This bill requires Maryland county school boards to submit detailed justifications and cost comparisons before entering into service contracts, including proof that they explored alternatives and a plan to assist employees who might lose their jobs. It mandates that contracts demonstrate at least 20% savings compared to using school employees, while accounting for all direct and indirect costs, and subjects contracts to public audits for compliance. Additionally, the bill directs the State Department of Education to create a new professional development system for paraeducators and support staff by July 2027, requiring paid training during school hours that includes collaboration with teachers, crisis prevention, and job skills training. County boards must then implement this system for all support professionals in their districts, with the department providing guidance on the program's specifics.
HB 1311 requires Maryland's Department of Public Safety to help incarcerated individuals access federal Pell Grants and state student financial aid. It mandates that correctional facilities assist eligible incarcerated people in applying for these funds and explicitly states that financial aid established under Maryland law must be available to those meeting eligibility criteria. The bill affects incarcerated individuals in state correctional facilities, directing the Department to collaborate with the Maryland Higher Education Commission and specific higher education institutions to facilitate access. This change takes effect July 1, 2026, without creating new funding but altering access procedures.
HB 982 modifies Maryland's tuition exemption program for foster care recipients by changing the eligibility age requirement. It lowers the required age from 13 to 8 for youth who were in out-of-home placement and later adopted or placed under guardianship. This change expands eligibility to include more foster youth who transitioned to permanent families after age 8. The bill affects current and future foster care recipients seeking tuition-free public college education, maintaining existing requirements like enrollment by age 25 and filing for financial aid. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 1254 requires county school boards to justify service contracts (outsourcing school services) by submitting detailed cost comparisons showing at least 20% savings over using school employees, along with plans to assist affected staff. It mandates that boards demonstrate they considered alternatives like reorganizing services before contracting. The bill also directs the State Department of Education to develop a paid, in-person professional development system for paraeducators and support staff by July 2027, including training on collaboration, student safety, crisis prevention, and job skills. This new system must be provided during school hours and will directly affect all paraeducators and support professionals in Maryland public schools.
HB 1297 modifies Maryland's student loan debt relief tax credit by changing how unused credit amounts are recaptured. It requires taxpayers to repay only the unused portion of the credit (not the full amount) if they don't use it for student loan repayment within 3 years. The bill also authorizes the Maryland Higher Education Commission to grant extensions of this 3-year period for taxpayers unable to repay due to specific federal delays, such as litigation over the SAVE repayment plan, Department of Education understaffing, or waiting for public service loan forgiveness. This directly affects Maryland residents with qualifying student loan debt who claim the tax credit.
This bill requires Maryland's State Department of Education to create online resources for schools, teachers, and students on the safe, ethical, and equitable use of artificial intelligence in education. It mandates that school districts develop AI policies by December 2027, appoint AI coordinators, and use only AI tools certified by Morgan State University as meeting state guidelines. The law also requires statewide teacher training on AI literacy by July 2027 and includes AI education in workforce preparation standards. These requirements directly affect public K-12 schools, educators, students, and administrators across Maryland.
HB 1341 prohibits public school security personnel - including school resource officers, security employees, and certain law enforcement officers - from engaging in federal immigration enforcement or sharing student/employee records for immigration purposes. The bill requires security staff to immediately contact school officials if presented with a valid judicial warrant, subpoena, or legal order for immigration-related information. It amends Maryland's Education Code to clarify that school security cannot be used for immigration investigations under federal §287(G) and must comply with state privacy laws. This directly affects school security staff and protects students, employees, and their families from immigration enforcement activities within public schools.
HB 222 requires Maryland public schools and colleges to update policies and education programs to address opioid overdoses. It mandates schools to store naloxone, allow authorized staff and students to possess it, and provide liability protection for good-faith use during overdoses. The bill also adds naloxone's life-saving role to K-12 drug prevention curricula (starting in third grade) and requires annual parent notifications about school naloxone policies. Additionally, schools must report overdose incidents requiring naloxone use to the State Department. This affects all public K-12 schools and state-funded colleges.
SB 212, the Maryland Fallen Heroes Tuition Benefits Act, exempts financially dependent children of state or local public safety employees who died while performing their duties from paying higher out-of-state or out-of-county tuition rates at Maryland public colleges and universities. It directly affects the children of qualifying employees, including firefighters, police officers, correctional officers, and Maryland National Guard members who died in the line of duty. The bill amends Maryland education code to create this tuition exemption, defining "state or local public safety employee" and requiring the Commission to adopt implementing regulations. The exemption applies regardless of where the dependent child resides and takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 106 grants collective bargaining rights to nontenure track faculty at Maryland's public higher education institutions, specifically at the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. It creates a separate bargaining unit for these faculty members - including full-time, part-time, and adjunct employees with academic responsibilities like teachers and researchers - who were previously excluded from collective bargaining under state law. The bill amends existing statutes to explicitly include nontenure track faculty in bargaining units, allowing them to negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions through union representation. This change takes effect July 1, 2026.
