HB455, the Braille Flag Memorial Act of 2025, requires the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families to designate a location for an American braille tactile flag at one or more State veterans’ cemeteries. The bill adds a new provision to the State Government Article defining an “American braille tactile flag” as a tactile flag designed to allow blind people to experience the American flag, including one created by the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute.
The measure is framed as a memorial and recognition bill honoring blind and visually impaired members of the uniformed services, veterans, and other Maryland residents. It is tied to the State’s veterans’ cemetery program and does not alter burial eligibility or cemetery operations beyond requiring the placement of the tactile flag memorial at a designated site approved by the Secretary.
Impact
The bill amends Section 9-906 of the State Government Article to add a new requirement for the Department of Veterans and Military Families to identify a location for an American braille tactile flag in one or more State veterans’ cemeteries. It also adds a statutory definition of the term and leaves existing cemetery authority intact, meaning the Department may continue to establish cemeteries and manage burial eligibility for veterans, eligible spouses, and dependents as before. The practical effect is to create a new commemorative feature within the State veterans’ cemetery system for blind and visually impaired individuals.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly and strongly supported. It passed the House 133-0 and the Senate 47-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The bill’s preamble and title suggest a positive, commemorative purpose, and there is no recorded committee opposition or transcript-based controversy in the provided materials.
Contention
No notable substantive opposition is reflected in the available record. Because there are no committee transcripts, the main points of discussion are not documented here, but the bill’s narrow scope suggests any consideration likely centered on implementation details such as where the tactile flag would be placed, which cemetery or cemeteries would host it, and how the Department would select the location. The unanimous votes indicate that any such questions did not generate significant contention among legislators.