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SB 469

State Government - Maryland Reparations Commission - Establishment (Harriet Tubman Community Investment Act)

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joanne Benson

Establishes the Maryland Reparations Commission to award descendants of Maryland enslaved people cash, tuition support, scholarships, and loan help, funded in the annual budget.

Hearing 2/20 at 1:00 p.m. (Education, Energy, and the Environment)
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Bill Summary · SB 469

SB 469 — State Government: Maryland Reparations Commission (Harriet Tubman Community Investment Act)

Status: Introduced Jan 22, 2025; reported favorably out of committee and re‑referred to Appropriations; ultimately died on the Senate calendar at sine die adjournment (May 5, 2025). If enacted: effective date Oct 1, 2025.

Purpose / Intent

Establish the Maryland Reparations Commission to design and administer a program that provides compensatory benefits to descendants of persons enslaved in Maryland. The Act expresses legislative intent that private businesses and organizations that benefited from slavery work cooperatively with the Commission to identify additional funding/avenues for compensation.

Key provisions

  • Creates a new Subtitle 41 (Maryland Reparations Commission) in State Government law (Sections 9–4101 through 9–4108).
  • Commission duties:
    • Develop and administer compensatory benefits for eligible applicants.
    • Create application forms and standardized procedures to evaluate genealogical/evidentiary claims of descent from individuals enslaved in the State.
    • Adopt regulations to implement the program.
    • Cooperate with banking institutions and State agencies to help eligible applicants obtain low‑interest loans and mortgages (to the extent authorized by law).
  • Eligible recipients:
    • Any individual who can demonstrate descent from persons enslaved in Maryland.
  • Types of benefits:
    • Cash sum determined by the Commission (the Commission must consider the length and conditions of the ancestor’s enslavement when calculating payments).
    • Reimbursement for tuition payments to Maryland institutions of higher education.
    • Scholarships for use at Maryland community colleges or undergraduate/graduate/professional schools.
    • Assistance accessing loans and mortgages with favorable terms (subject to legal authority).
  • Commission composition and operations:
    • Members include the State Archivist (or designee), representatives designated by Maryland Historical Society, NAACP Maryland State Conference, Greater Baltimore Urban League, Harriet Tubman Museum (volunteer), Reginald F. Lewis Museum, five gubernatorial appointees, and several members selected by the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus (business owners, representatives from high‑minority communities, HBCU employees).
    • Chair and vice‑chair selected by members; members receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for travel; Maryland State Archives provides staffing.
    • Initial member terms staggered; some terms expire in 2026 and others in 2027.
  • Budget authority:
    • The Governor must include in each annual budget bill an appropriation “in an amount sufficient” to carry out the subtitle, including payments to eligible applicants. (The bill does not set a dollar figure or funding formula.)

Fiscal and operational impact (per Department of Legislative Services fiscal note)

  • General fund expenditures likely increase significantly beginning FY 2026 to cover benefit payments and Commission staffing; total costs “likely exceed $1.0 million and may total millions annually.”
  • Maryland State Archives likely requires at least five new staff (program manager, financial officer, three analysts) — estimated combined cost > $500,000/year; more staff could be needed depending on application volume.
  • Scholarship funding source is unspecified; costs could affect the Maryland Higher Education Commission, individual institutions, or local governments, depending on implementation.
  • The bill’s “sufficient appropriation” language does not meet statutory requirements to establish a mandated appropriation.

Practical considerations / next steps

  • If revived, key questions for policymakers include: benefit formula and per‑applicant award levels; evidentiary standards and appeals; administrative capacity and staffing; clear funding source(s) and budget language; coordination with higher education institutions and private partners; and legal constraints on interest‑rate or mortgage assistance.

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

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