§ 13-219

(a) There is a Maryland Military Department Center for Military History.

(b) The Maryland Military Department Center for Military History consists of the following components:

(1) the Maryland Museum of Military History; and

(2) the Maryland Military Historical Research Center.

(c) The Maryland Military Department Center for Military History shall be a component of the Maryland Military Department, and the Adjutant General of Maryland shall designate the Executive Director of the Maryland Military Department Center for Military History.

(d) The Maryland Military Department shall provide staffing as determined available by the Adjutant General to the Maryland Museum of Military History and the Maryland Military Historical Research Center to include a director for each.

(e) The Maryland Military Historical Society, Inc., a nonprofit organization, shall:

(1) serve as an advisory body to the Maryland Military Department Center for Military History, but may not engage in direct oversight of employees of the Maryland Military Department Center for Military History or its day–to–day operations;

(2) be authorized to engage in fund–raising on behalf of the Center for Military History;

(3) be authorized to provide volunteers to support activities of the Maryland Military Department Center for Military History without pay or compensation, except that the volunteers shall be eligible for benefits under workers’ compensation for injuries suffered in the course of volunteer work for the Maryland Military Department Center for Military History as if they were paid employees of the State; and

(4) be authorized to use office space within facilities of the Maryland Military Department, independent of the space allotted to the Maryland Military Department Center for Military History on a space–available basis at the discretion of the Adjutant General.

(f) The Maryland Museum of Military History shall:

(1) collect, preserve, interpret, and present significant artifacts and artwork relating to the history of the people, places, and events that represent all components and branches of each service of the United States military and the military heritage of the State; and

(2) convey an awareness of the military service of Marylanders and how that service has helped preserve American freedoms through exhibits, educational programs, and outreach.

(g) The Maryland Military Historical Research Center shall:

(1) collect, interpret, preserve, and present documents, photographs, electronic media, and other materials containing information or imagery relating to the history of the people, places, and events that represent all components and branches of each service of the United States military and the military heritage of the State;

(2) educate the public regarding the military history of the State by providing bona fide researchers with access to collected materials and by providing historical imagery to support displays by the Maryland Museum of Military History; and

(3) advise the Adjutant General and the Maryland Military Department generally on matters relating to the heraldry, honors, lineage, and history of units of the organized militia of the State.

(h) (1) The Maryland Military Department Center for Military History may assume title to abandoned property in its possession.

(2) Property shall be considered abandoned if:

(i) it has been in the possession of the Maryland Military Department Center for Military History for 7 years or more;

(ii) there are no known owners, or a reasonable attempt has been made to contact the owner without success, or the owner has been contacted but has refused to take possession of the property;

(iii) there are no known agreements to donate or lend the property, or there is a known agreement to lend the property for a finite period but the period of the loan has been exceeded by 7 or more years, or there is an agreement to lend the property for an indefinite period but the lender has been deceased for 7 or more years, or the property was lent by an organization that has been defunct for 7 or more years; and

(iv) a notice is posted in local newspapers for at least 2 weeks stating the intent to take title to the property if it is not claimed and the owner of the property does not contact the Maryland Museum of Military History within 1 week of the final publication of the notice.