UPDATE: Governor Signs Chapel Hill Elementary Student's Bill

Gov. Martin O'Malley on Tuesday signed into law a bill proposed by Jacob Robinson, an 8-year-old environmentalist and student at . 

The legislation, conceived by Jacob and introduced to the House by Democratic Del. Shane Robinson [no relation], restricts the sale and growth of plants that cause economic, ecological or environmental harm or pose human health risk.

Jacob testified before the and before the .

Under the new law, a committee will be formed to designate invasive plant species. Some plants will be effectively banned, while others will be disclosed to consumers as invasive. Retailers must then clearly label designated plants as invasive species. The state Secretary of Agriculture is required to adopt the new regulations by Oct. 1, 2012.

The bill received and was signed by the governor the day after the state legislative session ended.

Jacob and his parents, Regina and Dennis M. Robinson Jr., president of the Perry Hall Improvement Association, attended the signing. O'Malley gave Jacob the pen he used to sign the bill, his father said.