EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0566*
HOUSE BILL 566
P3, L6, N1 4lr3137
By: Delegates Grossman, Allen, Embry, Fair, Kaiser, Kaufman, Lehman, Pruski,
Stein, Taveras, and Vogel Vogel, Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, Cullison,
Guzzone, Hill, R. Lewis, Lopez, Martinez, Pena–Melnyk, Rosenberg, Szeliga,
White Holland, and Woods
Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2024
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Commission on State and Local Government – Real Property – Confederate 2
Naming Prohibited Bearing Confederate Names 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a State entity or a political subdivision of the State from 4
assigning a Confederate name to real property owned by the State or political 5
subdivision; requiring certain real property to be assigned a new name on or before 6
a certain date; and generally relating to prohibiting Confederate naming of State and 7
local real property establishing the Commission on State and Local Government Real 8
Property Bearing Confederate Names; and generally relating to real property 9
bearing Confederate names. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – General Provisions 12
Section 9–101 and 9–102 to be under the new title “Title 9. State and Local 13
Government Real Property Naming” 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 16
BY adding to 17
Article – State Government 18 2 HOUSE BILL 566
Section 9–3801 through 9–3808 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 38. 1
Commission on State and Local Government Real Property Bearing 2
Confederate Names” 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – General Provisions 8
TITLE 9. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REAL PROPERTY NAMING. 9
9–101. 10
Article – State Government 11
SUBTITLE 38. COMMISSION ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REAL PROPERTY 12
BEARING CONFEDERATE NAMES. 13
9–3801. 14
(A) IN THIS TITLE SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 15
INDICATED. 16
(B) “COMMISSION” MEANS THE COMMISSION ON STATE AND LOCAL 17
GOVERNMENT REAL PROPERTY BEARING CONFEDERATE NAMES. 18
(B) (C) “CONFEDERATE NAME ” MEANS A NAME THAT CO MMEMORATES 19
THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA OR ANY PERSON WHO SERVED 20
VOLUNTARILY WITH THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA. 21
(C) (D) “POLITICAL SUBDIVISION ” MEANS: 22
(1) A COUNTY; 23
(2) A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION ; 24
(3) AN UNINCORPORATED TO WN; 25
(4) A SCHOOL DISTRICT ; OR 26
(5) A SPECIAL DISTRICT . 27
HOUSE BILL 566 3
(D) (E) “REAL PROPERTY ” INCLUDES STREETS , BUILDINGS, PARKS, AND 1
SUBDIVISIONS. 2
(E) “STATE ENTITY ” INCLUDES ALL UNITS A ND AGENCIES IN THE 3
EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE, AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF STATE GOVERNMENT . 4
9–102. 5
A STATE ENTITY OR A POL ITICAL SUBDIVISION O F THE STATE MAY NOT 6
ASSIGN A CONFEDERATE NAME TO R EAL PROPERTY OWNED B Y THE STATE OR 7
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO N. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, if real property, as defined 9
under § 9–101 of the General Provisions Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, has a 10
Confederate name, as defined under § 9–101 of the General Provisions Article, as enacted 11
by Section 1 of this Act, on the effective date of this Act, the State entity or political 12
subdivision of the State responsible for assigning a name to the real property shall assign 13
a new name to the real property on or before January 1, 2027. 14
9–3802. 15
(A) THERE IS A COMMISSION ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REAL 16
PROPERTY BEARING CONFEDERATE NAMES. 17
(B) THE COMMISSION IS AN INDE PENDENT UNIT IN THE EXECUTIVE 18
BRANCH OF STATE GOVERNMENT . 19
9–3803. 20
(A) (1) THE COMMISSION CONSISTS O F 24 MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE 21
GOVERNOR WITH THE ADV ICE AND CONSEN T OF THE SENATE. 22
(2) THE GOVERNOR SHALL APPOIN T ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF EACH 23
COUNTY. 24
(B) THE GOVERNOR MAY REMOVE A MEMBER FOR INCOMPETE NCE OR 25
MISCONDUCT . 26
9–3804. 27
THE COMMISSION SHALL ELEC T ANNUALLY A CHAIR A ND VICE CHAIR FROM 28
AMONG ITS MEMBERS . 29
9–3805. 30
4 HOUSE BILL 566
(A) (1) THE COMMISSION SHALL MEET AT LEAST QUARTERLY . 1
(2) IN ADDITION TO MEETIN G AT LEAST QUARTERLY , THE 2
COMMISSION SHALL MEET AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR OR THE GOVERNOR. 3
(B) A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION: 4
(1) MAY NOT RECEIVE COMP ENSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE 5
COMMISSION; BUT 6
(2) IS ENTITLED TO REIMB URSEMENT FOR EXPENSE S UNDER THE 7
STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 8
9–3806. 9
(A) (1) WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR, THE COMMISSION 10
SHALL APPOINT A DIRE CTOR. 11
(2) THE DIRECTOR MAY NOT BE A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION. 12
(3) THE DIRECTOR SERVES A T THE PLEASURE OF TH E COMMISSION, 13
SUBJECT TO CONCURREN CE OF THE GOVERNOR. 14
(B) (1) THE DIRECTOR IS A SPE CIAL APPOINTMENT IN THE STATE 15
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 16
(2) THE DIRECTOR SHALL BE PAID A SALARY OF $80,000 ANNUALLY. 17
(C) THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN 18
APPROPRIATION OF $80,000 FOR THE SALARY OF TH E DIRECTOR. 19
9–3807. 20
(A) THE COMMISSION SHALL : 21
(1) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMEN T A FRAMEWO RK TO IDENTIFY REAL 22
PROPERTY BEARING A CONFEDERATE NAME THAT IS OWNED BY THE STATE OR A 23
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO N; AND 24
(2) MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE REAL P ROPERTY 25
THAT SHOULD BE RENAM ED. 26
(B) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2031, THE COMMISSION SHALL REPO RT ITS 27
FINDINGS AND RECOMME NDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR, THE MAYOR AND CITY 28 HOUSE BILL 566 5
COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY, THE GOVERNING BODY O F EACH COUNTY , AND, IN 1
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THIS ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 2
(C) NOTHING IN THIS SECTI ON MAY BE CONSTRUED TO AUTHORIZE THE 3
COMMISSION TO RENAME REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE STATE OR A POLITICAL 4
SUBDIVISION. 5
9–3808. 6
(A) (1) THE COMMISSION MAY SEEK M ONEY FROM THE FEDERA L 7
GOVERNMENT , FOUNDATIONS , AND PRIVATE SOURCES IN ADDITION TO STATE 8
FINANCING. 9
(2) THE COMMISSION MAY ACCEPT GIF TS, GRANTS, DONATIONS, 10
BEQUESTS, OR ENDOWMENTS FOR AN Y OF ITS PURPOSES . 11
(B) MONEY RECEIVED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION AND 12
INCOME AND FEES DERI VED FROM EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND ACTIVI TIES OF 13
THE COMMISSION ARE NOT SU BJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND 14
PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 15
(C) MONEY MAINTAINED UNDE R THIS SECTION IS SU BJECT TO AUDIT BY 16
THE STATE, INCLUDING THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR. 17
SECTION 3. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
October July 1, 2024. 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 7 years and, at the end 19
of June 30, 2032, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall 20
be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 21
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.