| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. | |
| 4 | 4 | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. | |
| 5 | - | Underlining indicates amendments to bill. | |
| 6 | - | Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by | |
| 7 | - | amendment. | |
| 8 | 5 | *hb0509* | |
| 9 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 7 | HOUSE BILL 509 | |
| 11 | 8 | C2 5lr2035 | |
| 12 | 9 | CF SB 354 | |
| 13 | - | By: Delegates Simmons, Harris, A. Johnson, Taylor, and Tomlinson Tomlinson, | |
| 14 | - | Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, Chisholm, Cullison, Guzzone, Hill, Hutchinson, | |
| 15 | - | S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kerr, Kipke, Lopez, Martinez, M. Morgan, Pena–Melnyk, | |
| 16 | - | Reilly, Rosenberg, Ross, Szeliga, Taveras, White Holland, Woods, and | |
| 17 | - | Woorman | |
| 10 | + | By: Delegates Simmons, Harris, A. Johnson, Taylor, and Tomlinson | |
| 18 | 11 | Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2025 | |
| 19 | 12 | Assigned to: Health and Government Operations | |
| 20 | - | Committee Report: Favorable with amendments | |
| 21 | - | House action: Adopted | |
| 22 | - | Read second time: March 6, 2025 | |
| 23 | 13 | ||
| 24 | - | ||
| 14 | + | A BILL ENTITLED | |
| 25 | 15 | ||
| 26 | 16 | AN ACT concerning 1 | |
| 27 | 17 | ||
| 28 | 18 | Maryland Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Sites Workgroup – Establishment 2 | |
| 29 | 19 | ||
| 30 | 20 | FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Sites 3 | |
| 31 | 21 | Workgroup for the purpose of studying issues related to the establishment and 4 | |
| 32 | 22 | maintenance of a State cemetery inventory system; and generally relating to the 5 | |
| 33 | 23 | Maryland Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Sites Workgroup. 6 | |
| 34 | 24 | ||
| 35 | 25 | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE G ENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7 | |
| 36 | 26 | That: 8 | |
| 37 | 27 | ||
| 38 | 28 | (a) There is a Maryland Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Sites Workgroup. 9 | |
| 39 | 29 | ||
| 40 | 30 | (b) The Workgroup consists of the following members: 10 | |
| 41 | 31 | ||
| 42 | 32 | (1) the Director of the Maryland Historical Trust, or the Director’s 11 | |
| 43 | 33 | designee; 12 | |
| 44 | 34 | ||
| 45 | 35 | (2) the Executive Director of the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight, 13 | |
| 46 | 36 | or the Executive Director’s designee; 14 | |
| 37 | + | ||
| 38 | + | (3) the Chair of the Maryland Commission on African American History 15 | |
| 39 | + | and Culture, or the Chair’s designee; 16 | |
| 40 | + | ||
| 41 | + | (4) the President of the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites, 17 | |
| 42 | + | Incorporated, or the President’s designee; 18 | |
| 43 | + | ||
| 44 | + | (5) the Chief of the Office of Cultural Resources in the Maryland 19 | |
| 45 | + | Department of Transportation, or the Chief’s designee; 20 | |
| 46 | + | ||
| 47 | + | (6) the President of Preservation Maryland, or the President’s designee; 21 | |
| 47 | 48 | 2 HOUSE BILL 509 | |
| 48 | 49 | ||
| 49 | 50 | ||
| 50 | - | ( | |
| 51 | - | ||
| 51 | + | (7) the Maryland State Archivist, or the Maryland State Archivist’s 1 | |
| 52 | + | designee; and 2 | |
| 52 | 53 | ||
| 53 | - | (4) the President of the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites, 3 | |
| 54 | - | Incorporated, or the President’s designee; 4 | |
| 54 | + | (8) the following members, appointed by the Secretary of Labor: 3 | |
| 55 | 55 | ||
| 56 | - | ( | |
| 57 | - | ||
| 56 | + | (i) a representative of a local government with an existing cemetery 4 | |
| 57 | + | inventory program; 5 | |
| 58 | 58 | ||
| 59 | - | (6) the President of Preservation Maryland, or the President’s designee; 7 | |
| 59 | + | (ii) up to three representatives from local genealogical and historical 6 | |
| 60 | + | organizations that carry out cemetery research and documentation; 7 | |
| 60 | 61 | ||
| 61 | - | (7) the Maryland State Archivist, or the Maryland State Archivist’s 8 | |
| 62 | - | designee; and 9 | |
| 62 | + | (iii) a representative of a local descendant community; 8 | |
| 63 | 63 | ||
| 64 | - | ( | |
| 64 | + | (iv) a representative of a local cemetery; and 9 | |
| 65 | 65 | ||
| 66 | - | (i) a representative of a local government with an existing cemetery 11 | |
| 67 | - | inventory program; 12 | |
| 66 | + | (v) a representative of a religious cemetery. 10 | |
| 68 | 67 | ||
| 69 | - | ( | |
| 70 | - | ||
| 68 | + | (c) The chair of the Workgroup shall be selected by the Workgroup from among 11 | |
| 69 | + | its members. 12 | |
| 71 | 70 | ||
| 72 | - | (iii) a representative of a local descendant community; 15 | |
| 71 | + | (d) The Maryland Historical Trust and the Office of Cemetery Oversight shall 13 | |
| 72 | + | provide staff for the Workgroup. 14 | |
| 73 | 73 | ||
| 74 | - | ( | |
| 74 | + | (e) A member of the Workgroup: 15 | |
| 75 | 75 | ||
| 76 | - | ( | |
| 76 | + | (1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 16 | |
| 77 | 77 | ||
| 78 | - | ( | |
| 79 | - | ||
| 78 | + | (2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 17 | |
