Education

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 27, 2026

HB 649: Advancing Equal Educational Opportunities for All Students in Maryland

HB 649 establishes new protections against discrimination in Maryland's educational institutions by creating a dedicated enforcement mechanism under the Commission on Civil Rights. It prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or marital status in schools and colleges. The bill requires Maryland's higher education agencies to refer discrimination complaints to the Commission and creates a private right of action, allowing individuals to directly pursue legal claims for violations. This shifts enforcement authority from the State Superintendent to the Commission while expanding the scope of protected categories in educational settings.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits discrimination in schools, establishes enforcement for equal educational opportunities, and protects students from bias in educational settings.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 26, 2026

HB 1059: State Department of Education - Asian American History - Accurate Instruction

HB 1059 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to evaluate specific Asian American history training programs from seven approved organizations (including the Smithsonian and Asian American Education Project) for inclusion in its teacher professional development program. It creates a grant program providing up to $2,000 per teacher to cover costs for these trainings and up to $1,000 annually per school library to purchase age-appropriate books and resources on Asian American and Pacific Islander history. The bill mandates annual state funding of $500,000 starting in fiscal year 2028 to support these grants. The bill directly affects Maryland public school educators and school libraries by expanding access to culturally specific professional development and learning materials.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates grant program allocating state funds for teacher training and library resources, directly funding educational programs within budget framework.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates grants for teacher training and library resources on Asian American history, directly enhancing curriculum content and educator support in K-12 education.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 26, 2026

HB 1463: Anne Arundel County Board of Education - Constituent Services Liaison - Establishment

HB 1463 requires Anne Arundel County to hire a constituent services liaison for its school board by the start of the 2026-2027 school year. The position must have special education experience and will connect community members to school services, help access education resources, and partner with local organizations to support school goals. The county board president negotiates the liaison’s employment terms, salary (set by the board), and removal process. This directly affects Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ operations and community engagement efforts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates liaison to improve community access to education resources and services, directly enhancing educational access as defined in the topic description.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 26, 2026

HB 1438: State Board of Education - Public High School Graduation Requirements

HB 1438 requires Maryland's State Board of Education to review and update public high school graduation requirements at least every five years. After approval, the Board must implement changes for students entering high school in the school year following the review. This bill directly affects all public high school students in Maryland by establishing a regular cycle for updating graduation standards. The law amends Section 7-205.1(b) of the Maryland Annotated Code and takes effect July 1, 2026. It does not change current requirements but mandates periodic review and implementation for future student cohorts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates regular review/update of graduation requirements to maintain relevant standards, strengthening educational framework consistency and adaptability per curriculum focus.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 25, 2026

HB 352: Concentration of Poverty School Grant Program - Personnel and Per Pupil Grants - Eligible Uses

HB 352 removes a fiscal year 2027 deadline that previously limited how schools could use personnel and per-pupil grants under Maryland's Concentration of Poverty School Grant Program. The bill specifically allows eligible schools with high poverty rates to use these funds for fine arts instructional programs, as defined in COMAR Title 13A, Subtitle 04, Section 13A.04.16.01. This change applies to schools serving a high concentration of eligible students and takes effect July 1, 2026. The bill modifies existing law to expand allowable uses of grant funds without altering the program's core structure or eligibility criteria.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands grant usage to include fine arts programs in high-poverty schools, enhancing student access to arts education within existing funding framework.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 16, 2026

HB 355: Education - Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Program - Human and Sex Trafficking

This bill requires Maryland public and private schools to include human and sex trafficking awareness in their existing sexual abuse and assault prevention education programs for students in grades 6 through 8. The program must be taught by trained instructors as part of the health curriculum, expanding current requirements that already cover sexual abuse prevention. It applies to all schools meeting the definition of "nonpublic school" under Maryland law, including those participating in state textbook and technology grant programs. The changes take effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands mandatory health curriculum in grades 6-8 to include trafficking awareness, strengthening student safety education within schools.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 12, 2026

HB 538: 4-Year Institutions of Higher Education - Mandatory Disclosures for New and Prospective Students (Informed Enrollment Act)

HB 538, the Informed Enrollment Act, requires Maryland colleges and universities that admit first-time undergraduate students to provide prospective and current students with clear, standardized information about costs, graduation rates, post-graduation salaries, and debt outcomes. Starting July 1, 2027, institutions must prominently display a link to the federal U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard on their public websites, accompanied by a plain-language explanation of the data it offers. They must also share this link and explanation during student orientation, in recruitment materials, on social media at least once per semester, and on campus career center websites. The law automatically terminates if the federal College Scorecard resource is discontinued, ensuring it only applies while the federal data remains available.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates transparency in college costs/outcomes, empowering students with data for informed enrollment decisions, aligning with educational access expansion.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

HB 486: Public Schools - Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day - Establishment

HB 486 designates November 14 each year as "Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day" to honor Ruby Bridges' 1960 integration of an all-white school, and the second Wednesday in October as "Maryland School Pedestrian Awareness Day" to promote safe walking routes to schools. The Maryland State Department of Education must provide free, age-appropriate resources to all public schools, including civil rights lesson plans for Ruby Bridges Day and pedestrian safety materials like lesson plans and walk audit guides for Pedestrian Awareness Day. The bill directly affects Maryland public school systems by requiring state-provided educational tools for these designated days, starting July 1, 2026. It focuses on commemoration and safety education without mandating specific school activities.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationDesignates educational days with required free civil rights curriculum and safety resources, enhancing school curriculum and student programming without cost.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill promotes pedestrian safety awareness for school routes through educational resources and walk audits, directly enhancing transportation safety as per indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 60: Sickle Cell Disease - Institutions of Higher Education - Policies, Procedures, and Educational Campaigns (Kaitlyn's Law)

This bill requires Maryland colleges and universities to provide reasonable accommodations to students with sickle cell disease and prohibits denying them access to facilities or services based on their diagnosis. It mandates the Maryland Department of Health to create an education campaign for campus staff, develop guidelines for supporting students with sickle cell disease, and compile training materials for faculty and administrators. The law directly affects students with sickle cell disease at public and private institutions of higher education in Maryland, as well as campus staff responsible for implementing these policies. The requirements take effect October 1, 2026, with institutions needing to establish clear reporting procedures for violations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires accommodations for sickle cell disease students in higher ed, mandates staff training, and ensures access to facilities/services - directly enhances educational access and support for students.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates accommodations for sickle cell patients in education, prohibits denial of services based on diagnosis, and requires health department education campaigns to protect patient access and rights.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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