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Baltimore County HRC plans bylaw rewrite to clarify intake and investigation roles
Summary
New DEI chief Rashawn Bridal told the Human Relations Commission he will draft updated bylaws to clarify whether commissioners will handle intake and investigations; staff and legal counsel outlined a review process and the need for commissioner training before expanding investigatory duties.
Rashawn Bridal, the new chief of diversity, equity and inclusion and executive director for the Baltimore County Human Relations Commission, told commissioners he will draft a revised set of HRC bylaws before the next meeting to clarify the commission’s role in intake and investigations.
Bridal said the current bylaws allow the HRC to be involved in investigations but do not explicitly assign intake responsibilities to commissioners. "Initially what we were thinking is that we have a subcommittee put together the bylaws and then present it," he said, and added he will present an updated draft for commissioners to review and amend.
Why it matters: commissioners and staff identified gaps between what commissioners expect to do and the formal authority spelled out in Article 29 and the HRC bylaws. Commissioners pressed for clarity because changes could require training and could alter how complaints are processed and who conducts intake interviews.
Legal and procedural path: James from the county’s Office of Law explained the practical workflow: staff or the chair can prepare an initial draft, the Office of Law will review it for legal sufficiency, and the commission would then discuss and vote on changes as a body. He also noted that legal questions could prompt a closed-session consultation if necessary.
Next steps and constraints: Bridal said the office is researching investigation training options for commissioners and will present a draft by the next meeting. He cautioned that internal procedures must satisfy the Office of Law and the county administration before commissioners can assume new investigatory duties.
The commission did not vote on bylaw text at this meeting; Bridal’s commitment is to provide a legally reviewed draft for the commission’s consideration at the next convening.
