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.
HB 1305 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to annually report specific data on students in the state's child welfare system, including school stability, graduation rates, college enrollment, and disciplinary rates. The report must break down data by county, age, gender, race, and ethnicity while protecting student confidentiality. Additionally, the Department of Education and Department of Human Services must submit a 2026 report identifying service gaps, best practices from other states, and recommendations to improve educational outcomes for foster youth. This bill directly affects foster youth in Maryland's child welfare system and the state agencies responsible for their education and care.
HB 742 requires the Governor to include $450,000 annually in Maryland's budget for the Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program during fiscal years 2023, 2024, 2026, and 2028-2030. This funding supports grants to help local counties and child care resource centers establish and operate family child care programs. The program directly benefits family child care providers by providing start-up assistance for materials, curriculum, and renovations. Administered through partnerships between counties and child care resource centers, the bill mandates specific annual appropriations to expand access to licensed family child care services.
HB 845 amends Maryland's Community College Promise Scholarship program to include residents of Delmar, Maryland who graduated from Delmar High School in Delmar, Delaware. Currently, the scholarship requires applicants to have graduated from a Maryland high school or completed a Maryland GED, but this bill adds a new eligibility pathway for students meeting both conditions: graduation from Delmar High School (Delaware) and residency in Delmar, Maryland. The change would allow these students to qualify for the scholarship without needing to meet the standard Maryland graduation requirement. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
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 852 expands Maryland's existing scholarship program to include correctional officers. It amends the Maryland Police Officers and Probation Agents Scholarship Program (now titled "Maryland Police Officers, Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship Program") to allow current or future correctional officers to qualify. Eligible recipients must be Maryland residents or graduates of Maryland high schools, enrolled at an eligible institution (public university or community college), and agree to work as correctional officers for at least 5 years within 8 years of graduation. The bill does not create a new program but updates the eligibility criteria of an existing scholarship.
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.
HB 809 establishes funding requirements for Maryland's Walter Sondheim Jr. Public Service Internship Scholarship Program. The bill mandates that starting in fiscal year 2028, the Governor must include in the annual budget an appropriation for the program equal to at least 150% of the fiscal year 2026 level, with specific requirements for University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) funding. The program provides scholarships ($2,000-$5,000) to Maryland college and graduate students pursuing public service internships, prioritizing residents with demonstrated interest in careers serving low-income or underserved communities through legal, social work, nursing, or other public/nonprofit sectors. It directly affects eligible students and administers through the Shriver Center, ensuring sustained funding for three specific internship tracks: Governor’s Summer Internship, Sondheim Nonprofit Leadership, and Sondheim Public Service Law Fellowships.
SB 668 renames Maryland's "Children's Cabinet Fund" to the "Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund" and requires the Governor to annually appropriate specific funds for grants to local management boards. It mandates $3 million more for fiscal year 2028 than 2027 and $2 million more for fiscal year 2030 than 2029. Local management boards receiving funds must develop community partnership agreements coordinating with state and local child and family service plans, and use the money for evidence-based programs addressing youth development, prevention services, and out-of-home care needs. This bill directly affects local boards, children, and families by structuring state funding to support coordinated, community-driven services.
HB 828 adds a new "Educational Support Member" position to Maryland's State Board of Education, directly affecting noncertificated, non-supervisory school support staff (like paraprofessionals or clerical workers in bargaining units). The bill requires the Governor to appoint this member based on an election conducted by eligible educational support professionals across the state, following regulations set by the Department of Education. The new member can attend and participate in board meetings but cannot vote on appeals to the State Board under specific sections of law. This change modifies existing board membership rules to include representation from this specific school support workforce category.
