EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0254*
SENATE BILL 254
P1 5lr0109
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 196
By: Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee (By Request –
Departmental – Veterans and Military Families)
Requested: September 29, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Government – Department of Veterans and Military Families – Board and 2
Commission – Membership and Oversight 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Veterans and Military Families to provide 4
oversight of the War Memorial Building; altering the membership of the Maryland 5
Veterans Trust Fund Board of Trustees; altering the membership of the Maryland 6
Veterans Commission; repealing the War Memorial Commission; and generally 7
relating to the Department of Veterans and Military Families. 8
BY repealing 9
Article – State Government 10
Section 9–932 through 9–939 and the part “Part IV. War Memorial Commission” 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
BY adding to 14
Article – State Government 15
Section 9–908.1 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – State Government 20
Section 9–914, 9–914.1, and 9–917 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 23
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 24
Article – State Government 25 2 SENATE BILL 254
Section 9–915 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 3
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 4
That Section(s) 9–932 through 9–939 and the part “Part IV. War Memorial Commission” of 5
Article – State Government of the Annotated Code of Maryland be repealed. 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 7
as follows: 8
Article – State Government 9
9–908.1. 10
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROV IDE OVERSIGHT OF THE WAR 11
MEMORIAL BUILDING AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION. 12
(B) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS THAT P ROVIDE 13
FOR THE MANAGEMENT O F THE WAR MEMORIAL BUILDING IN A MANNER THAT: 14
(I) PERMITS THE GREATEST POSSIBLE USE OF THE BUILDING 15
BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE AND BY PATRIOTI C ORGANIZATIONS IN T HE STATE; 16
AND 17
(II) TO THE EXTENT POSSIB LE, PERMITS THE USE BY T HE 18
PATRIOTIC ORGANIZATI ONS WITHOUT COST . 19
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENFO RCE THE REGULATIONS . 20
(C) THE DEPARTMENT MAY USE , FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND 21
ADMINISTRATION OF TH E BUILDING, ANY FUNDS THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OR 22
THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE APPROPRIATE FOR THOSE 23
PURPOSES. 24
(D) THE STATE AND BALTIMORE CITY JOINTLY SHALL HOLD TITLE T O THE 25
WAR MEMORIAL BUILDING AND THE MEMO RIAL SITE. 26
9–914. 27
(a) The powers and duties of the Trust shall rest in and be exercised by a Board 28
of Trustees. 29
(b) The Board of Trustees shall consist of the following 11 members: 30
SENATE BILL 254 3
(1) the Secretary, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee, who shall serve as 1
the chair; 2
(2) the Secretary of Aging, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 3
(3) the Secretary of Labor, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 4
(4) the Secretary of Health, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 5
(5) the Secretary of Human Services, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 6
(6) the Adjutant General of the Military Department, ex officio, or the 7
Adjutant General’s designee; 8
(7) one representative of each of the following organizations, appointed by 9
the Governor: 10
(i) a veterans service organization; 11
(ii) a nonprofit organization that serves veterans; and 12
(iii) the business community; 13
(8) AS A NONVOTING TRUST EE, a member of the House of Delegates 14
appointed by the Speaker of the House; and 15
(9) AS A NONVOTING TRUST EE, a member of the Senate appointed by the 16
President of the Senate. 17
(c) The Governor shall consider geographical balance in making appointments to 18
the Board of Trustees. 19
(d) Except for the ex officio members or their designees: 20
(1) the term of a member is 4 years; 21
(2) the terms of members are staggered as required by the terms provided 22
for members of the Board on July 1, 2013; 23
(3) at the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is 24
appointed and qualifies; 25
(4) a member who is appointed after a term has begun serves for the rest 26
of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies; and 27
(5) a member may serve no more than 2 terms. 28
4 SENATE BILL 254
9–914.1. 1
(a) The Board shall meet at places and dates to be determined by the Board, but 2
not less than 2 times a year. 3
(b) A majority of the VOTING trustees is a quorum. 4
(c) A trustee: 5
(1) may not receive compensation as a trustee; but 6
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 7
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 8
(d) The Department shall provide staff, supplies, and office space for the Board. 9
9–915. 10
In this Part II of this subtitle, “Commission” means the Maryland Veterans 11
Commission. 12
9–917. 13
(a) (1) The Commission consists of the following members appointed by the 14
Governor. 15
(2) Of the members: 16
(i) 1 shall be appointed AS A NONVOTING MEMBER from each [of 17
the 8 congressional districts in the State] COUNTY VETERAN COMMI SSION; 18
(ii) 1 shall be a veteran appointed from the State at large; 19
(iii) 1 shall be a woman veteran appointed from the State at large; 20
(iv) 1 shall be a representative of a retired enlisted organization; 21
(v) 1 shall be a veteran of the Iraq or Afghanistan conflict, as defined 22
in § 1–202(a–1) of the Public Safety Article; 23
(vi) 1 shall be appointed from a list of individuals submitted to the 24
Governor by each of the following organizations: 25
[1. the American Ex–Prisoners of War, Inc.;] 26
[2.] 1. the American Legion; 27
SENATE BILL 254 5
[3.] 2. the AMVETS; 1
[4.] 3. the Catholic War Veterans; 2
[5.] 4. the Disabled American Veterans; 3
[6.] 5. the Fleet Reserve Association; 4
[7.] 6. the Jewish War Veterans; 5
[8.] 7. the Marine Corps League; 6
[9.] 8. the Maryland Military Officers Association of America; 7
[10.] 9. the Military Order of the Purple Heart; 8
[11. the Polish Legion of American Veterans;] 9
[12.] 10. the Veterans of Foreign Wars; 10
[13.] 11. the Vietnam Veterans of America; 11
[14.] 12. the Korean War Veterans Association, Inc.; 12
[15.] 13. the National Association for Black Veterans; 13
[16.] 14. the Colonial Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of 14
America; and 15
[17.] 15. the Reserve Organization of America; and 16
(vii) [1 shall be an honorary nonvoting member appointed from a list 17
of individuals submitted to the Governor by the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association] A 18
DESIGNEE FROM A MARYLAND NONPROFIT OR GANIZATION REPRESENT ING 19
VETERANS AND MILITAR Y FAMILIES. 20
(b) Each member must be a resident of the State and a veteran. 21
(c) (1) The term of an appointed member is 5 years. 22
(2) The terms of the appointed members are staggered as required by the 23
terms provided for members of the Commission on October 1, 1984. 24
(3) At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is 25
appointed and qualifies. 26 6 SENATE BILL 254
(4) A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the 1
rest of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 2
(5) (I) When an organization is no longer a part of the Commission, the 3
appointment shall terminate at the end of the current member’s term. 4
(II) AN ORGANIZATION ’S REPRESENTATIVE SEA T MAY BE 5
REMOVED IF THE ORGAN IZATION FAILS TO APP OINT A NEW COMMISSIO NER FOR 2 6
CONTINUOUS YEARS . 7
(6) AN ORGANIZATION MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE COMMISSION IF 8
A REPRESENTATIVE FRO M THE ORGANIZATION I S NOT RECOMMENDED BY THAT 9
ORGANIZATION . 10
(d) [A new organization may not be eligible for representation on the Commission, 11
by appointment of the Governor, unless it is congressionally chartered] A MAJORITY OF 12
THE VOTING MEMBERS O F THE COMMISSION IS A QUORU M. 13
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 14
October 1, 2025. 15