HB0160 • 2026

State and Local Government - Real Property - Confederate Naming Prohibited

Elections

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Schindler , Behler , Fair , Kaufman , Palakovich Carr , and Woorman
Last action: 2026-03-24
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

State and Local Government - Real Property - Confederate Naming Prohibited

Prohibiting a State entity or a political subdivision of the State from assigning a Confederate name to real property owned by the State or political subdivision; and defining "Confederate name" as any name that commemorates or references any aspect of the states in rebellion, operating as the Confederate States of America, from 1861 to 1865 or any person or entity that serviced voluntarily with or on behalf of the Confederate States of America in any military or civilian capacity.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting a State entity or a political subdivision of the State from assigning a Confederate name to real property owned by the State or political subdivision; and defining "Confederate name" as any name that commemorates or references any aspect of the states in rebellion, operating as the Confederate States of America, from 1861 to 1865 or any person or entity that serviced voluntarily with or on behalf of the Confederate States of America in any military or civilian capacity.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

533022/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 533022/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 160 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, in line 20, strike “ A” and substitute “ ANY”; in the same line, after “COMMEMORATES” insert “ OR REFERENCES ANY AS PECT OF THE STATES I N REBELLION, OPERATING AS”; in line 21, after “ AMERICA” insert “ , FROM 1861 TO 1865”; in the same line, strike “ WHO” and substitute “ OR ENTITY THAT”; in line 22, after “WITH” insert “OR ON BEHALF OF”; and in the same line, after “AMERICA” insert “IN ANY MILITARY OR CIVILIAN CAPACITY”.

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 160 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, in line 20, strike “ A” and substitute “ ANY”; in the same line, after “COMMEMORATES” insert “ OR REFERENCES ANY AS PECT OF THE STATES I N REBELLION, OPERATING AS”; in line 21, after “ AMERICA” insert “ , FROM 1861 TO 1865”; in the same line, strike “ WHO” and substitute “ OR ENTITY THAT”; in line 22, after “WITH” insert “OR ON BEHALF OF”; and in the same line, after “AMERICA” insert “IN ANY MILITARY OR CIVILIAN CAPACITY”.
On page 2, in line 5, strike “OR”; in line 6, after “DISTRICT” insert “; OR (6) THE MARYLAND–NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION”.
HB0160/533022/1 BY: Government, Labor, and Elections Committee

Bill History

2026-03-24 Senate
Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-20 House
Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections
2026-03-09 House
Third Reading Passed (115-7)
2026-03-07 House
Favorable with Amendments { 533022/1 Adopted
2026-03-07 House
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-07 Senate
Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-02-04 House
Hearing 2/10 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-14 House
First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections
2025-08-11 House
Pre-filed
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - State and Local Government - Real Property - Confederate Naming Prohibited
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Government, Labor, and Elections
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - State and Local Government - Real Property - Confederate Naming Prohibited

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting a State entity or a political subdivision of the State from assigning a Confederate name to real property owned by the State or political subdivision; and defining "Confederate name" as any name that commemorates or references any aspect of the states in rebellion, operating as the Confederate States of America, from 1861 to 1865 or any person or entity that serviced voluntarily with or on behalf of the Confederate States of America in any military or civilian capacity.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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.
*hb0160*

HOUSE BILL 160
L6, N1, P3 6lr0678
(PRE–FILED)
By: Delegates Schindler, Behler, Fair, Kaufman, Palakovich Carr, and Woorman
Requested: August 11, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 7, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

State and Local Government – Real Property – Confederate Naming Prohibited 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a State entity or a political subdivision of the State from 3
assigning a Confederate name to real property owned by the State or political 4
subdivision; and generally relating to prohibiting Confederate naming of State and 5
local real property. 6

BY adding to 7
Article – General Provisions 8
Section 9 –101 and 9 –102 to be under the new title “Title 9. State and Local 9
Government Real Property Naming” 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14

Article – General Provisions 15

TITLE 9. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REAL PROPERTY NAMING. 16

9–101. 17

2 HOUSE BILL 160

(A) IN THIS TITLE THE FOL LOWING WORDS HAVE TH E MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2

(B) “CONFEDERATE NAME” MEANS A ANY NAME THAT COMMEMORATES OR 3
REFERENCES ANY ASPEC T OF THE STATES IN R EBELLION, OPERATING AS THE 4
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, FROM 1861 TO 1865 OR ANY PERSON WHO OR 5
ENTITY THAT SERVED VOLUNTARILY W ITH OR ON BEHALF OF THE CONFEDERATE 6
STATES OF AMERICA IN ANY MILITARY OR CIVILIAN CAPACITY. 7

(1) A COUNTY; 9

(2) A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION; 10

(3) AN UNINCORPORATED TOWN; 11

(4) A SCHOOL DISTRICT; OR 12

(5) A SPECIAL DISTRICT; OR 13

(6) THE MARYLAND–NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING 14
COMMISSION. 15

(D) “REAL PROPERTY ” INCLUDES STREETS , BUILDINGS, PARKS, AND 16
SUBDIVISIONS. 17

(E) “STATE ENTITY ” INCLUDES ALL UNITS A ND AGENCIES IN THE 18
EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE, AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF STATE GOVERNMENT. 19

9–102. 20

A STATE ENTITY OR A POL ITICAL SUBDIVISION O F THE STATE MAY NOT 21
ASSIGN A CONFEDERATE NAME TO R EAL PROPERTY OWNED B Y THE STATE OR 22
POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. 23

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall be construed to 24
apply only prospectively and may not be applied or interpreted to have any effect on or 25
application to any real property, as defined under § 9–101 of the General Provisions Article, 26
as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, that has a Confederate name, as defined under § 9–101 27
of the General Provisions Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, before the effective 28
date of this Act. 29

HOUSE BILL 160 3

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2026. 2

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