EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0489*
HOUSE BILL 489
F1 2lr1383
HB 140/21 – W&M
By: Delegate Acevero
Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2022
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in 3
Education to make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the State 4
Department of Education to further the discovery, interpretation, and learning of 5
the history, culture, and civics of the United States and Maryland; and generally 6
relating to the Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Education 9
Section 7–129 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Education 15
7–129. 16
(A) (1) THERE IS A COMMISSION ON HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CIVICS IN 17
EDUCATION. 18
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO MAKE 19
RECOMMENDATIONS TO T HE STATE BOARD AND THE DEPARTMENT TO FURTHER 20
THE DISCOVERY , INTERPRETATION , AND LEARNING OF THE HISTORY, CULTURE, 21
AND CIVICS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MARYLAND. 22
(B) THE COMMISSION CONSISTS O F THE FOLLOWING MEMB ERS: 23 2 HOUSE BILL 489
(1) THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR: 1
(I) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENT ING MARYLAND’S INDIGENOUS 2
AMERICAN TRIBES , WHICH INCLUDE THE LENAPE, NANTICOKE, PISCATAWAY, 3
CONOY, POWHATAN, ACCOHANNOCK , SHAWNEE, SUSQUEHANNOCK , TUTELO, AND 4
SAPONI TRIBES; 5
(II) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENT ING THE MARYLAND LATINX 6
COMMUNITY ; 7
(III) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENT ING THE MARYLAND AFRICAN 8
AMERICAN COMMUNITY ; 9
(IV) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE MARYLAND ASIAN 10
AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY ; 11
(V) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENT ING THE MARYLAND LGBTQI+ 12
COMMUNITY , ONE OF WHOM IDENTIFI ES AS TRANSGENDER ; 13
(VI) ONE MEMBER REPRESENTI NG THE MARYLAND 14
DIFFERENTLY ABLED CO MMUNITY; AND 15
(VII) ONE MEMBER WHO IS A T EACHER OR HOLDS A TE ACHING 16
LICENSE IN THE STATE; 17
(2) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENT ING HIGHER EDUCATION : 18
(I) ONE OF WHOM IS DESIGN ATED BY THE CHANCELLOR OF 19
THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND; AND 20
(II) ONE OF WHOM IS DESIGN ATED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE 21
MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES; AND 22
(3) THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, OR THE STATE 23
SUPERINTENDENT ’S DESIGNEE. 24
(C) (1) TO THE EXTENT PRACTIC ABLE, THE MEMBERSHIP OF TH E 25
COMMISSION SHALL REFL ECT THE GENDER , RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND GEOGRAPHIC 26
DIVERSITY OF THE STATE. 27
(2) A MAJORITY OF THE MEMB ERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL HAVE 28
CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE OR EXPERIENCE IN DEV ELOPING EDUCATION CO NTENT 29 HOUSE BILL 489 3
STANDARDS. 1
(D) (1) THE TERM OF A MEMBER IS 4 YEARS. 2
(2) THE TERMS OF MEMBERS ARE STAGGERE D AS REQUIRED BY THE 3
TERMS PROVIDED FOR M EMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON JULY 1, 2022. 4
(E) THE COMMISSION MEMBERS SH ALL ELECT A CHAIR FR OM AMONG THE 5
MEMBERS. 6
(F) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROV IDE STAFF FOR THE COMMISSION. 7
(G) A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION: 8
(1) MAY NOT RECEIVE COMPE NSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE 9
COMMISSION; BUT 10
(2) IS ENTITLED TO REIMBU RSEMENT FOR EXPENSES UNDER THE 11
STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 12
(H) THE COMMISSION SHALL : 13
(1) EXAMINE THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CIVICS OF THE UNITED 14
STATES AND MARYLAND, INCLUDING: 15
(I) THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS, LATINOS, 16
AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND ASIAN AMERICANS; 17
(II) THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, 18
TRANSGENDER , AND QUEER IND IVIDUALS WITHIN THE MINORITY GROUPS ; 19
(III) THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF SIGNIFICANT SOCIA L AND 20
CULTURAL FEATURES WI THIN THE MINORITY CO MMUNITIES; AND 21
(IV) THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND PERSECUTION OF RELIG IOUS 22
MINORITIES; AND 23
(2) MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STATE BOARD REGARDING 24
THE ADOPTION OF STAN DARDS AND PROGRAMS T HAT ACCURATELY REFLE CT THE 25
DISCOVERY, INTERPRETATION , AND LEARNING OF THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND 26
CIVICS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MARYLAND. 27
(I) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 30 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2022, THE 28 4 HOUSE BILL 489
COMMISSION SHALL REPO RT ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO T HE STATE 1
BOARD, THE GOVERNOR, AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 2
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 3
(J) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1 EACH YEAR, THE STATE BOARD SHALL: 4
(1) REVIEW THE COMMISSION’S FINDINGS AND RECOM MENDATIONS ; 5
AND 6
(2) MAKE ANY APPROPRIATE CHANGES TO THE EDUCA TIONAL 7
STANDARDS FOR PREKIN DERGARTEN THROUGH GR ADE 12. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the terms of the initial 9
members of the Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education shall expire as 10
follows: 11
(1) the eight members representing the indigenous American tribes, 12
Maryland Latinx community, African American community, and Asian American and 13
Pacific Islander community in 2024; and 14
(2) the six members representing the LGBTQI+ community, differently 15
abled community, teachers, and higher education in 2026. 16
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17
1, 2022. 18