SB 429 Maryland Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act

SB 429, the "Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act," reforms school funding formulas and creates new education programs for Maryland public schools. It adjusts key funding amounts per student (like the "target per pupil foundation amount"), establishes new grants for teacher recruitment and relocation, and creates a Career Counseling Program for middle and high school students. The bill requires school districts to develop community school plans, modifies special education funding, and creates an Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact to ease teacher licensing across states. These changes directly affect Maryland public schools, teachers, school districts, and workforce development boards.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Apr 2, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act → Third - Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand the range of per-pupil funding categories affected, add new funding requirements for career counseling programs, and clarify the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact provisions. These changes broaden the fiscal impact of the legislation and strengthen workforce development initiatives while updating legal references to reflect recent statutory changes.

Scope change

The bill now includes additional funding categories (compensatory education, English learner, and growth in target per pupil foundation amount) and adds new requirements for career counseling program funding and reporting.

FISCAL

Expanded the list of per-pupil funding amounts affected to include compensatory education, English learner, and growth in target per pupil foundation amount categories.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for county boards of education to provide funding to local workforce development boards to support career counseling programs for middle and high school students.

Added requirements for the Accountability and Implementation Board to report on the effectiveness of the Career Counseling Program for Middle and High School Students.

Added provisions prohibiting local school systems from reducing compensation of certain teacher candidates and clarifying teaching certificate provisions.

DEFINITION

Updated the list of repealed and reenacted code sections to include additional education and finance sections not present in the original version.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 14, 2025

How they voted

32–13

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 46

Mar 14, 2025

D Democratic33

32 Yea 1

96% 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

Amendments

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Referred Rules and Executive Nominations

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Introduced

Floor Amendment {

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Motion Laid Over (Senator Guzzone) Adopted

upper

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Budget and Taxation

upper

Mar 14, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (32-13-1)

senate

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

First Reading Budget and Taxation and Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors