SB 709 creates Maryland's Purple Star Colleges Program to recognize institutions of higher education that provide strong support for military-connected students. The bill updates the definition of "military-connected student" to include service members, veterans, and their spouses/dependents, and establishes specific requirements for colleges seeking designation. To qualify, colleges must designate a uniformed services liaison, maintain a dedicated webpage with transition resources, offer student-led transition programs, and provide staff training on military-connected student needs. Administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, this program complements the existing Purple Star Schools Program and directly affects colleges and military-connected students statewide.
This bill establishes Maryland's framework for implementing the federal Workforce Pell Grant Program. It requires the Governor, after consulting with workforce and education entities, to approve short-term education programs (150-600 hours, 8-15 weeks) that align with high-skill occupations and employer hiring needs. Approved programs must offer stackable credentials, provide academic credit transferability toward further education, and prepare students for in-demand careers. Institutions cannot disburse funds or advertise these programs to Maryland students without state approval, with biennial compliance reviews mandated for ongoing eligibility.
SB 597 establishes the Maryland Artificial Intelligence Partnership within the University System of Maryland to serve as a central hub for coordinating AI initiatives across the state. It creates an Artificial Intelligence Incubation Lab to help state agencies adopt AI responsibly, and redesignates the Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship Program as the Emerging Technology Public Service Scholarship Program to include AI training. The bill also requires Morgan State University's Center for Equitable AI to support state agencies with AI research. These changes directly affect Maryland public university students (through expanded scholarship eligibility), state agencies (via lab support), and the University System of Maryland (as host for the Partnership and Lab).
SB 864 changes Maryland's eligibility rules for a tuition exemption at public colleges and universities for individuals who were in foster care. It lowers the required age for qualifying foster care placement from 13 to 8 years old, meaning youth must have been in out-of-home placement since age 8 (or older) and later placed in guardianship, adoption, or reunification with a parent. The bill modifies existing law (Section 15-106.1) to adjust the definition of "foster care recipient" for this benefit. The exemption remains available for those enrolled in eligible programs by age 25, who apply for financial aid, and who meet the revised placement timeline.
SB 728 amends Maryland's Community College Promise Scholarship eligibility to include graduates of Delmar High School in Delmar, Delaware, who reside in Delmar, Maryland. The bill adds a new eligibility criterion requiring applicants to have graduated from Delmar High School (Delaware) and to be Maryland residents of Delmar. This change applies to students pursuing vocational certificates, certificates, associate's degrees, or registered apprenticeships at eligible Maryland community colleges. The amendment takes effect July 1, 2026, expanding existing scholarship access for this specific group without altering other program requirements.
HB 1321 modifies Maryland's Child Care Scholarship Program to protect certain low-income families from enrollment freezes. It prohibits enrollment freezes from applying to families receiving Temporary Cash Assistance, TANF, children on Social Security Income, or homeless children - ensuring these groups maintain access. If a freeze occurs, the State Department of Education must create a waitlist prioritizing these protected individuals. The bill also limits copay increases for specific participants and requires the Department to identify applicants eligible for free prekindergarten.
HB 1582 (COMPASS Act) changes Maryland's public school accountability system by requiring schools to use multiple quality indicators beyond standardized tests for evaluation. It mandates at least three indicators - including school climate surveys, class size, chronic absenteeism, and access to advanced courses - and prohibits national tests from being the sole measure. The bill sets strict rules for the composite score, limiting academic indicators to 70% of the total, requiring transparency in score breakdowns, and banning letter grades. It takes effect July 1, 2026, directly affecting all public schools and the State Board of Education.
SB 503 requires the Governor to include $450,000 annually in the state budget for the Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program during fiscal years 2023, 2024, 2026, and 2028-2030. The bill formalizes funding for grants to support local programs that help establish and sustain family child care services, directly affecting family child care providers and local jurisdictions (counties or groups of counties). To receive funds, counties must partner with a child care resource center to jointly apply for and administer the grants. The program, administered with the Maryland Child Care Resource Network, aims to provide start-up assistance for family child care homes serving children under 13 or developmentally disabled individuals under 21.
This bill prohibits Maryland public school systems from including 10 specific contract terms in new agreements, such as clauses requiring schools to pay for others' liabilities without funding, mandating binding arbitration, or restricting the school's choice of legal counsel. If such terms are included, they are invalid from the start, and contracts must be enforced as if those terms never existed. The law applies only to contracts signed on or after July 1, 2026, leaving existing agreements unaffected. It ensures public school contracts comply with state law and protect school systems from unfair obligations.
HB 748 repeals specific deadline requirements for private prekindergarten providers participating in Maryland's publicly funded prekindergarten program. The bill removes time limits (like "within 3 years of hire" or "by July 1, 2027") that educators needed to meet certain educational or credentialing qualifications to advance through the state's early childhood educator career ladder. Private providers who receive public funding for prekindergarten services are directly affected, as they will no longer face strict deadlines to ensure staff meet these qualifications. The career ladder structure itself - including its three levels (teaching assistant, lead teacher, consulting teacher) and core goals of improving pay, professional development, and retention - remains unchanged. This is a procedural adjustment to the existing framework, not a substantive policy shift.
