SB 243 expands existing Maryland benefits for military service members to include their spouses. It provides spouses of active-duty service members and veterans with priority enrollment at public colleges, access to community college resources (including dedicated advisors and veteran resource centers), and eligibility for senatorial and delegate scholarships. The bill also extends hiring preferences for spouses in state government roles through the Public Service Commission. These benefits apply within 15 years of the service member’s last active duty and end after the spouse’s fourth academic year. The law amends specific sections of Maryland’s education, labor, and state personnel codes to include "spouse of an eligible service member" as a qualifying status.
SB 103 requires Maryland public middle schools to begin instruction no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m., starting in the 2028-2029 school year. It directly affects all public middle, high, and charter schools in Maryland, with limited waivers allowed only for emergencies like natural disasters. The bill also mandates that county school boards and charter schools implement a public awareness campaign starting in 2027-2028 to educate communities about sleep deprivation impacts and the benefits of later start times. These provisions aim to align school schedules with adolescent sleep health needs through concrete policy changes.
SB 81 prohibits law enforcement officers assigned as school resource officers (SROs) from engaging in sexual contact, vaginal intercourse, or sexual acts with students enrolled at their assigned school. It amends Maryland's criminal law (Section 3-314(e)(iv)) to explicitly include SROs in the ban, defining "school resource officer" under the Education Article (Section 7-1501(j)). Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to 3 years in jail or a $3,000 fine. The law directly affects SROs in Maryland public schools, targeting conduct specific to their role as law enforcement officers within educational settings. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 101 adds correctional officers to Maryland's existing loan repayment and scholarship programs for public safety workers. It expands the Maryland Loan Assistance Repayment Program (Subtitle 37) to allow correctional officers who work in state facilities for at least two years to get help repaying higher education loans. It also creates a new scholarship program (Subtitle 38) for students or current correctional officers pursuing relevant degrees, requiring a five-year service commitment after graduation. The bill directly affects correctional officers statewide by providing financial support for education and career advancement. The changes take effect July 1, 2026.
HB 541 requires all Maryland public schools to provide free menstrual hygiene products (tampons or sanitary napkins) in women’s restrooms at no cost to students. Each county board of education must install dispensers in at least two women’s restrooms at middle/high schools by October 2022 (and all by August 2025) and in at least one restroom at elementary schools by October 2022. Schools must regularly restock these dispensers to ensure availability, with the state reimbursing counties for installation and product costs through a $500,000 fiscal year 2023 appropriation. The law applies directly to public school students and county education boards, taking effect July 1, 2026.
SB 289 removes a fiscal year 2027 deadline that previously limited how long Maryland schools could use personnel and per-pupil grants for fine arts instructional programs under the Concentration of Poverty School Grant Program. The program provides funding to schools with high concentrations of low-income students to cover staff costs and per-pupil resources. This bill repeals the time restriction, allowing eligible schools to continue using these grants for fine arts education beyond 2027 without a set expiration. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.
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.
SB 350 authorizes Maryland county school boards to adopt open enrollment policies, allowing students to attend public schools in a different county than where they reside with their parent or guardian. The bill requires counties to establish application processes with enrollment preferences for zoned students and siblings, use equitable selection methods (like lotteries) when capacity is exceeded, and publish enrollment capacity data online. Crucially, it directs state funding for students enrolled under open enrollment to the county where the student attends school (the "receiving county"), not the student's home county ("sending county"), changing how education funds are distributed. This policy affects families seeking school options beyond their local district and alters how public school funding is allocated across county lines.
HB 574 establishes the Prince George’s County Teen Pregnancy Support Program to assist public high school students in the county who are parents or expecting parents. The bill requires Prince George’s County Circuit Court to collect a $100 fee in certain child support cases (applications for new/modifying support decrees or enforcing arrears), with all revenue remitted quarterly to the county school board. This funding will support the program, which provides students with childcare vouchers, parenting education, and other resources. The program applies only to students attending public high schools in Prince George’s County, and the fee is in addition to other existing fees. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 370 creates a state income tax credit for employers in Prince George’s County who provide "parental engagement leave" to qualified employees. The leave must be 10-20 hours per employee, paid at regular wage rates, and used solely for attending school-related events (e.g., parent-teacher conferences) at a public or nonpublic school in the county. Employers must obtain a certification form signed by school officials (e.g., principal and county board member) to claim the credit, which is calculated as the employee’s hourly wage multiplied by hours used, capped at $800 per employee annually. This credit directly affects PG County employers, qualified parents/guardians of school students, and school officials who verify attendance.
