EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1184*
HOUSE BILL 1184
M1 EMERGENCY BILL 5lr2445
CF SB 477
By: Delegates Reilly, Arentz, Ghrist, Griffith, and Jacobs
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Port of Deposit State Historical Park – Size and Scope 2
FOR the purpose of altering the size and scope of the Port of Deposit State Historical Park; 3
extending the deadline for the Bainbridge Development Corporation to transfer 4
certain property to the Department of Natural Resources; altering the purpose for 5
which a certain appropriation may be used; and generally relating to the Port of 6
Deposit State Historical Park. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Natural Resources 9
Section 5–1012(g) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Chapter 39 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2022, as amended by Chapter 602 14
of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2023 15
Section 5 16
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Chapter 602 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2023 18
Section 2 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
Article – Natural Resources 22
5–1012. 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1184
(g) (1) (i) The Department shall establish the Port of Deposit State 1
Historical Park as a partnership park that seeks to educate the public about and preserve 2
and interpret the lives and experiences of Black Americans both before and after the 3
abolition of slavery. 4
(ii) Port of Deposit State Historical Park shall be held by the State 5
as a State park under the protection and administration of the Department. 6
(2) Port of Deposit State Historical Park shall consist of a portion of the 7
Bainbridge Naval Training Center site, measuring not less than [120] 12 acres and not 8
more than [150] 19 acres, that the Bainbridge Development Corporation transfers to the 9
Department, including: 10
(i) [The historic Tome School; 11
(ii)] The Snow Hill archaeological site; and 12
[(iii)] (II) The adjacent wooded conservation area. 13
(3) (i) The Department shall establish a stakeholder advisory 14
committee to advise the Department on the scope and management of Port of Deposit State 15
Historical Park. 16
(ii) The stakeholder advisory committee shall consist of the following 17
members: 18
1. One member designated by the Mayor and Town Council 19
of Port Deposit; 20
2. Two members of the House of Delegates and one member 21
of the Senate of Maryland representing Cecil County, designated by the Cecil County 22
Delegation of the General Assembly; 23
3. The County Executive of Cecil County, or the County 24
Executive’s designee; 25
4. The President of the Cecil County Council, or the 26
President’s designee; 27
5. The President of the Cecil County branch of the NAACP, 28
or the President’s designee; 29
6. The President of the Historical Society of Cecil County, or 30
the President’s designee; 31
7. The Director of the Cecil County Department of Parks and 32
Recreation; 33 HOUSE BILL 1184 3
8. The Chair of the Bainbridge Development Corporation, or 1
the Chair’s designee; 2
9. The Chief Archaeologist of the Maryland Department of 3
Transportation, State Highway Administration, or the Chief Archaeologist’s designee; and 4
10. The following nonvoting ex officio members: 5
A. The Secretary, or the Secretary’s designee; 6
B. The Secretary of Commerce, or the Secretary’s designee; 7
C. The Secretary of the Environment, or the Secretary’s 8
designee; 9
D. The Secretary of Planning, or the Secretary’s designee; 10
E. The Director of the Maryland Historical Trust, or the 11
Director’s designee; 12
F. The President of the Lower Susquehanna Her itage 13
Greenway, or the President’s designee; 14
G. The Superintendent of Cecil County Public Schools; 15
H. The Executive Director of the Cecil County Public Library; 16
and 17
I. The President of Cecil College. 18
(iii) To the extent practicable, the stakeholder advisory committee 19
shall reflect the diversity of Cecil County. 20
(4) On or before September 1, 2024, the Department shall submit a report 21
to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article on: 22
(i) Property that is suitable for inclusion in Port of Deposit State 23
Historical Park; 24
(ii) The funding needed to establish and promote Port of Deposit 25
State Historical Park; and 26
(iii) The appropriate manner of preserving property that is not 27
identified for inclusion in Port of Deposit State Historical Park in perpetuity for its 28
archaeological, historical, and cultural significance. 29
4 HOUSE BILL 1184
Chapter 39 of the Acts of 2022, as amended by Chapter 602 of the Acts of 2023 1
SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 2
(a) On or before June 1, [2025] 2026, the Bainbridge Development Corporation 3
shall transfer to the Department of Natural Resources a portion of the Bainbridge Naval 4
Training Center site consisting of not less than [120] 12 acres and not more than [150] 19 5
acres, including: 6
(1) [the historic Tome School; 7
(2)] the Snow Hill archaeological site; and 8
[(3)] (2) the adjacent wooded conservation area. 9
(b) Any property transferred to the Department of Natural Resources under this 10
section that is not included in Port of Deposit State Historical Park shall be preserved in 11
perpetuity for its archaeological, historical, and cultural significance, in accordance with 12
the recommendations of the stakeholder advisory committee established under § 5–1012(g) 13
of the Natural Resources Article. 14
Chapter 602 of the Acts of 2023 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That for fiscal year 2025, the 16
Governor may include in the annual State budget an appropriation of at least $400,000 to 17
the Department of Natural Resources to conduct a Phase 1 Archaeological Survey and Soil 18
Study for the [Tome School and] Snow Hill [sites] SITE. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 20
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 21
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 22
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 23
enacted. 24