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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb1006*
SENATE BILL 1006
P1 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 6lr3689
By: Senators Jennings, Folden, Simonaire, Corderman, Mautz, Carozza, Bailey,
Gallion, West, Hershey, Ready, Salling, and McKay
Constitutional Requirements Complied with for Introduction in the last 35 Days of Session
Introduced and read first time: February 24, 2026
Assigned to: Rules
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland State Flag Protection Act 2
FOR the purpose of establishing that, in accordance with the Maryland Constitution, the 3
State flag is the Maryland flag ; proposing an amendment to the Maryland 4
Constitution to specify that the State flag is the Maryland flag adopted under 5
Chapter 48 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1904 ; and generally relating to 6
the State flag. 7
BY repealing 8
Article – General Provisions 9
Section 7–202 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
BY renumbering 13
Article – General Provisions 14
Section 7–203 through 7–207 15
to be Section 7–202 through 7–206, respectively 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – General Provisions 20
Section 7–201 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23
BY proposing an addition to the Maryland Constitution 24
Article XV – Miscellaneous 25
2 SENATE BILL 1006
Section 8 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That Section(s) 7–202 of Article – General Provisions of the Annotated Code of Maryland 3
be repealed. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section(s) 7–203 through 5
7–207 of Article – General Provisions of the Annotated Code of Maryland be renumbered 6
to be Section(s) 7–202 through 7–206, respectively. 7
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 8
as follows: 9
Article – General Provisions 10
7–201. 11
[The] IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE XV, § 8 OF THE MARYLAND 12
CONSTITUTION, THE Maryland flag is the State flag. 13
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, (Three–fifths of all the members 14
elected to each of the two Houses concurring), That it be proposed that the Maryland 15
Constitution read as follows: 16
Article XV – Miscellaneous 17
8. 18
(A) THE STATE FLAG SHALL BE THE MARYLAND FLAG ADOPTED UNDER 19
CHAPTER 48 OF THE ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1904. 20
(B) (1) THE STATE FLAG BEARS THE ARMS OF TH E CALVERT AND 21
CROSSLAND FAMILIES AND IS DIVIDED INTO QUARTERS. 22
(2) THE TOP–LEFT AND BOTTOM–RIGHT QUARTERS DISPLAY THE 23
COAT OF ARMS FOR THE CALVERT FAMILY THAT IS A PALY OF SIX PIECES, OR (GOLD) 24
AND SABLE (BLACK), AND A BEND DEXTER (RIGHT DIAGONAL BAND ) 25
COUNTERCHANGED, SO THAT THEY CONSIST OF SIX ALTERNATING GOLD AND BLACK 26
VERTICAL BARS WITH A DIAGONAL BAND ON WHICH THE COLORS ARE REVERSED. 27
(3) THE TOP–RIGHT AND BOTTOM–LEFT QUARTERS SHOW THE COAT 28
OF ARMS OF THE CROSSLAND FAMILY AND ARE QUARTERED ARGENT (WHITE) AND 29
GULES (RED), A CROSS BOTTONY COUNTERCHANGED, SO THAT THEY CONSIST OF A 30
QUARTERED FIELD OF WH ITE AND RED , CHARGED WITH A CROSS BOTTONY THAT 31
SENATE BILL 1006 3
HAS ARMS TERMINATING IN A BUTTON OR THREE –LEAF CLOVER AND OPPO SITE 1
COLORING. 2
SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 3
determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 4 of this 4
Act affects multiple jurisdictions and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland 5
Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments do not apply. 6
SECTION 6. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 7
(a) The amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 4 of this 8
Act shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the State at the next general election to be 9
held in November 2026 for adoption or rejection in accordance with Article XIV of the 10
Maryland Constitution. 11
(b) (1) At that general election, the vo te on the proposed amendment to the 12
Constitution shall be by ballot, and on each ballot there shall be printed the words “For the 13
Constitutional Amendment ” and “Against the Constitutional Amendment ”, as now 14
provided by law. 15
(2) At that general election , a question substantially similar to the 16
following shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the State: 17
“Question ____ – Constitutional Amendment 18
Providing that the State flag shall continue to be the Maryland flag adopted under Chapter 19
48 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1904.”. 20
(c) Immediately after the election, all returns shall be made to the Governor of 21
the vote for and against the proposed amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the 22
Maryland Constitution, and further proceedings held in accordance with Article XIV. 23
SECTION 7. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this 24
Act are contingent on the passage of Section 4 of this Act, a constitutional amendment, and 25
its ratification by the voters of the State. 26
SECTION 8. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, subject to Section 7 of this 27
Act, Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Act shall take effect on the proclamation of the Governor 28
that the constitutional amendment, having received a majority of the votes cast at the 29
general election, has been adopted by the people of Maryland. 30