SB 1006

SENATE BILL 1006
     P1  CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT  6lr3689
     By: Senators Jennings, Folden, Simonaire, Corderman, Mautz, Carozza, Bailey,
  Gallion, West, Hershey, Ready, Salling, and McKay
     Constitutional Requirements Complied with for Introduction in the last 35 Days of Session
     Introduced and read first time: February 24, 2026
     Assigned to: Rules
  A BILL ENTITLED
1 AN ACT concerning
2Maryland State Flag Protection Act
3 FOR the purpose of establishing that, in accordance with the Maryland Constitution, the
4      State flag is the Maryland flag; proposing an amendment to the Maryland
5      Constitution to specify that the State flag is the Maryland flag adopted under
6      Chapter 48 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1904; and generally relating to
7      the State flag.
8 BY repealing
9Article – General Provisions
10Section 7–202
11Annotated Code of Maryland
12(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
13 BY renumbering
14Article – General Provisions
15Section 7–203 through 7–207
16to be Section 7–202 through 7–206, respectively
17Annotated Code of Maryland
18(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
19 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
20Article – General Provisions
21Section 7–201
22Annotated Code of Maryland
23(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
24 BY proposing an addition to the Maryland Constitution
25Article XV – Miscellaneous
     EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
  [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
  *sb1006*
2SENATE BILL 1006
1Section 8
2SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
3 That Section(s) 7–202 of Article – General Provisions of the Annotated Code of Maryland
4 be repealed.
5SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section(s) 7–203 through
6 7–207 of Article – General Provisions of the Annotated Code of Maryland be renumbered
7 to be Section(s) 7–202 through 7–206, respectively.
8SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read
9 as follows:
10Article – General Provisions
11 7–201.
12     [The] IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE XV, § 8 OF THE MARYLAND
13 CONSTITUTION, THE Maryland flag is the State flag.
14SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, (Three–fifths of all the members
15 elected to each of the two Houses concurring), That it be proposed that the Maryland
16 Constitution read as follows:
17Article XV – Miscellaneous
18 8.
19(A)THE STATE FLAG SHALL BE THE MARYLAND FLAG ADOPTED UNDER
20 CHAPTER 48 OF THE ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1904.
21(B)   (1)
  THE STATE FLAG BEARS THE ARMS OF THE CALVERT AND
22 CROSSLAND FAMILIES AND IS DIVIDED INTO QUARTERS.
23(2)THE TOP–LEFT AND BOTTOM–RIGHT QUARTERS DISPLAY THE
24 COAT OF ARMS FOR THE CALVERT FAMILY THAT IS A PALY OF SIX PIECES, OR (GOLD)
25 AND SABLE (BLACK), AND A BEND DEXTER (RIGHT DIAGONAL BAND)
26 COUNTERCHANGED, SO THAT THEY CONSIST OF SIX ALTERNATING GOLD AND BLACK
27 VERTICAL BARS WITH A DIAGONAL BAND ON WHICH THE COLORS ARE REVERSED.
28(3) THE TOP–RIGHT AND BOTTOM–LEFT QUARTERS SHOW THE COAT
29 OF ARMS OF THE CROSSLAND FAMILY AND ARE QUARTERED ARGENT (WHITE) AND
30 GULES (RED), A CROSS BOTTONY COUNTERCHANGED, SO THAT THEY CONSIST OF A
31 QUARTERED FIELD OF WHITE AND RED, CHARGED WITH A CROSS BOTTONY THAT
  SENATE BILL 1006  3
1 HAS ARMS TERMINATING IN A BUTTON OR THREE–LEAF CLOVER AND OPPOSITE
2 COLORING.
3SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly
4 determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 4 of this
5 Act affects multiple jurisdictions and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland
6 Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments do not apply.
7SECTION 6. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That:
8(a)     The amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 4 of this
9 Act shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the State at the next general election to be
10 held in November 2026 for adoption or rejection in accordance with Article XIV of the
11 Maryland Constitution.
12(b)    (1)    At that general election, the vote on the proposed amendment to the
13 Constitution shall be by ballot, and on each ballot there shall be printed the words “For the
14 Constitutional Amendment” and “Against the Constitutional Amendment”, as now
15 provided by law.
16(2)    At that general election, a question substantially similar to the
17 following shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the State:
18“Question ____ – Constitutional Amendment
19 Providing that the State flag shall continue to be the Maryland flag adopted under Chapter
20 48 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1904.”.
21(c)    Immediately after the election, all returns shall be made to the Governor of
22 the vote for and against the proposed amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the
23 Maryland Constitution, and further proceedings held in accordance with Article XIV.
24SECTION 7. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this
25 Act are contingent on the passage of Section 4 of this Act, a constitutional amendment, and
26 its ratification by the voters of the State.
27SECTION 8. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, subject to Section 7 of this
28 Act, Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Act shall take effect on the proclamation of the Governor
29 that the constitutional amendment, having received a majority of the votes cast at the
30 general election, has been adopted by the people of Maryland.