HB 800 updates Maryland’s education law to explicitly include "student well-being and human flourishing" alongside behavioral health services. It amends sections of the education code (including 5-212, 6-122, and 7-447) to define student well-being as progress across eight dimensions: social, environmental, physical, emotional, spiritual, occupational, intellectual, and financial well-being. The bill requires school staff training to recognize issues affecting these areas and directs the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports to advance student well-being initiatives. It directly affects Maryland public schools, staff, and students by integrating holistic well-being into existing education funding, training, and support systems.
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 571 requires large broadband providers (serving 10,000+ customers) in Maryland to establish a low-cost broadband program for eligible low-income residents by December 1, 2026. The program must offer at least 100 Mbps download speed (200 Mbps for households of three or more), 1.2 terabytes of data, and limit annual network outages to an average of 48 hours. Eligibility is defined by income (at or below 350% of federal poverty guidelines) or participation in programs like SNAP, Medicaid, or free school meals. Providers may adjust prices every three years by up to 2% or the Consumer Price Index change, with 30 days' notice to customers.
SB 508 modifies Somerset County Board of Education rules by adding a nonvoting student member position elected by high school students, who serves a one-year term starting July 1. It increases annual compensation for adult board members from $3,000 to $6,000 (chair) and $2,700 to $5,000 (member), and provides a $5,000 scholarship for student members completing a full term. The bill also restricts student members from attending executive sessions unless invited by a majority vote of the board. These changes directly affect Somerset County's school board members, high school students (as voters for the student seat), and the county’s budget for board compensation.
SB 726 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to provide a free, mandatory professional development course on educator well-being to all school staff and administrators by July 1, 2027. The course must cover eight well-being dimensions - social, environmental, physical, emotional, spiritual, occupational, intellectual, and financial - based on federal guidelines. Schools can deliver the course through existing materials or new content, at rates matching standard professional development. This policy directly affects educators across Maryland's public schools, aiming to support their personal and professional health.
HB 740 requires every public school in Maryland to hire a full-time, state-licensed therapist who provides mental health services during school hours. This directly affects all public schools and their students, mandating access to licensed mental health support as part of school-based services. The bill specifies therapists must be certified by the State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists and replaces existing language in the education code. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 586 establishes Maryland's Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Program within the State Department of Education. The program provides state funding to eligible public schools participating in the federal child nutrition program, covering the difference between federal "paid" and "free" meal reimbursement rates (set annually by the USDA). This directly affects high-poverty schools (with 25%+ students qualifying for free meals) by supplementing federal funds without replacing them. The bill mandates $10 million annually starting in fiscal year 2028, requires schools to report on meal debt and participation reasons, and directs the Department to distribute funds based on poverty concentration and geographic diversity.
HB 189 requires all Maryland public middle schools to begin instruction no earlier than 8:00 AM and high schools no earlier than 8:30 AM starting in the 2028-2029 school year. It also mandates that county school boards and public charter schools implement a public awareness campaign starting in 2027-2028 to educate communities about sleep deprivation impacts and benefits of later start times. Waivers for earlier start times are only permitted for specific emergencies like natural disasters, not routine scheduling. The bill directly affects public middle and high schools, charter schools, and their communities through these timing requirements and outreach obligations.
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.
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.
