HB 1483 Maryland House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Public Schools - High School Sports Officials - Payment and Fees

HB 1483 requires Maryland public schools to issue simultaneous bids for boys' and girls' high school sports officiating services (like referees for basketball or soccer) and prohibits pay disparities between genders for similar sports. Schools must reject any bid that would result in different pay rates for officials officiating comparable boys' and girls' sports events. The bill allows schools with existing contracts to extend them until July 2029 to align timelines for similar sports, but new contracts must follow these rules starting July 1, 2025. It directly affects school systems hiring officiating services for high school athletic competitions.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 7, 2025 Last action Apr 5, 2025

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What changed between versions

First - Public Schools - High School Sports Officiating Services - Procurement Requirements → Third - Public Schools - High School Sports Officials - Payment and Fees · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill significantly expands the scope of high school sports officiating regulations by requiring equal pay for boys' and girls' sports officials and establishing new procurement requirements. The changes include updating definitions of sports officials and officiating services, mandating simultaneous bidding for boys' and girls' sports, and requiring the State Department of Education to develop and maintain a list of similar sports categories.

Scope change

The bill now applies to all high school sports officiating services requiring state department consultation, expanding from just procurement requirements to include payment and fee structures for officials.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for county boards to ensure equal pay for high school sports officials across boys' and girls' sports

Added requirement for State Department of Education to develop and update a list of similar high school sports categories in consultation with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association

Added requirement that invitations for bids must be issued simultaneously for boys' and girls' high school sports officiating services

Added requirement that prospective bidders must partner to ensure bids for boys' and girls' sports are accompanied by each other

DEFINITION

Modified definitions of 'Assigning Fees', 'Assignor', 'High School Sports Official', 'High School Sports Officiating Role', and 'High School Sports Officiating Services' to clarify roles and responsibilities

TIMELINE

Added requirement for the Department to develop a list of similar sports by September 1, 2025 and update it every 3 years

ADDED

Added requirement for the Department to consider specific criteria when categorizing sports as similar, including season timing, rules, number of officials, services required, and competition length

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 5, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means

lower

Feb 7, 2025

Committee

First Reading Ways and Means and Health and Government Operations

lower

14 primary · 0 co-sponsors