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Bill

HB 535

Abandoned and Neglected Cemeteries Fund - Establishment

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Tiffany Alston and 26 co-sponsors

Maryland establishes a dedicated fund to restore and maintain abandoned and neglected cemeteries, addressing historical preservation and community equity concerns.

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 410
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Bill Summary · HB 535

Legislative bill overview

HB 535 establishes a dedicated fund in Maryland to finance the restoration and maintenance of abandoned and neglected cemeteries throughout the state. The bill allocates resources to identify, preserve, and rehabilitate burial grounds that lack adequate upkeep or ownership oversight. This legislation addresses a long-standing infrastructure gap affecting historical and community burial sites.

Why is this important

Abandoned cemeteries represent significant cultural, historical, and genealogical resources that deteriorate without intervention, making ancestor records inaccessible and disrespecting burial sites. The fund enables systematic preservation of these spaces, which often hold importance for African American communities, immigrant populations, and rural areas where family burial grounds lack formal organization. This addresses equity concerns, as neglected cemeteries disproportionately affect marginalized communities with fewer resources for private maintenance.

Potential points of contention

  • Funding mechanism and sustainability: Questions about revenue sources for the fund and whether appropriations will be sufficient or sustained over multiple budget cycles
  • Ownership and liability issues: Determining responsibility when cemetery ownership is unclear or disputed, and who bears legal liability for maintenance work on private or abandoned sites
  • Prioritization criteria: How the state will decide which cemeteries receive funding first, potentially favoring some communities over others based on documented historical significance or other factors

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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