Education

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.

HB 1310 allows high school students in Maryland who experience the death of a parent due to reproductive cancer (breast, cervical, or uterine cancer) to request a standardized notation on their official transcript. This notation, which must use privacy-protective language like "Documented Compelling Personal Circumstance" or "Exceptional Hardship Acknowledgement," explains potential impacts on academic performance, achievement, or attendance. Schools must add the notation upon receiving a written request with proof of the parent’s death (via death certificate or healthcare provider letter), and counselors must inform eligible students and surviving parents about this option. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and does not require schools to disclose the specific nature of the loss.

HB 1274 authorizes Maryland public school systems to award three types of diplomas to deceased students: standard diplomas (for students near graduation in 12th grade), posthumous honorary diplomas (for students in 11th/12th grade close to graduation), and in memoriam diplomas (for students in grades K-10 or county residents). To qualify, students must have been enrolled in a Maryland public school, met credit requirements, and been in good standing at the time of death. Schools may only issue these diplomas upon written request from a parent, guardian, or next of kin, and all awarded diplomas are ceremonial with no academic credit or impact on graduation rates. The bill amends Maryland’s education code to establish these specific eligibility criteria and procedures.

HB 29 requires Maryland county school boards to provide free access to three types of post-college and career readiness pathways for students who meet statewide college and career readiness standards: competitive college prep programs (like IB or AP), early college/dual enrollment options, and career/technology education programs. It allows counties to set income eligibility guidelines for the college prep pathway costs (but mandates free access for students at or below federal poverty level), while requiring all other pathways to be free for all qualifying students. The bill also mandates schools to offer counseling to help students choose pathways, ensure graduation requirements are met through these pathways, and maintain full student services regardless of pathway enrollment. This applies to all Maryland public high school students meeting the readiness standards, effective July 1, 2026.

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.