African American Heritage Preservation Program and Maryland Commission for Women - Renaming and Alterations, the official text

WES MOORE, Governor                          Ch. 792

Chapter 792

                   (House Bill 1300)

AN ACT concerning

African American Heritage Preservation Program and Maryland Commission
                             for Women – Renaming and Alterations

FOR the purpose of renaming the African American Heritage Preservation Program to be
         the Speaker Adrienne A. Jones African American Heritage Preservation Program;
         repealing the authority of the Secretary of Human Services to appoint the executive
         director of the Maryland Commission for Women; providing that the executive
         director of the Commission is not a special appointee and is in the skilled service in
         the State Personnel Management System; altering the duties of the Commission;
         and generally relating to the African American Heritage Preservation Program and
         the Maryland Commission for Women.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
         Article – Housing and Community Development
         Section 6–212(a)(5)
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
         Article – Human Services
         Section 2–402
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
         Article – Human Services
         Section 2–405 and 2–406
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
         Article – State Finance and Procurement
         Section 5A–330(a)(1)
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
         Article – State Finance and Procurement
         Section 5A–330(a)(8) and (b)(1)
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

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Ch. 792        2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

         SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

               Article – Housing and Community Development

6–212.

         (a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, a sustainable community shall receive
priority for State funding under the:

                (5) SPEAKER ADRIENNE A. JONES African American Heritage [Grant]
PRESERVATION Program under Title 5A, Subtitle 3 of the State Finance and Procurement
Article.

               Article – Human Services

2–402.

(a) There is a Maryland Commission for Women in the Department.

         (b) The Commission shall report to the Governor and the General Assembly
through the Secretary.

2–405.

        (a) The [Secretary shall appoint an] executive director of the Commission IS NOT
CONSIDERED A SPECIAL APPOINTEE.

(b) The executive director:

               (1) shall be a merit employee of the Department; AND

                (2) IS IN THE SKILLED SERVICE IN THE STATE PERSONNEL
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

         (c) The executive director is entitled to the compensation provided in the State
budget.

2–406.

(a) (1) The Commission shall:

               (i) stimulate and encourage study and review of the status of women

in the State;

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          WES MOORE, Governor        Ch. 792

                         (ii) strengthen [home life] THE CONDITIONS FOR WOMEN IN AND
OUT OF THE HOME SOCIETY by directing CRITICAL attention to critical problems
confronting women as wives, mothers, homemakers, and workers IN THEIR VARIOUS
ROLES;

                         [(iii) recommend methods of overcoming discrimination against
women in public and private employment;

(iv) encourage women to become candidates for public office;

                           (v) promote more effective methods for enabling women to develop
skills, continue education, and be retrained;]

                         (III) CONDUCT RESEARCH ON ISSUES THAT IMPACT WOMEN AND
IDENTIFY EXISTING DISPARITIES;

                         (IV) CONDUCT STUDIES AND ASSIST WITH PROGRAMS,
SEMINARS, AND CONFERENCES TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT ISSUES
IMPACTING WOMEN;

(IV) (V)                  SUPPORT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE

THE WELL–BEING OF WOMEN;

(V) (VI)                  PROVIDE PUBLICITY FOR RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS

OF A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES AFFECTING WOMEN, INCLUDING PERSONAL GROWTH

AND DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC SECURITY, LIFE TRANSITIONS, AND CAREER–

RELATED ISSUES WOMEN’S HEALTH;

                         (VI) (VII) PROMOTE AND ASSIST STATEWIDE WOMEN’S
ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN, AND LOCAL VOLUNTEER
PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR WOMEN;

                         (VII) (VIII) ADVOCATE FOR LEGISLATION SUPPORTING WAGE
EQUALITY, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOSTERING WOMEN’S
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, WOMEN’S HEALTH, CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL
INCLUSION AND HUMAN RELATIONS, AND OTHER POLICIES THAT PROMOTE THE
EQUALITY AND FLOURISHING OF ALL PEOPLE;

                         (VIII) ENCOURAGE AND EMPOWER WOMEN TO COMPETE FOR

LEADERSHIP ROLES AND PROVIDE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN

THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS;

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Ch. 792                2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

                         (IX) RECOMMEND STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DISCRIMINATION
AND INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, THE
LAW, STATE GOVERNMENT, AND ELECTED AND APPOINTED POSITIONS ACROSS
PROFESSIONS AND WITHIN SOCIETY;

             (IX) (X)  OFFER SUPPORT PARTNER ORGANIZATION

PROGRAMS ON CAREER DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL WELLNESS, AND VIOLENCE

PREVENTION;

             [(vi)] (X) (XI)  secure appropriate recognition of women’s

accomplishments and contributions to the State;

                         [(vii) work to develop healthy attitudes within the framework of the
Commission’s responsibilities;] and

                         [(viii)] (XI) (XII) inform the executive and legislative branches of
government on issues concerning women, including BY offering testimony on these issues
before legislative and administrative bodies.

         (2) The Commission may:

                           (i) act as a clearinghouse for activities to avoid duplication of effort;
and

                           (ii) make surveys and appoint advisory committees in ALL fields
AFFECTING THE LIVES OF WOMEN IN THE STATE, including education, social services,
labor laws and employment policies, law enforcement, health and safety, new and expanded
services, legal rights, family relations, human relations, and volunteer services.

         (b) Through the Secretary, the Commission shall submit an annual report
including recommendations based on the Commission’s studies to the Governor and, subject
to § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly.

(c) The Commission may not adopt regulations.

             Article – State Finance and Procurement

5A–330.

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

                (8) “Program” means the SPEAKER ADRIENNE A. JONES African
American Heritage Preservation Program.

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WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 792

        (b) (1) There is [an] A SPEAKER ADRIENNE A. JONES African American
Heritage Preservation Program in the Trust.

         SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 2026.

Approved by the Governor, May 26, 2026.

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