SB 923 Maryland Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Public Schools - High School Sports Officials - Payment and Fees

This bill requires Maryland public school systems to issue simultaneous bids for boys' and girls' high school sports officiating services for "similar" sports (defined as those with comparable rules, season, official count, and competition time). It prohibits schools from awarding contracts where officials for girls' sports receive different pay rates or fees than those for boys' sports in comparable events. The law applies to new procurement contracts starting July 1, 2025, with existing contracts allowed to be extended until 2029. It directly affects all local school systems purchasing officiating services for high school athletic events.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Signed May 6, 2025

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What changed between versions

Third - Public Schools - High School Sports Officiating Services - Procurement Requirements → Enrolled - Public Schools - High School Sports Officials - Payment and Fees · 4 edits · May 6, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was enrolled and finalized, changing its title from focusing on procurement requirements to emphasizing payment and fees for officials. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new requirement for the State Department of Education to create a list of 'similar' boys' and girls' sports by September 1, 2025, to ensure equal pay for officials working in those sports. The bill also reorganized the definitions of key terms and removed specific transitional provisions regarding contract extensions that were present in the earlier draft.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general procurement mandate to include a specific mandate for the state to categorize sports for pay equity purposes, while removing temporary grandfather clauses for existing contracts.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new mandate requiring the State Department of Education to develop and update a list of similar boys' and girls' high school sports by September 1, 2025, to facilitate equal pay enforcement.

DEFINITION

Revised and expanded the definitions section to include new terms like 'High School Sports Official' and 'High School Sports Officiating Role,' and restructured the definition of 'Similar Boys' and Girls' High School Sports' to align with the new categorization requirement.

TIMELINE

Deleted Section 2, which previously allowed local school systems to extend existing procurement contracts until July 1, 2029, to align them with the new gender-equal bidding requirements.

TECHNICAL

Removed the introductory text regarding the bill's committee report and adoption status, reflecting its transition to an enrolled bill ready for the Governor's signature.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 23, 2025 · House of Delegates Mar 23, 2025

How they voted

42–0

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 46

Mar 23, 2025

D Democratic33

30 Yea 3

90% Yea

R Republican13

12 Yea 1

92% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 6, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 342

executive

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Enrolled

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Introduced

Senate Concurs House Amendments

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Apr 5, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means

lower

Mar 23, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (42-0-4)

senate

Mar 7, 2025

Committee

Referred Ways and Means Health and Government Operations

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Committee

First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

8 primary · 0 co-sponsors