EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0875*
HOUSE BILL 875
F1 5lr2999
HB 50/24 – W&M
By: Delegates Acevero, Alston, Crutchfield, Hill, Martinez, Roberson, Ruff, Taylor,
Toles, Williams, Woods, Woorman, Wu, and Young
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2025
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 provide 6
equitable learning outcomes consistent with certain provisions of the Blueprint for 7
Maryland’s Future; and generally relating to the Commission on History, Culture, 8
and Civics in Education. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Education 11
Section 7–136 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Education 17
7–136. 18
(A) (1) THERE IS A COMMISSION ON HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CIVICS IN 19
EDUCATION. 20
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO: 21
(I) MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO T HE STATE BOARD AND THE 22 2 HOUSE BILL 875
DEPARTMENT TO FURTHER THE DISCOVERY , INTERPRETATION , AND LEARNING OF 1
THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CIVICS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MARYLAND; AND 2
(II) PROVIDE EQUITABLE LEA RNING OUTCOMES REGARDLESS 3
OF A STUDENT ’S FAMILY INCOME , RACE, ETHNICITY, DISABILITY, OR OTHER 4
CHARACTERISTICS CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE BLUEPRINT FOR 5
MARYLAND’S FUTURE IN § 1–303 OF THIS ARTICLE. 6
(B) (1) THE COMMISSION CONSISTS O F THE FOLLOWING MEMB ERS 7
APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR FROM A LIST OF NOMINEES: 8
(I) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENT ING MARYLAND’S INDIGENOUS 9
AMERICAN TRIBES , WHICH INCLUDE THE LENAPE, NANTICOKE, PISCATAWAY, 10
CONOY, POWHATAN, ACCOHANNOCK , SHAWNEE, SUSQUEHANNOCK , TUTELO, AND 11
SAPONI TRIBES, NOMINATED BY THE MARYLAND COMMISSION ON INDIAN AFFAIRS; 12
(II) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENT ING THE MARYLAND 13
LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY , ONE OF WHOM IDENTIFI ES AS TRANSGENDER , 14
NOMINATED BY THE MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE LGBTQIA+ CAUCUS; 15
(III) TWO MEMBER S REPRESENTING THE MARYLAND DISABLED 16
COMMUNITY , NOMINATED BY THE SECRETARY OF DISABILITIES; 17
(IV) TWO MEMBERS WHO ARE TEACHERS OR HOLD A TEACHING 18
LICENSE IN THE STATE: 19
1. ONE OF WHOM IS NOMINATED BY THE BALTIMORE 20
TEACHER’S UNION; AND 21
2. ONE OF WHOM IS NOMINATED BY THE MARYLAND 22
STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION; 23
(V) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE MARYLAND LATINO 24
COMMUNITY , NOMINATED BY THE MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE LATINO CAUCUS; 25
(VI) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENT ING THE MARYLAND AFRICAN 26
AMERICAN COMMUNITY , NOMINATED BY THE LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS OF 27
MARYLAND; 28
(VII) TWO MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE MARYLAND ASIAN 29
AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY , NOMINATED BY THE MARYLAND 30
LEGISLATIVE ASIAN–AMERICAN AND PACIFIC–ISLANDER CAUCUS; 31
HOUSE BILL 875 3
(VIII) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , TWO 1
MEMBERS REPRESENTING HIGHER EDUCA TION: 2
1. ONE OF WHOM IS NOMINATED BY THE CHANCELLOR 3
OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND; AND 4
2. ONE OF WHOM IS NOMINATED BY THE PRESIDENT OF 5
THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES; AND 6
(IX) THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, OR THE STATE 7
SUPERINTENDENT ’S DESIGNEE. 8
(2) THE INDIVIDUALS CONSIDER ED FOR NOMINATION BY THE 9
CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND UNDER PARAGRAPH 10
(1)(VIII)1 OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS WHO REPRESENT 11
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE STATE. 12
