Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB85 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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		sb0085
9	6
10	7		SENATE BILL 85
11	8		P1 5lr0740
12		-	(PRE–FILED) ~~CF HB 455~~
13		-	By: Senators Simonaire and M. Jackson
	9	+	(PRE–FILED)
	10	+	By: Senators Simonaire and Jackson
14	11		Requested: September 2, 2024
15	12		Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
16	13		Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
17		-	Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
18		-	Senate action: Adopted
19		-	Read second time: February 9, 2025
20	14
21		-	~~CHAPTER ______~~
	15	+	A BILL ENTITLED
22	16
23	17		AN ACT concerning 1
24	18
25	19		Braille Flag Memorial Act of 2025 2
26	20
27	21		FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Veterans and Military Families to 3
28	22		designate a location for an American braille tactile flag to be placed on the grounds 4
29	23		of one or more State veterans’ cemeteries; and generally relating to State veterans’ 5
30	24		cemeteries and American braille tactile flags. 6
31	25
32	26		BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
33	27		Article – State Government 8
34	28		Section 9–906(a) 9
35	29		Annotated Code of Maryland 10
36	30		(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
37	31
38	32		BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
39	33		Article – State Government 13
40	34		Section 9–906(b) 14
41	35		Annotated Code of Maryland 15
42	36		(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
43	37
44	38		BY adding to 17
45	39		Article – State Government 18
46	40		Section 9–906(j) 19
47	41		Annotated Code of Maryland 20
48		-	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21 2 SENATE BILL 85
	42	+	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21
	43	+
	44	+	Preamble 22
	45	+
	46	+	WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are 23
	47	+	approximately 130,000 blind veterans in the United States who are legally blind, and more 24 2 SENATE BILL 85
	48	+
	49	+
	50	+	than one million who have low vision that causes a loss of ability to perform necessary daily 1
	51	+	activities; and 2
	52	+
	53	+	WHEREAS, The American braille tactile flag was created by the Kansas Braille 3
	54	+	Transcription Institute in Wichita, Kansas, to allow blind Americans and blind veterans to 4
	55	+	experience the American flag; and 5
	56	+
	57	+	WHEREAS, Maryland has five State veterans’ cemeteries visited by thousands of 6
	58	+	people annually; and 7
	59	+
	60	+	WHEREAS, The State of Maryland is known as a state that recognizes the great 8
	61	+	contributions of our blind community and honors the dedication of our uniformed services 9
	62	+	members and veterans; now, therefore, 10
	63	+
	64	+	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
	65	+	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
	66	+
	67	+	Article – State Government 13
	68	+
	69	+	9–906. 14
	70	+
	71	+	(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 15
	72	+
	73	+	(2) “AMERICAN BRAILLE TACTILE FLAG ” MEANS A TACTILE FLAG 16
	74	+	DESIGNED TO ALLOW BL IND PEOPLE TO EXPERI ENCE THE AMERICAN FLAG , 17
	75	+	INCLUDING A FLAG CREATED BY TH E KANSAS BRAILLE TRANSCRIPTION INSTITUTE. 18
	76	+
	77	+	(3) “Eligible dependent” means: 19
	78	+
	79	+	(i) a child who meets the requirements stated in 38 C.F.R. § 20
	80	+	38.620(e); or 21
	81	+
	82	+	(ii) a parent who meets the requirements stated in 38 C.F.R. § 22
	83	+	38.620(i). 23
	84	+
	85	+	[(3)] (4) “Eligible spouse” means a spouse who meets the requirements 24
	86	+	stated in 38 C.F.R. § 38.620(e). 25
	87	+
	88	+	[(4)] (5) “State veterans’ cemetery” means a cemetery that the 26
	89	+	Department establishes under this section. 27
	90	+
	91	+	[(5)] (6) In this section and in § 9–907 of this subtitle, “veteran” means 28
	92	+	an individual who: 29
	93	+
	94	+	(i) served other than dishonorably on active duty in the armed 30
	95	+	forces of the United States; or 31 SENATE BILL 85 3
49	96
50	97
51	98
52		-	Preamble 1
	99	+	(ii) served other than dishonorably as a member of the State militia 1
	100	+	ordered into active service of the United States by order of the President and was killed in 2
	101	+	the line of duty. 3
53	102
54		-	WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are 2
