HB 197 Maryland House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Public Schools - Restorative Practices Schools - Comprehensive Plan

HB 197 requires Maryland’s State Department of Education to develop a comprehensive plan by July 1, 2026, for establishing Restorative Practices Schools. This plan must be created after consulting with schools already using restorative approaches, which focus on repairing harm through relationship-building rather than punitive discipline. County school boards would need to adopt this plan if they choose to implement restorative practices in their schools. The bill also prohibits corporal punishment in public schools and mandates annual, disaggregated data reports on discipline practices by race, disability, socioeconomic status, and other factors.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2024

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Oct 15, 2024 Signed May 6, 2025

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What changed between versions

First - Public Schools - Restorative Practices Schools - Comprehensive Plan → Third - Public Schools - Restorative Practices Schools - Comprehensive Plan · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill moved from its initial introduction to a third reading with amendments, adding committee approval and house adoption status. The substantive text shows minor formatting and spacing adjustments rather than major policy changes, with some text reorganization and deletion of redundant headers.

TECHNICAL

Added committee report status showing favorable approval with amendments and house adoption status.

Reorganized bill header information and removed redundant page headers and footers.

Adjusted spacing and formatting throughout the document, particularly in the definition sections and subsection numbering.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 16, 2025 · House of Delegates Feb 25, 2025

How they voted

33–13

Passed

Total votes 46

Mar 16, 2025

D Democratic33

33 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican13

13 Nay

100% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 6, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 240

executive

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned Passed

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable Adopted

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Mar 16, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (33-13)

senate

Mar 3, 2025

Committee

Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Feb 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Motion Special Order until 02/26 (Delegate Fisher) Adopted

lower

Feb 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Feb 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means

lower

Jan 8, 2025

Committee

First Reading Ways and Means

lower

Oct 15, 2024

Introduced

Pre-filed

lower

11 primary · 0 co-sponsors