(C) (1) TO THE EXTENT PRACTIC ABLE, THE MEMBERSHIP OF TH E 13
COMMISSION SHALL REFL ECT THE GENDER , RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND GEOGRAPHIC 14
DIVERSITY OF THE STATE. 15
(2) A MAJORITY OF THE MEMB ERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL HAVE 16
CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE OR EXPERI ENCE IN DEVELOPING E DUCATION CONTENT 17
STANDARDS. 18
(D) (1) THE TERM OF A MEMBER IS 4 YEARS. 19
(2) THE TERMS OF MEMBERS ARE STAGGERED AS REQ UIRED BY THE 20
TERMS PROVIDED FOR M EMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON JULY 1, 2025. 21
(E) THE COMMISSION M EMBERS SHALL ELECT A CHAIR FROM AMONG THE 22
MEMBERS. 23
(F) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROV IDE STAFF FOR THE COMMISSION. 24
(G) A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION: 25
(1) MAY NOT RECEIVE COMPE NSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE 26
COMMISSION; BUT 27
(2) IS ENTITLED TO REIMBU RSEMENT FOR EXPENSES UNDER THE 28
STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 29
4 HOUSE BILL 875
(H) THE COMMISSION SHALL : 1
(1) EXAMINE THE HISTORY , CULTURE, AND CIVICS OF THE UNITED 2
STATES AND MARYLAND, INCLUDING: 3
(I) THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS, LATINOS, 4
AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND ASIAN AMERICANS; 5
(II) THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, 6
TRANSGENDER , AND QUEER INDIVIDUAL S WITHIN THE MINORIT Y GROUPS; 7
(III) THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF SIGNIFICANT SOCIA L AND 8
CULTURAL FEATURES WI THIN THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES ; 9
(IV) THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND PERSECUTION OF RELIG IOUS 10
MINORITIES; 11
(V) THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MARYLAND DISABLED 12
COMMUNITY ; AND 13
(VI) THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN; 14
(2) MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STATE BOARD REGARDING 15
THE ADOPTION OF STANDARD S AND PROGRAMS THAT ACCURATELY REFLECT T HE 16
DISCOVERY, INTERPRETATION , AND LEARNING OF THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND 17
CIVICS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MARYLAND; 18
(3) MAKE ALL ACTIVITIES A ND MATERIALS OF THE COMMISSION 19
AVAILABLE ON THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE, INCLUDING: 20
(I) LIVE AND ARCHIVED VID EO STREAMING OF EACH 21
COMMISSION MEETING ; 22
(II) MEETING AGENDAS , MATERIALS, AND NOTES; AND 23
(III) COMMISSION REPORTS ; AND 24
(4) USE MULTIPLE COMMUNIC ATIONS METHODS TO PR OVIDE 25
UPDATES AND ANNOUNC EMENTS RELATED TO TH E COMMISSION. 26
(I) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 30 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2025, THE 27
COMMISSION SHALL REPO RT ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO T HE STATE 28
BOARD, THE GOVERNOR, AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 29 HOUSE BILL 875 5
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 1
(J) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1 EACH YEAR, THE STATE BOARD SHALL: 2
(1) REVIEW THE COMMISSION’S FINDINGS AND RECOM MENDATIONS ; 3
AND 4
(2) MAKE ANY APPROPRIATE CHANGES TO THE EDUCA TIONAL 5
STANDARDS FOR PREKIN DERGARTEN THROUGH GR ADE 12. 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the terms of the initial 7
members of the Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education shall expire as 8
follows: 9
(1) the eight members representing the indigenous American tribes, 10
Maryland Latino community, African American community, and Asian American and 11
Pacific Islander community in 2027; and 12
(2) the eight members representing the LGBTQIA+ community, disabled 13
community, teachers, and higher education in 2029. 14
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED , That this Act shall take effect July 15
1, 2025. 16