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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0815*
HOUSE BILL 815
G1, L2, F3 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 6lr1735
By: Delegate Hornberger
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Cecil County – County Council and Board of Education Elections – 2
Single–Member Districts 3
FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning in a certain year, the election of a member of the 4
Cecil C ounty Council to represent a specific residency district to be decided by a 5
plurality of the votes cast within that district; requiring the election of a member of 6
the Cecil County Board of Education from a county council residency district to be 7
decided by a plurality of the votes cast within that district; and generally relating to 8
Cecil County Council and Cecil County Board of Education election districts. 9
BY proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution 10
Article XI–A – Local Legislation 11
Section 3A 12
BY proposing an addition to the Maryland Constitution 13
Article XI–A – Local Legislation 14
Section 3B 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Education 17
Section 3–4A–01 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
(Three–fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses concurring), That it be 22
proposed that the Maryland Constitution read as follows: 23
Article XI–A – Local Legislation 24
3A. 25
2 HOUSE BILL 815
[The] SUBJECT TO SECTION 3B OF THIS ARTICLE, THE charter for the 1
government of any county governed by the provisions of this Article may provide for the 2
election of members of the county council by the voters of councilmanic districts therein 3
established, or by the voters of the entire county, or by a combination of these methods of 4
election. 5
3B. 6
BEGINNING IN 2032, THE ELECTION OF A MEMBER OF THE CECIL COUNTY 7
COUNCIL TO REPRESENT A SPECIFIC RESIDENCY DISTRICT SHALL BE DECIDED BY A 8
PLURALITY OF THE VOTES CAST WITHIN THAT DISTRICT. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 10
as follows: 11
Article – Education 12
3–4A–01. 13
(a) The Cecil County Board consists of six members as follows: 14
(1) One voting member elected from each of the five [commissioner] 15
COUNTY COUNCIL RESIDENCY districts BY A PLURALITY OF THE VOTES CAST WITHIN 16
THAT DISTRICT; and 17
(2) One nonvoting student member. 18
(b) The five voting members of the county board shall be elected at a general 19
election as required by subsection (c) of this section. 20
(c) (1) A member from a [county commissioner ] COUNTY COUNCIL 21
RESIDENCY district shall be a resident of the district. 22
(2) A member from a [county commissioner ] COUNTY COUNCIL 23
RESIDENCY district who no longer resides in the district may not continue as a member of 24
the county board. 25
(3) A candidate elected to the county board shall be a registered voter and 26
resident of Cecil County for at least 3 years. 27
(d) (1) Except as pro vided under subsection (e) of this section, each voting 28
member serves for a term of 4 years beginning on the first Monday in December after the 29
member’s election and until a successor is elected and qualifies. 30
(2) A voting member may not serve for more than three terms. 31
HOUSE BILL 815 3
(3) The Governor shall appoint a new member to fill any vacancy on the 1
county board for the remainder of that term and until a successor is elected and qualifies. 2
(e) The terms of the voting members are staggered as follows: 3
(1) Members of the county board from [commissioner] COUNTY COUNCIL 4
RESIDENCY districts 3, 4, and 5 shall be elected at the 2006 general election and every 4 5
years thereafter; and 6
(2) Members of the county board from [commissioner] COUNTY COUNCIL 7
RESIDENCY districts 1 and 2 shall be elected at the 2008 general election and every 4 years 8
thereafter. 9
(f) (1) The student member shall: 10
(i) Be an eleventh or twelfth grade student in the Cecil County 11
public school system elected by the high school students of the county in accordance with 12
procedures established by the school system; 13
(ii) Serve for 1 year beginning on July 1 after the election of the 14
member; 15
(iii) Be a nonvoting member; and 16
(iv) Advise the county board on the thoughts and feelings of students. 17
(2) Unless invited to attend by an affirmative vote of a majority of the 18
county board, the student member may not attend an executive session. 19
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 20
determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this 21
Act affects only one county and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland 22
Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments apply. 23
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the amendment to the 24
Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this Act shall be submitted to the qualified 25
voters of the State at the next general election to be held in November 2026 for adoption or 26
rejection in acc ordance with Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution. At that general 27
election, the vote on the proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be by ballot, and on 28
each ballot there shall be printed the words “For the Constitutional Amendment ” and 29
“Against the Constitutional Amendment”, as now provided by law. Immediately after the 30
election, all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed 31
amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution, and further 32
proceedings held in accordance with Article XIV. 33
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SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 2 of this Act shall take 1
effect October 1, 2031. 2