State Designations - State Shark - Megalodon

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0097*

HOUSE BILL 97
P1 6lr1074
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 135
By: Delegate T. Morgan
Requested: October 2, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

State Designations – State Shark – Megalodon 2

FOR the purpose of designating the megalodon as the State shark; and generally relating 3
to the State shark. 4

BY renumbering 5
Article – General Provisions 6
Section 7–310 7
to be Section 7–311 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

BY adding to 11
Article – General Provisions 12
Section 7–310 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

Preamble 16

WHEREAS, The megalodon w as the largest shark that ever lived and one of the 17
largest predators; and 18

2 HOUSE BILL 97

WHEREAS, Fossilized teeth are found in Calvert County along Calvert Cliffs and 1
also found in Anne Arundel, Caroline, Charles, Dorchester, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s 2
counties; and 3

WHEREAS, The m egalodon continues to be a source of popular and scientific 4
fascination derived from their fossilized large, serrated teeth; and 5

WHEREAS, This macro predator provides evidence for the rich fossil history 6
preserved in Maryland; and 7

WHEREAS, There are extant sharks in both the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s 8
coastal waters, and the megalodon, although extinct, lived in this area for millions of years 9
and is a reminder of the important role modern and prehistoric sharks have played in 10
shaping past and present ecosystems; and 11

WHEREAS, As the Maryland State Paleontology Collection and Research Center, 12
the Calvert Marine Museum houses over 1 ,700 fossilized megalodon teeth, including the 13
only associated dentition (over 50 teeth from one individual) of the shark ever found within 14
the State; now, therefore, 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That Section(s) 7–310 of Article – General Provisions of the Annotated Code of Maryland 17
be renumbered to be Section(s) 7–311. 18

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 19
as follows: 20

Article – General Provisions 21

7–310. 22

THE MEGALODON (OTODUS MEGALODON) IS THE STATE SHARK. 23

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2026. 25

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.