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Authorizing the State Superintendent of Schools to declare a prolonged state of emergency for an event that prevents regular, in-person attendance at a public school for at least 14 consecutive school days, subject to certain requirements; establishing that if an emergency threatens a particular school within a local system the State Superintendent may declare a prolonged state of emergency for that school; requiring the State Board to adopt certain regulations relating to a prolonged state of emergency; etc.

Establishing enhanced requirements under the Open Meetings Act for county boards of education and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners; requiring the county boards and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to maintain on their respective websites archived video recording of each open meeting for which live video streaming was made available for a minimum of 5 years after the date of the meeting; authorizing the editing of archived video recordings under certain circumstances; etc.

Establishing the Maryland Civic Excellence Program for public high school students that exhibit civic readiness and engagement; requiring a certain capstone project be included in the Program; authorizing a local school system to participate in the Program to recognize students for their civic readiness and civic engagement; and requiring the State Board of Education, no later than the 2027-2028 school year, to adopt certain regulations to establish criteria for awarding a seal of civic excellence.

Establishing the Task Force on Education Funding and Student Population Growth to analyze the challenges related to the delay in student enrollment counts and its effect on school funding and the connection between growing student populations and the provision of school funding; requiring the State Department of Education to provide data to support the work of the Task Force; and requiring the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 15, 2026.

Authorizing each county board of education to use a chaplain as a volunteer aide in schools to provide support services to students.

Authorizing the Governing Board of the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center to provide certain student and workforce data to a third-party data center under certain circumstances; requiring each third-party data center to agree to comply with certain requirements relating to the data the center receives; requiring the Center to enter into a written data sharing agreement with certain third-party data centers; requiring the Center to submit a report to certain committees within 30 days of entering into a certain agreement; etc.

Altering the contents of a certain bullying, harassment, or intimidation form to require, if the incident is believed to have been motivated in whole or in substantial part by certain actual or perceived personal characteristics, identification of those personal characteristics, if known; requiring each county board of education to report information about groups with certain characteristics under certain circumstances; requiring the State Department of Education to establish certain standards by July 1, 2027; etc.

Altering the composition of the Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board by removing a member who is chosen from a list of nominees provided by the Association of Independent Schools and increasing the number of members chosen from lists provided by the Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities.

Requiring each county board of education, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, to install and provide notice of the use of certain video recording devices in self-contained special education classrooms, subject to certain requirements; prohibiting a county board from storing a certain video recording for more than 6 months after the recording date unless a request to view or store the video has been made; establishing certain reporting requirements in the event of an interruption of a certain video recording; etc.

Requiring the Maryland Center for School Safety to develop and administer an anonymous reporting system to receive information related to a school or student safety concern; requiring the Center to develop operational guidelines and procedures, and to provide training relative to the system; requiring each local school system to participate in the anonymous reporting system, subject to a certain exception; requiring a certain custodian of records to deny inspection of information and materials related the system; etc.

Requiring the public school safety education program to include student instruction concerning school bus safety and the proper use of seat belts on school buses; requiring that school buses purchased after July 1, 2030, and registered in the State be equipped with, for every seat on the school bus, 3-point seat belts that are accessible to passengers; and prohibiting a civil action for damages based on the failure of a school bus operator to ensure that an occupant of a school bus was wearing a seat belt.

Requiring a county superintendent of schools to allow a certain dependent child of an active service member to advance enroll in a school in the county in a certain manner; requiring the remote registration process to provide an opportunity for the service member or other parent or guardian of a dependent child with a disability to note whether the child has an individualized education program or a 504 plan in the sending state; and requiring the Secretary of Veterans and Military Families to publish information on advance enrollment.

Requiring, beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, each public middle school and each public high school to begin instruction not earlier than 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively, unless granted a waiver by the State Board of Education under certain circumstances; and requiring each county board of education and each public charter school to implement a certain public service campaign to raise awareness of sleep deprivation and later school start times.

Requiring certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools and certain locker rooms to be expressly designated based on biological sex; prohibiting certain entities from taking certain adverse actions against a school for maintaining separate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports or locker rooms for students of the female sex; etc.

Authorizing the Governing Board of the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center to provide certain student and workforce data to a third-party data center under certain circumstances; requiring each third-party data center to agree to comply with certain requirements relating to the data the center receives; requiring the Center to enter into a written data sharing agreement with certain third-party data centers; requiring the Center to submit a report to certain committees within 30 days of entering into a certain agreement; etc.

Requiring each county board of education to update certain policies to include information on authorized possession of naloxone or other opioid overdose-reversing medication by certain high school students and immunity from liability; and altering the list of individuals who may administer naloxone or other opioid overdose-reversing medication under a certain policy.

Requiring each county board of education to establish a policy to obtain at least one airway clearing device per school and to authorize school nurses and other school personnel to use an airway clearing device in certain emergency situations; and requiring the State Department of Education to develop and disseminate a form for public schools to report each incident requiring the use of an airway clearing device.

Requiring each county board of education to establish a policy to obtain at least one airway clearing device per school and to authorize school nurses and other school personnel to use an airway clearing device in certain emergency situations; and requiring the State Department of Education to develop and disseminate a form for public schools to report each incident requiring the use of an airway clearing device.

