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Committee approves work group to inventory Maryland cemeteries, removes Office of Cemetery Oversight staffing requirement
Summary
House Bill 509 passed the committee after amendments that struck a requirement for the Office of Cemetery Oversight to provide staff for the Maryland inventory of cemeteries and burial sites work group; the Maryland Historical Trust will staff the work group with an estimated $42,200 contract cost,
The Health and Government Operations Committee passed House Bill 509, which establishes a Maryland inventory of cemeteries and burial sites work group and requires the group to report findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2025. The committee adopted an amendment that removes the Office of Cemetery Oversight as a required staff provider for the work group, aligning the House version with a Senate cross-file that passed the Senate unanimously.
Sponsors said the original fiscal note estimated $42,200 for the Maryland Historical Trust and $39,200 for the Office of Cemetery Oversight, each to hire one contractual staff person for six months. After the amendment removing the Office of Cemetery Oversight staffing requirement, the sponsor reported the bill's fiscal impact would be just the $42,200 for the Maryland Historical Trust.
The bill passed with the adopted amendment; the committee record shows no opposition recorded in the transcript.
What the committee decided: adopt amendment to strike Office of Cemetery Oversight staffing requirement and pass HB509 as amended.
What remains to be decided: the work group must prepare a report by Dec. 1, 2025; the transcript does not specify further implementation details such as contractual procurement steps or ongoing staffing beyond the six-month contractual estimate.
