SB 421 prohibits Maryland institutions of higher education from denying students access to facilities or services due to a sickle cell disease diagnosis and requires them to provide reasonable accommodations. It mandates the Maryland Department of Health to develop an awareness campaign for schools about supporting students with sickle cell disease, create educational materials for faculty/staff, and establish a framework for institutions to assess and support affected students. The law also requires schools to publicly share their policies and reporting procedures for violations. These provisions take effect October 1, 2026, directly impacting students with sickle cell disease, higher education institutions, and state health agencies.
SB 262 expands Maryland's income tax deduction for teachers by adding prekindergarten teachers to the list of eligible educators who can deduct up to $250 annually for unreimbursed classroom supply expenses. The bill amends tax code sections to include prekindergarten classroom teachers employed full-time in state programs as "eligible teachers," alongside existing K-12 teachers. This deduction applies only to supplies used by students or for teaching preparation, and excludes expenses already deducted federally. The change takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.
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 224 allows counties and Baltimore City to create a special property tax rate for commercial and industrial properties, in addition to the general tax rate, to fund transportation projects or school budgets. The special rate cannot exceed 12.5 cents per $100 of assessed value and must automatically exempt the residential portion of mixed-use buildings from this tax. It also permits counties to grant tax credits to small businesses (under 20 employees) owning qualifying commercial property. This bill directly affects commercial/industrial property owners and mixed-use building residents, while ensuring residential portions remain tax-exempt under the special rate.
SB 299 requires Maryland county boards of education to allow therapy dogs in public schools, subject to specific policies. The bill mandates that each county adopt a policy covering therapy dog certification, handler guidelines, school access rules, parent/student notifications, and accommodations for allergies or discomfort. Therapy dogs must be accompanied by a certified handler and meet defined emotional support criteria for students. This law applies directly to all public schools in Maryland, effective July 1, 2026. It establishes concrete requirements for school policies but does not specify outcomes or funding.
Maryland's HB 214 requires state-funded colleges to create an "academic forgiveness" policy by August 1, 2026. The policy allows reapplying students who earned failing grades at a prior institution 10+ years ago to have those grades disregarded during admissions. Students must voluntarily choose to participate in the policy to exclude past poor grades from their academic record. This applies only to applicants with a history of unsatisfactory grades at a previous college, not to current students.
HB 100 would expand eligibility for Maryland's Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program to include individuals who were eligible for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Chapter 35 Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Benefit. This change would directly affect current or former Chapter 35 beneficiaries applying for the scholarship, who previously lacked automatic eligibility under the program. The bill adds a new qualifying category to the existing criteria (such as military dependents, 9/11 victims' families, and school employee dependents) and establishes two verification methods: submitting a Chapter 35 certificate or having a school official verify eligibility. The proposed changes would take effect July 1, 2026, if enacted.
HB 539 creates a pathway for individuals lacking formal proof of educational credentials to become child care teachers in Maryland centers serving preschool or school-age children (3+ years old). It requires the State Board of Education to establish a process where these individuals can be hired during a 6-month probationary period while completing approved pre-service training (90 hours total). To qualify, they must hold an associate or bachelor’s degree in specific fields (e.g., early childhood education, child development) and complete training within six months of hire, or complete 45 hours before hire and finish the rest within six months. Child care centers must terminate or reassign teachers who fail to meet these requirements by the end of the probationary period. The bill directly affects child care centers and prospective teachers who possess relevant education but lack documentation.
HB 325 changes the makeup of Maryland's Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board. It removes one position for a certified nonpublic school classroom teacher and adds two positions for representatives from the Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities. The bill alters the board's composition by replacing the single nonpublic school teacher seat with two seats for special education facilities, while maintaining other membership categories like public school teachers and education faculty. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, and directly affect how the board is structured to represent different education sectors.
HB 311 requires Maryland public schools to include accessibility for students with disabilities in routine safety evaluations and emergency planning. It mandates that school systems report annually on instances where a facility became inaccessible for a disabled student in a way that could impede evacuation or emergency response. These reports must remain confidential, exempt from public records laws, and only discloseable to legislators upon request. The bill directly affects local school systems and students with disabilities by ensuring accessibility is prioritized in safety protocols. It amends Maryland’s education code to integrate disability accessibility into standard emergency planning procedures.