55		-	approximately 130,000 blind veterans in the United States who are legally blind, and more 3
56		-	than one million who have low vision that causes a loss of ability to perform necessary daily 4
57		-	activities; and 5
	103	+	[(6)] (7) “Washington Cemetery” means the Civil War cemetery grounds 4
	104	+	authorized by Chapter 213 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1870. 5
58	105
59		-	WHEREAS, The American braille tactile flag was created by the Kansas Braille 6
60		-	Transcription Institute in Wichita, Kansas, and through the American Braille Flag Project, 7
61		-	to allow blind Americans and blind veterans to experience the American flag; and 8
	106	+	(b) The Department may establish one or more cemeteries in the State for the 6
	107	+	burial of veterans and their eligible spouse or dependents as authorized by the Secretary. 7
62	108
63		-	WHEREAS, Maryland has five State veterans’ cemeteries visited by thousands of 9
64		-	people annually; and 10
	109	+	(J) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DESIGNATE A LOCATION FOR AN AMERICAN 8
	110	+	BRAILLE TACTILE FLAG TO BE PLACED IN ONE OR MORE STATE VETERANS ’ 9
	111	+	CEMETER IES AS AUTHORIZED BY THE SECRETARY TO HONOR MEMBERS OF THE 10
	112	+	UNIFORMED SERVICES , VETERANS, AND OTHER INDIVIDUAL S IN THE STATE WHO 11
	113	+	ARE BLIND OR VISUALL Y IMPAIRED. 12
65	114
66		-	WHEREAS, The State of Maryland is known as a state that recognizes the great 11
67		-	contributions of our blind community and honors the dedication of our uniformed services 12
68		-	members and veterans; now, therefore, 13
69		-
70		-	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
71		-	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
72		-
73		-	Article – State Government 16
74		-
75		-	9–906. 17
76		-
77		-	(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 18
78		-
79		-	(2) “AMERICAN BRAILLE TACT ILE FLAG” MEANS A TACTILE FLAG 19
80		-	DESIGNED TO ALLOW BL IND PEOPLE TO EXPERI ENCE THE AMERICAN FLAG , 20
81		-	INCLUDING A FLAG CRE ATED BY THE KANSAS BRAILLE TRANSCRIPTION INSTITUTE. 21
82		-
83		-	(3) “Eligible dependent” means: 22
84		-
85		-	(i) a child who meets the requirements stated in 38 C.F.R. § 23
86		-	38.620(e); or 24
87		-
88		-	(ii) a parent who meets the requirements stated in 38 C.F.R. § 25
89		-	38.620(i). 26
90		-
91		-	[(3)] (4) “Eligible spouse” means a spouse who meets the requirements 27
92		-	stated in 38 C.F.R. § 38.620(e). 28
93		-
94		-	[(4)] (5) “State veterans’ cemetery” means a cemetery that the 29
95		-	Department establishes under this section. 30
96		-	SENATE BILL 85 3
97		-
98		-
99		-	[(5)] (6) In this section and in § 9–907 of this subtitle, “veteran” means 1
100		-	an individual who: 2
101		-
102		-	(i) served other than dishonorably on active duty in the armed 3
103		-	forces of the United States; or 4
104		-
105		-	(ii) served other than dishonorably as a member of the State militia 5
106		-	ordered into active service of the United States by order of the President and was killed in 6
107		-	the line of duty. 7
108		-
109		-	[(6)] (7) “Washington Cemetery” means the Civil War cemetery grounds 8
110		-	authorized by Chapter 213 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1870. 9
111		-
112		-	(b) The Department may establish one or more cemeteries in the State for the 10
113		-	burial of veterans and their eligible spouse or dependents as authorized by the Secretary. 11
114		-
115		-	(J) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DESI GNATE A LOCATION FOR AN AMERICAN 12
116		-	BRAILLE TACTILE FLAG TO BE PLACED IN ONE OR MORE STATE VETERANS ’ 13
117		-	CEMETERIES AS AUTHOR IZED BY THE SECRETARY TO HONOR ME MBERS OF THE 14
118		-	UNIFORMED SERVICES , VETERANS, AND OTHER INDIVIDUAL S IN THE STATE WHO 15
119		-	ARE BLIND OR VISUALL Y IMPAIRED. 16
120		-
121		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 17
122		-	October 1, 2025. 18
123		-
124		-
125		-
126		-
127		-	Approved:
128		-	________________________________________________________________________________
129		-	Governor.
130		-	________________________________________________________________________________
131		-	President of the Senate.
132		-	________________________________________________________________________________
133		-	Speaker of the House of Delegates.
	115	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
	116	+	October 1, 2025. 14