SB 486 Maryland Senate · 2025 Regular Session

School Health and Wellness Personnel Assessment and Maryland Council on Advancement of School-Based Health Centers

SB 486 requires the Maryland Department of Health and State Department of Education to jointly conduct an annual assessment of school health and wellness personnel (including counselors, nurses, psychologists, and therapists) working in school-based health centers. The assessment must track staffing ratios to students, vacancy rates by provider type, and gather feedback on recruitment and retention strategies from school systems and health departments. Starting December 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the departments must submit a report on these findings to the Maryland General Assembly. The bill also updates the membership of the Maryland Council on Advancement of School-Based Health Centers to include a school nurse representative and adjust voting member counts. This legislation focuses on data-driven oversight of school health staffing without creating new funding or direct service requirements.

Issues: ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

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 23, 2025 Last action Apr 2, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - School Health and Wellness Personnel Assessment and Maryland Council on Advancement of School-Based Health Centers → Third - School Health and Wellness Personnel Assessment and Maryland Council on Advancement of School-Based Health Centers · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill adds new provisions to establish a Maryland Council on Advancement of School-Based Health Centers and creates a new subtitle for School Health and Wellness Personnel Assessment. The changes expand the council's membership to include 16 voting members (up from 15) and add school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers, and speech-language pathologists to the list of personnel covered by the assessment requirements.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of school health personnel covered by assessment requirements to include additional professionals such as school counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and speech-language pathologists.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for the Department and State Department of Education to jointly conduct annual assessments of school health and wellness personnel workforce, including identifying personnel-to-student ratios, vacancy rates, and gathering feedback on recruitment and retention strategies.

Added requirement to publish assessment reports on agency websites in addition to submitting them to the General Assembly.

Added requirement for the council to include one representative of a federally qualified health center nominated by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of 'School Health and Wellness Personnel' to include school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers, and speech-language pathologists in addition to existing categories.

ELIGIBILITY

Increased the number of voting members on the Maryland Council on Advancement of School-Based Health Centers from 15 to 16.

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

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Rereferred to Health and Government Operations and Ways and Means

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Referred Rules and Executive Nominations

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance

upper

Mar 14, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (32-13-1)

senate

Jan 23, 2025

Committee

First Reading Finance

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors