country." 

“Climate change is an existential threat to our community and planet,” said Council President Albornoz, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. “It is impacting our public health, accelerating poverty, and local jurisdictions must do what we can to mitigate the impacts to our residents. I am proud to be the co-lead of Bill 3-22, which will help this Council and future legislators make informed decisions to ensure we have sustainable and equitable climate policies." 

The climate assessment would consist of: 

• the potential positive or negative effects, if any, of the bill, zoning text amendment, master plan, or master plan amendment on climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions, sequestration, and carbon drawdown; 
• quantitative or qualitative evaluations of the of the identified effects upon community resilience and adaptative capacity; and 
• recommendations regarding amendments or other measures to mitigate any negative climate impacts. 

Montgomery County has been a national leader in responding to the challenge of climate change. As part of the Council’s Emergency Climate Mobilization Resolution, adopted in 2017, which declared a climate emergency, a goal was established of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the County by 80 percent by 2027 and reaching 100 percent elimination by 2035 and initiating large-scale efforts to remove excess carbon from the atmosphere.  

This is the first piece of legislation of its kind in the region, one that is expected to help the County and surrounding jurisdictions reach its conservation goals to help combat climate change. 

This effort would mirror the successful inclusion of Racial Impact Statements submitted to the Council by OLO following the introduction of new legislation, which is part of a racial equity and social justice effort that was spearheaded by Councilmember Navarro in 2019. These statements help the Council eliminate sources of bias and prejudice with the goal of preventing institutional racism and identifying new options to remedy long-standing inequities.  

Residents can follow and join the conversation on the legislation by using the hashtag #ClimateImpactStudy. Additional information can be found in the staff report for Bill 3-22 here. 

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Release ID: 22-044 Media Contact: Sonya Healy, 240-777-7926 , Lucia Jimenez 240-777-7832