The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Manufactors was created in March of 1839 and by December of that year renamed the Standing Committee on Agriculture. In 1880, it was reorganized as the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Labor. The Committee was renamed the Standing Committee on Agriculture in 1945. Its responsibilities later would devolve on the Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee.
In 1900, the Standing Committee on Fish and Game was formed and continued until 1943. Concerns of that committee were assumed in 1945 by the Standing Committee on Natural Resources. In 1951, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and the Standing Committee on Natural Resources merged to become the Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee. Responsibilities of the Committee were reassigned in 1967 to the newly formed Economic Affairs Committee from which the Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee was created in 1984.
Duties of other earlier committees were assumed by the Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee. Among these were the Standing Committee on Education (1856-1966) and the Standing Committee on Chesapeake Bay and its Tributaries (1860-1966). Responsibilities of both Committees fell to the Economic Affairs Committee in 1967 and were assigned to the Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee in 1984.
Today, the Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee reviews legislation relating to agriculture and land preservation; alcoholic beverages; licensing and regulation of businesses and labor, including business, health and related occupations and professions; education; elections; energy; environment; fire prevention; local government; natural resources; procurement; State government organization, procedures, and administrative law; and veterans affairs. Eleven senators serve on this committee.
Under the Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee are four subcommittees: Education; Environment; Health; and Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Two ad hoc subcommittees are concerned with Ethics and Election Law; and Procurement.
EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE
ENVIRONMENT SUBCOMMITTEE
HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE
LICENSING & REGULATORY AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE
AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE ON ETHICS & ELECTION LAW
AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
By 1988, the Education Subcommittee reviewed legislation.
The Environment Subcommittee functioned by 1988.
The Health Subcommittee considered bills by 1988.
In 1999, the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee was created.
The Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Ethics and Election Law started as the Ethics and Election Law Subcommittee by 1991. It reorganized as an ad hoc subcommittee in 1997.
In 1997, the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Procurement formed.
Senate
House of Delegates
General Assembly
Legislative Committees
Legislative Process
Maryland Government
Maryland at a Glance
Maryland Manual On-Line
Search the Manual
e-mail: mdmanual@mdarchives.state.md.us