State Designations - Symbol of Remembrance for September 11 - Freedom Flag
Summary
HB16 designates the Freedom Flag as Maryland’s State symbol of remembrance for the September 11 attacks. The bill states that the Freedom Flag, designed by Richard Nicholas Melito of Richmond, Virginia, to memorialize the victims of the events of September 11, 2001, will be recognized in the Maryland Code as the official symbol of remembrance for those attacks.
The measure also makes a technical change to the General Provisions Article by renumbering existing Section 7-319 to Section 7-320 and adding the new designation language as Section 7-319. The bill is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.
Impact
HB16 amends the General Provisions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland by creating a new state designation for remembrance of September 11 and by renumbering an existing section to accommodate the addition. Its practical legal effect is limited to state symbolic law: it does not create regulatory duties, spending authority, or substantive rights, but it formally adds the Freedom Flag to Maryland’s list of state symbols.
Sentiment
The available record suggests the bill is largely ceremonial and commemorative in nature, with no committee transcript or recorded votes indicating controversy or opposition. The bill’s purpose—honoring the victims of September 11 through an official state symbol of remembrance—appears to be broadly respectful and likely to receive neutral to favorable treatment as a memorial designation.
Contention
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided materials. Because there are no committee transcripts or votes, there is no documented debate over the choice of the Freedom Flag, the need for a new state symbol, or the technical renumbering of the statute. Any disagreement, if it existed, is not visible in the available record.