---
type: "Bill"
title: "Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Reporting and Sunset Extension"
description: "Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Reporting and Sunset Extension"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 297"
citation: "Maryland HB 297 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Pena-Melnyk"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 15
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2020-10-21"
last_action: "2021-04-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/26dec6df-a685-4de4-a3d1-2e55079522ad"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0297?ys=2021RS&search=True"
source_hash: "a258c366b64aefe03eab5983600eccaadab6580703c9c6900c9796dfba2ab9e5"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-md"]
---

# Maryland HB 297 (2021) — Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Reporting and Sunset Extension

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Chapter - Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Reporting and Sunset Extension** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/Chapters_noln/CH_92_hb0297t.pdf)
2. **First - Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Committee - Reporting and Sunset Extension** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb0297f.pdf)
3. **Third - Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Reporting and Sunset Extension** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb0297t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading — **133–0** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading — **47–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Pena-Melnyk — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-10-21** Pre-filed `introduction`
- **2021-01-13** First Reading Health and Government Operations `referral-committee`
- **2020-12-23** Hearing 1/21 at 1:30 p.m.
- **2021-02-17** Favorable with Amendments Report by Health and Government Operations `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-02-18** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-02-18** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2021-02-23** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-02-24** Referred Judicial Proceedings `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-04** Hearing 3/17 at 12:30 p.m.
- **2021-04-02** Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-05** Favorable Adopted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-05** Second Reading Passed
- **2021-04-06** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-06** Returned Passed
- **2021-04-13** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 92 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/26dec6df-a685-4de4-a3d1-2e55079522ad`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).