HB0524 • 2026

General Provisions - Commemorative Months - African Heritage Month

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Mireku-North , Acevero , Boafo , Bouchat , Boyce , Coley , Edelson , Fair , Feldmark , Fraser-Hidalgo , Holmes , Kaiser , Kaufman , Lewis , Lopez , Moreno , Nkongolo , Pasteur , Ruff , Simmons , Stinnett , Taveras , Taylor , Wims , Wolek , and Woods
Last action: 2026-02-16
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/17 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

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

General Provisions - Commemorative Months - African Heritage Month

Requiring the Governor annually to proclaim the month of September as African Heritage Month in recognition of the contributions that African Americans have made to the State; and requiring the proclamation to urge certain organizations to observe the month with certain programs and activities.

What This Bill Does

Requiring the Governor annually to proclaim the month of September as African Heritage Month in recognition of the contributions that African Americans have made to the State; and requiring the proclamation to urge certain organizations to observe the month with certain programs and activities.

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.

Bill History

2026-02-16 House
Hearing 3/17 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-27 House
First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - General Provisions - Commemorative Months - African Heritage Month

Official Summary Text

Requiring the Governor annually to proclaim the month of September as African Heritage Month in recognition of the contributions that African Americans have made to the State; and requiring the proclamation to urge certain organizations to observe the month with certain programs and activities.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0524*

HOUSE BILL 524
P1 6lr1055

By: Delegates Mireku –North, Acevero, Boafo, Bouchat, Boyce, Coley, Edelson,
Fair, Feldmark, Fraser –Hidalgo, Holmes, Kaiser, Kaufman, Lewis, Lopez,
Moreno, Nkongolo, Pasteur, Ruff, Simmons, Stinnett, Taveras, Taylor,
Wims, Wolek, and Woods
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

General Provisions – Commemorative Months – African Heritage Month 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Governor annually to proclaim a certain month as African 3
Heritage Month; requiring the proclamation to urge certain organizations to observe 4
the month wi th certain programs and activities; and generally relating to African 5
Heritage Month. 6

BY renumbering 7
Article – General Provisions 8
Section 7–505 through 7–507 9
to be Section 7–506 through 7–508, respectively 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

BY adding to 13
Article – General Provisions 14
Section 7–505 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That Section(s) 7–505 through 7–507 of Article – General Provisions of the Annotated Code 19
of Maryland be renumbered to be Section(s) 7–506 through 7–508, respectively. 20

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 21
as follows: 22

Article – General Provisions 23
2 HOUSE BILL 524

7–505. 1

(A) THE GOVERNOR ANNUALLY SHA LL PROCLAIM THE MONT H OF 2
SEPTEMBER AS AFRICAN HERITAGE MONTH IN RECOGNITION OF THE 3
CONTRIBUTIONS THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE MADE TO THE STATE. 4

(B) THE PROCLAMATION SHAL L URGE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL 5
ORGANIZATIONS TO OBS ERVE AFRICAN HERITAGE MONTH WITH APPROPRIAT E 6
PROGRAMS, CEREMONIES, AND ACTIVITIES. 7

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 8
1, 2026. 9