SB776 Establishes AG-Led Commission to Probe Cheltenham House of Reformation

Senate Bill 776, filed in the 2026 Regular Session, would establish a public commission led by the Maryland attorney general to investigate the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children in Cheltenham, Prince George’s County. The bill directs an independent body to research the property’s history, operations, resident deaths, and burials and to report progress and final findings to the governor and General Assembly.

The bill text charges the commission to "DIRECT AND OVERSEE THE INVESTIGATION OF THE HOUSE OF REFORMATION AND INSTRUCTION FOR COLORED CHILDREN BY CONTRACTING WITH QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL EXPERTS, INCLUDING UNIVERSITIES, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, AND INDEPENDENT PRACTITIONERS, TO CONDUCT:" and to carry out "FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY, ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS, AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH TO THE HIGHEST ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS;" to ensure "LOCATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ALL GRAVES USING MODERN ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND FORENSIC METHODS;" and to pursue "IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS BURIED AT THE SITE THROUGH HISTORICAL RECORDS, FORENSIC ANALYSIS, DNA TESTING, AND GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH;" as well as "RECONSTRUCTION OF INSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY’S HISTORY."

Reporting language accompanying the bill sets firm deadlines for deliverables: "ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2027, THE COMMISSION SHALL SUBMIT AN INITIAL REPORT DOCUMENTING THE PROGRESS OF THE INVESTIGATION …" and "ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2029, THE COMMISSION SHALL SUBMIT A FINAL REPORT … ON: (I) THE COMPLETE FINDINGS … (II) ALL IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALS AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR DEATHS; (III) HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES; (IV) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT, MEMORIAL, REBURIAL, REPARATIVE MEASURES, AND … RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC REFORM; AND … ENSURE DESCENDANT AND COMMUNITY VOICE THROUGHOUT THE INVESTIGATION AND RECONCILIATION PROCESS."

More than a dozen members would serve on the commission by reporting accounts, including the director of the Maryland Historical Trust, the state archivist, the secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services, the secretary of General Services, and the Prince George’s County executive or a designee. The bill text excerpt provided to reporters also lists appointments such as one member appointed by the President of the Senate, one appointed by the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of Veterans and Military Families, and the chair of the Prince George’s County Planning Board; Capital Gazette and Baltimore Sun reporting states that "the attorney general would serve as the commission chair."

The bill’s fiscal note assumes $250,000 toward restoration efforts starting in fiscal 2027 and for the next two fiscal years, but the Department of Legislative Services cautions that actual expenditures are unknown and depend on investigative challenges. "Long said that amount could decrease because the bill would require the attorney general’s office to provide staff for the commission," reporting adds; the provided excerpts reference "Long" without a full name or title.

Supporters frame the measure as a moral and historical reckoning, seeking memorialization, possible reburials, and public education so the Cheltenham deaths become part of Maryland’s record. Social media claims have circulated numbers such as "over 230 Black boys" buried near the former site; that figure appears uncorroborated in the news excerpts provided and would be subject to formal confirmation by the commission. The Senate bill "calls for the creation of a commission to 'research the history, operations, and resident deaths' at the former House of Reformation property" and is slated to be heard Wednesday before the Judicial Proceedings Committee as it advances through the 2026 session.