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 627 establishes the Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education to improve how Maryland public schools teach U.S. and Maryland history, culture, and civics. The commission, composed of 16 members representing diverse groups (including Indigenous tribes, LGBTQIA+ communities, disabled individuals, teachers, and racial/ethnic communities), must examine contributions of marginalized groups and make recommendations to the State Board of Education. Key provisions require the commission to examine topics like Native American contributions, LGBTQIA+ history, and disability community impacts, while ensuring recommendations promote equitable learning for all students. The commission must publicly share meeting materials, reports, and livestream sessions online, with members serving four-year terms without pay but receiving travel reimbursements. This bill directly affects Maryland public school curricula and student learning experiences through its recommendations.
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.
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.
HB 531 establishes a task force to study existing STEM and robotics programs in Maryland public schools and other states. The task force, composed of state officials, school representatives, and nonprofit leaders, will collect data on program structures, funding, and impacts to assess the feasibility of creating statewide competitive robotics programs in public high schools. It must submit recommendations by December 15, 2026, including whether robotics should be established as a varsity sport in all public high schools. The bill directly affects Maryland public schools by initiating a formal review process for potential program expansion.
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.
HB 505 requires public and nonpublic Maryland schools to accept specific unofficial documents as proof of academic records when a student transfers, *only* if the sending school denies an official transcript due to a dispute between the school and the student. The bill specifies that receiving schools must accept: unofficial transcripts, student-provided report cards, standardized test scores, copies of awards, or unofficial AP/IB results. This directly affects transferring students facing transcript denial, sending schools involved in disputes, and receiving schools that must follow these documentation rules. The policy change aims to prevent educational disruption during transfers by providing alternative verification methods.
HB 534 prohibits nonpublic schools participating in Maryland’s state-funded education programs from withholding transcripts or taking punitive actions against students (or their parents/guardians) due to unpaid debts owed to the school. Specifically, it bans schools from refusing to issue transcripts, conditioning transcript access on debt payment, charging extra fees for transcripts related to debt, or using transcripts as a debt collection tool. The law directly affects students and families at participating nonpublic schools, ensuring transcript access remains separate from financial obligations. It defines "debt" to exclude standard transcript fees, clarifying that schools cannot charge additional costs for transcripts tied to unpaid balances. This policy change ensures transcript access is not withheld as a financial penalty.
