# Maryland SB 0776: Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children - Establishment

Maryland SB 0776, Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children - Establishment, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by William C. Smith (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-26 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 607) (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0776-2026RS
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland SB 0776
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children - Establishment
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-02-06
- Last action: 2026-05-26, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 607
- Sponsor: William C. Smith (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 12
- Subjects: Juvenile Law, Administrative Agencies, Attorney General, Cemeteries, Civil Rights and Social Equity, Committees and Commissions, Contracts -see also- Procurement, Counties -see also- Chartered Counties; Code Counties; etc., Curriculum, Death -see also- Homicide; Murder; Wrongful Death, Education -see also- ContEd; DrvEd; HigherEd; etc., Genetics, Grants, Health, Department of, Historical Matters -see also- Archives; Monumts; Museum; etc, Identification -see also- Biometrics; Fingerprinting; DrLics, Intergovernmental Cooperation -see also- AdmAgn; Cmts; etc., Investigations and Inquiries -see also- Crim Bckgrnd Invest, Juvenile Facilities, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, Kinship -see also- Parents and Guardians, Monuments and Memorials, Municipal Corporations -see also- Annap; Balt, Notices, Open Government, Permits -see also- Building Permits, Prince George's County, Privacy, Procurement, Public Buildings and Facilities -see also- Stadiums; St Hse, Racial Matters -see also- Ethnic Affairs; Minorities, Records -see also- Land Records; Vital Records, Reparations, Reports, Revenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax), Safety -see also- Occupational Safety, State Universities and Colleges, Subpoenas, Sunset, Testimony -see also- Witnesses
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (179 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Reports due and four-year timeline: benefit, low. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and ends June 30, 2030. The Commission must send a progress report by December 31, 2027. It must send a final report by December 31, 2029 with findings, names and death circumstances, recommendations for memorials and reforms, and an accounting of spending.
- State funding and HBCU preference: benefit, low. State budget funds support the Commission’s work, and the Attorney General manages the money. The Attorney General can seek federal grants and private donations, with Commission approval of grant applications. When buying goods and services, the Attorney General should, when lawful and practical, p…
- Commission setup, leadership, participation: mixed, low. The law creates a state Commission to investigate the House of Reformation site. The Attorney General serves as Chair, the Commission elects a Vice Chair, and the Attorney General’s office provides staff. The Attorney General appoints up to six public members, including a descendant or former resid…
- Powers to identify remains, notify descendants: mixed, low. The Commission hires experts and can approve exhumations to find and identify those buried at the site. It can dig and remove remains there without separate permits, after consulting state archaeology and health officials. It can subpoena documents and testimony and see sealed juvenile, medical, an…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: William C. Smith (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Nick Charles (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Bill Ferguson (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: William G. Folden (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kevin M. Harris (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Shaneka Henson (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mary-Dulany James (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Sara Love (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mike McKay (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: C. Anthony Muse (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Charles E. Sydnor (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Jeff Waldstreicher (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Chris West (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-08 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 134 | 0 | 2 |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 45 | 0 |   |

## Actions (17)

- 2026-05-26: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 607
- 2026-04-09: Returned Passed (Senate)
- 2026-04-08: Third Reading Passed (134-0) (House)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable Report by Government, Labor, and Elections (House)
- 2026-03-26: Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-03-09: Referred Government, Labor, and Elections (House)
- 2026-03-06: Third Reading Passed (45-0) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Floor Amendment {323120/1 (Senator Smith) Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Floor Amendment {703129/1 (Senator Smith) Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Motion Laid Over (Senator Smith) Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Floor Amendment {703129/1 (Senator Smith) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Favorable with Amendments {963526/1 Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: First Reading Judicial Proceedings (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-05-26: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_607_sb0776t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-03-04: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0776t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-02-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0776f.pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - Authorization (became law)
- SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishment (became law)
- SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law)
- SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-1 Specialists Act) (became law)
- SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits (became law)
- HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law)

## Sources
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_607_sb0776t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0776t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0776f.pdf)

## Related
- [SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - A…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0496-2026RS)
- [SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishm…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0366-2026RS)
- [SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0244-2026RS)
- [SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0148-2026RS)
- [SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0016-2026RS)
- [HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0529-2026RS)
- [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills)
- [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0776-2026RS (as of 2026-10-11).