| 79 | + | Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 18 | |
| 80 | 80 | ||
| 81 | - | (d) The Maryland Historical Trust and the Office of Cemetery Oversight shall 20 | |
| 82 | - | provide staff for the Workgroup. 21 | |
| 81 | + | (f) The Workgroup shall: 19 | |
| 83 | 82 | ||
| 84 | - | (e) A member of the Workgroup: 22 | |
| 83 | + | (1) identify and review the various definitions of the terms “cemetery”, 20 | |
| 84 | + | “burial group”, “burial site”, and any related terms in the Maryland Annotated Code and 21 | |
| 85 | + | recommend a single definition for each term; 22 | |
| 85 | 86 | ||
| 86 | - | (1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 23 | |
| 87 | + | (2) identify and evaluate current cemetery documentation practices used 23 | |
| 88 | + | by county governments and municipal cultural resource management and historic 24 | |
| 89 | + | preservation programs, nonprofit preservation organizations, and private entities; 25 | |
| 87 | 90 | ||
| 88 | - | (2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 24 | |
| 89 | - | Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 25 | |
| 91 | + | (3) identify and evaluate cemetery inventory systems implemented in 26 | |
| 92 | + | other states to determine best practices for and challenges to designing, implementing, and 27 | |
| 93 | + | maintaining a cemetery inventory system in the State; 28 | |
| 90 | 94 | ||
| 91 | - | (f) The Workgroup shall: 26 | |
| 92 | - | ||
| 93 | - | (1) identify and review the various definitions of the terms “cemetery”, 27 | |
| 94 | - | “burial group”, “burial site”, and any related terms in the Maryland Annotated Code and 28 | |
| 95 | - | recommend a single definition for each term; 29 | |
| 96 | - | HOUSE BILL 509 3 | |
| 95 | + | (4) evaluate existing cemetery inventories maintained by county 29 | |
| 96 | + | governments, historic preservation programs, and genealogical organizations to determine 30 HOUSE BILL 509 3 | |
| 97 | 97 | ||
| 98 | 98 | ||
| 99 | - | (2) identify and evaluate current cemetery documentation practices used 1 | |
| 100 | - | by county governments and municipal cultural resource management and historic 2 | |
| 101 | - | preservation programs, nonprofit preservation organizations, and private entities; 3 | |
| 99 | + | the best methods for integrating existing information into a State cemetery inventory 1 | |
| 100 | + | system; 2 | |
| 102 | 101 | ||
| 103 | - | ( | |
| 104 | - | ||
| 105 | - | ||
| 102 | + | (5) identify and recommend a set of categories for data collection and 3 | |
| 103 | + | maintenance and system functions, including a public search function, for a State cemetery 4 | |
| 104 | + | inventory system; 5 | |
| 106 | 105 | ||
| 107 | - | (4) evaluate existing cemetery inventories maintained by county 7 | |
| 108 | - | governments, historic preservation programs, and genealogical organizations to determine 8 | |
| 109 | - | the best methods for integrating existing information into a State cemetery inventory 9 | |
| 110 | - | system; 10 | |
| 106 | + | (6) recommend the appropriate entity to collect data for and maintain a 6 | |
| 107 | + | State cemetery inventory system; 7 | |
| 111 | 108 | ||
| 112 | - | ( | |
| 113 | - | ||
| 114 | - | inventory system; | |
| 109 | + | (7) determine the cost of designing, implementing, and maintaining a State 8 | |
| 110 | + | cemetery inventory system and recommend a source of funding to implement a State 9 | |
| 111 | + | cemetery inventory system beginning in fiscal year 2027; and 10 | |
| 115 | 112 | ||
| 116 | - | (6) recommend the appropriate entity to collect data for and maintain a 14 | |
| 117 | - | State cemetery inventory system; 15 | |
| 113 | + | (8) evaluate the feasibility and cost of establishing a grant program to 11 | |
| 114 | + | provide financial assistance to governmental entities and nonprofit genealogical and 12 | |
| 115 | + | historical organizations to expedite identification of cemeteries and recommend the funding 13 | |
| 116 | + | amount and source for a grant program beginning in fiscal year 2027. 14 | |
| 118 | 117 | ||
| 119 | - | ( | |
| 120 | - | ||
| 121 | - | ||
| 118 | + | (g) On or before December 1, 2025, the Workgroup shall report its findings and 15 | |
| 119 | + | recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 16 | |
| 120 | + | Government Article, the General Assembly. 17 | |
| 122 | 121 | ||
| 123 | - | | |
| 124 | - | ||
| 125 | - | ||
| 126 | - | ||
| 122 | + | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 18 | |
| 123 | + | 1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of June 30, 2026, this 19 | |
| 124 | + | Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no 20 | |
| 125 | + | further force and effect. 21 | |
| 127 | 126 | ||
| 128 | - | (g) On or before December 1, 2025, the Workgroup shall report its findings and 23 | |
| 129 | - | recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 24 | |
| 130 | - | Government Article, the General Assembly. 25 | |
| 131 | - | ||
| 132 | - | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 26 | |
| 133 | - | 1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of June 30, 2026, this 27 | |
| 134 | - | Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no 28 | |
| 135 | - | further force and effect. 29 |