HB 166 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

State Government - Henrietta Lacks Commission - Establishment (Henrietta Lacks Commission of Maryland Act of 2026)

HB 166 establishes the Henrietta Lacks Commission in Maryland to address the legacy of Henrietta Lacks and the ethical use of HeLa cells. The commission, composed of appointed state officials and representatives from health, tourism, and economic development agencies, will review medical research ethics, promote education about Lacks' story, curate tributes to her, integrate her legacy into tourism, and support economic development in Dundalk's Turner Station community. It must submit annual reports to the governor and legislature starting in 2027. This bill creates a procedural framework for oversight and commemoration but does not enact new regulations or funding.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Oct 16, 2025 Last action Mar 20, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Public Health – Henrietta Lacks Commission – Establishment (Henrietta Lacks Commission of Maryland Act of 2026) → Third - State Government - Henrietta Lacks Commission - Establishment (Henrietta Lacks Commission of Maryland Act of 2026) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to reclassify it from a Public Health bill to a State Government bill, adding more sponsors and including favorable committee approval. The commission's composition was expanded to include the Secretary of Social and Economic Mobility, while the Chair designation authority was shifted from the Governor alone to a joint designation by the Governor and Secretary of Social and Economic Mobility. Several commission duties were duplicated in the text, and the reporting requirement was modified to reference 'THIS ARTICLE' in addition to the State Government Article.

Scope change

The bill's classification changed from Public Health to State Government, indicating a shift in administrative oversight and potentially different funding mechanisms.

SCOPE

Bill title and classification changed from Public Health to State Government, affecting which department administers the commission.

ELIGIBILITY

Added seven new sponsors to the bill, expanding legislative support.

REQUIREMENT

Commission membership now includes the Secretary of Social and Economic Mobility as a voting member.

Chair designation authority changed from Governor alone to joint designation by Governor and Secretary of Social and Economic Mobility.

Commission duties section contains duplicated text with multiple numbering errors (e.g., 'PROMOTE PROMOTE', 'WORK WORK').

Annual reporting requirement was altered to reference 'THIS ARTICLE' in addition to the State Government Article.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

How they voted

129–0

Passed · 13 other

Total votes 142

Mar 5, 2026

D Democratic103

95 Yea 8

92% Yea

R Republican39

34 Yea 5

87% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 19, 2026

Committee

Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Mar 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections

lower

Mar 5, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (129-0-13)

house of delegates

Jan 14, 2026

Committee

First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections

lower

Oct 16, 2025

Introduced

Pre-filed

lower

13 primary · 0 co-sponsors