SB 198 requires Prince George’s Community College to establish an Aerospace Technology Studies Program by December 2026, in collaboration with Maryland’s Higher Education Commission, Department of Commerce, and local economic development groups. The program must include training in aerospace systems, avionics, advanced manufacturing, and AI applications, with industry internships and a clear high school-to-college career pathway. It mandates formal partnerships with local aerospace employers and requires annual reports on progress and student outcomes to state and county officials. The bill directly affects students seeking aerospace careers and local employers needing skilled workers, focusing on workforce development without specifying funding or cost.
HB 14 requires Maryland county school boards to collect and report detailed data on bullying, harassment, or intimidation incidents involving students. It mandates a standardized report form that specifically identifies if incidents were motivated by characteristics like race, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and requires schools to post annual summaries of such incidents on their websites, broken down by the motivating characteristic. County boards must submit these summaries to the State Board by January 31 each year, while maintaining confidentiality under federal privacy laws. The bill directly affects public schools, students experiencing bullying, and school staff responsible for handling reports.
HB 546 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to provide a free, mandatory professional development course on educator well-being and flourishing to all school personnel and administrators by July 1, 2027. The course must cover eight key areas of well-being identified by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, including social connections, physical health, emotional resilience, and financial literacy. Schools may use synchronous or asynchronous instruction, and the department can develop the course itself or adapt existing third-party materials. The bill ensures this course is offered at the same rate as other required professional development courses for licensed educators.
HB 3, the Maryland Fallen Heroes Tuition Benefits Act, exempts financially dependent children of state or local public safety employees who died while on duty from paying out-of-state or out-of-county tuition at Maryland public colleges. It directly affects children of firefighters, police officers, EMTs, correctional officers, and Maryland National Guard members who were residents of Maryland at the time of their death. The bill amends Maryland law to define "public safety employee" broadly and requires the Commission to create implementing regulations. The exemption applies to public higher education institutions statewide and takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 326 requires the Maryland Center for School Safety to develop and operate an anonymous reporting system for school safety concerns. This system allows students, staff, and others to report safety issues without revealing their identity. Local school systems must participate in the system (with one specified exception), and the Center must create operational guidelines, provide training, and protect the confidentiality of all related information. The bill also mandates that custodians of records deny public inspection of materials connected to the anonymous reporting system.
HB 325 changes the makeup of Maryland's Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board. It removes one position for a certified nonpublic school classroom teacher and adds two positions for representatives from the Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities. The bill alters the board's composition by replacing the single nonpublic school teacher seat with two seats for special education facilities, while maintaining other membership categories like public school teachers and education faculty. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, and directly affect how the board is structured to represent different education sectors.
SB 378 updates Maryland's funding formula for regional library resource centers and county public libraries, increasing per-resident funding from $8.75 (2022) to $11.58 (2032 and beyond) for regional centers, and from $17.10 (2022) to $22.37 (2032 and beyond) for county libraries. It requires each public library to offer at least one new service, such as early childhood literacy programs, digital equity initiatives, or mental health support, by partnering with community organizations. The bill also mandates that libraries adopt written policies meeting state standards to receive state funding, with the Comptroller withholding funds for non-compliance. These changes affect all 23 Maryland county library systems and their regional resource centers, directly impacting how they allocate state funds and deliver services. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 396 requires operators of licensed residential child care programs (like group homes and emergency shelters) to ensure children aged 5-16 in their care receive proper education. It mandates enrolling children in local schools (or approved in-house programs), transferring academic records, meeting with teachers, and providing study time, homework help, and support for extracurricular activities or individualized education plans. The bill also sets new training standards for child care practitioners, requiring background checks, education credentials, and approved training on child development and their role. These changes directly affect residential programs receiving state funding and their staff in Maryland.
HB 575 requires Maryland public schools to treat student absences as excused when students participate in specified civic activities during the General Assembly's regular session. It directly affects public school students by allowing absences for testifying at legislative hearings or engaging in activities like meeting with legislators, advocating for policies, or other department-approved civic work. The bill mandates that school systems adopt policies authorizing at least 15 hours or 2 school days per year for these activities, ensuring such absences do not count toward chronic absenteeism. This policy change takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 141 grants collective bargaining rights to graduate assistants at Maryland's public universities (including the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland). It directly affects graduate students working as teaching, research, or administrative assistants in these institutions by creating a separate bargaining unit for them. The bill amends state law to explicitly include graduate assistants in eligible bargaining units, allowing them to negotiate wages, work conditions, and benefits as a distinct group. This change takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all graduate assistants not previously excluded under the law.
