A state-led effort to investigate the history of the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center is moving forward in Annapolis, with companion bills advancing in both chambers of the Maryland legislature, according to Capital News Service.

A revised House measure is progressing as a similar bill from Sen. William C. Smith Jr. cleared a Senate committee with little opposition.

Lawmakers say the goal is to confront a troubling past and provide answers to families.

“We are making an attempt to reunify families with that tragic history and understand exactly what happened,” Smith said.

Both bills have already passed their respective chambers with strong bipartisan support. Smith’s Senate bill cleared 45-0, while a House version from Del. Jeffrie E. Long Jr. passed 129-1. The effort is a priority for the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

The push follows a Capital News Service investigation that found more than 200 boys died in state custody at Cheltenham between the late 19th and 20th centuries, many buried in unmarked graves.

If approved, the legislation would create an independent commission, led by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, to conduct a full historical review with input from experts in genealogy, law and history.

Officials say planning is already underway, with the commission expected to begin work this fall and produce findings by the end of 2026.