Requiring the governing board of each institution of higher education in the State and local school systems to designate a Title VI Coordinator to ensure compliance with Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964; and authorizing a person alleging discrimination under certain provisions of law to file a complaint with a Title VI Coordinator of a local school system, as applicable.

Establishing the Task Force on Education Funding and Student Population Growth to analyze the challenges related to the delay in student enrollment counts and its effect on school funding and the connection between growing student populations and the provision of school funding; and requiring the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 15, 2026.

Repealing the termination date of certain provisions of law that authorize a county board of education to provide transportation to and from school for certain students using a vehicle other than a certain type of school vehicle; and requiring the State Department of Education, in consultation with county boards of education and the Motor Vehicle Administration, to study the current regulations for vehicles other than a certain type of school vehicle and report the results to certain committees by January 1, 2027.

Including institutions and programs of higher education in which a student is enrolled as part of a dual enrollment program in the definition of "school system"; adding certain offenses to the list of offenses a law enforcement agency must report to certain school personnel under certain circumstances; and authorizing State's Attorneys to make a certain notification if a student is arrested for certain offenses.

Altering the application of certain provisions of law governing local government personnel, trout stamps, and landlord remedies to apply to all uniformed services; and altering the composition of the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund.

Requiring an appeals process established by the State Board of Education not to exceed 90 days for appeals of actions taken by a county board of education for removal of the county superintendent or a member of the county board of education; and authorizing an extension of the appeals process if due process demands the extension or the State Board determines that an extension is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety.

Establishing enhanced requirements under the Open Meetings Act for county boards of education and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners; requiring county boards and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to maintain on their respective websites an archived video recording of each open meeting for which live video streaming was made available for a minimum of 5 years after the meeting; authorizing county boards and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to edit certain content from the recordings; etc.

Requiring a county board of education to allow, subject to certain requirements and policies, the use of therapy dogs in public schools in the county.

Authorizing a county board of education to adopt an open enrollment policy to authorize certain students to attend, free of charge, a public school in a county other than the county where the student is domiciled with the student's parent or guardian, subject to certain requirements; requiring county boards to include certain students in full-time equivalent enrollment counts; and directing certain funding to the county in which certain students are enrolled in a public school under an open enrollment policy.

Requiring each county board of education to submit a student residency and school zones report to the Department of Planning and the Interagency Commission on School Construction by July 1 each year, beginning on July 1, 2026; requiring a county board to consult with certain municipalities and incorporate certain data when developing an education facilities master plan; providing that adequate public facilities ordinances may not delay the processing and completion of site development plans, but may delay construction starts; etc.

Requiring a county board of education to develop and adopt a policy on the use of personal electronic devices during school hours; requiring the policy to restrict or limit the use of personal electronic devices by students during school hours, except for any purpose documented in the student's education program or Section 504 plan, to monitor or address a student's health issue, or for certain educational purposes; and requiring the policy to be published on the county board's website and in student handbooks.

Requiring certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools to be expressly designated in a certain manner; prohibiting certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports from including certain students; prohibiting certain entities from taking certain adverse actions against a school under certain circumstances; etc.

Requiring law enforcement agencies to notify the State's Attorney if a student is a suspect in an investigation of certain offenses and if the student no longer is a suspect; authorizing the State's Attorney to notify the local superintendent or the superintendent's designee if the student is a suspect in an investigation of certain offenses; and requiring the State's Attorney to notify the local superintendent or the superintendent's designee if a student is no longer a suspect in certain investigations.

Requiring each county board of education and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to hold an election for a vacant elected board member position that occurs 55 days or more before the candidate filing deadline for a certain election; requiring each county board and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to appoint a replacement for a vacant elected board member position that occurs 54 days or less before a certain candidate filing deadline for a certain election; etc.

Requiring a county board of education to develop and adopt a policy on the use of personal electronic devices during school hours; requiring the policy to restrict or limit the use of personal electronic devices by students during school hours, except for any purpose documented in the student's education program or Section 504 plan, to monitor or address a student's health issue, or for certain educational purposes; requiring the policy to be published on the county board's website and in student handbooks; etc.

Authorizing the State Superintendent of Schools to declare a prolonged state of emergency for an event that prevents regular, in-person attendance at a public school for at least 14 consecutive school days, subject to certain requirements; and requiring the State Board to adopt certain regulations including establishing minimum criteria for the adoption and implementation of virtual education plans by a county board during a prolonged state of emergency affecting the local school system.

Requiring each local school system to identify, in its regular safety evaluation, issues of accessibility for individuals with disabilities; and requiring local school systems to include in a certain annual report instances in which a public school facility became inaccessible for a student with a disability in a manner that could impede evacuations or emergency response.

Clarifying the type of proposals and plans that require the approval of the State Superintendent of Schools; requiring a county board of education to request and receive approval from the State Superintendent before a county board may proceed with certain actions; repealing the requirement for the Commission to approve 75% of the preliminary school construction allocation by a certain date; requiring the Commission, at least once every 4 years, to review a certain cost threshold amount; etc.

Requiring that a certain program on the awareness and prevention of sexual abuse and assault include, for students in grades 6 through 8, material promoting the awareness and prevention of human and sex trafficking.

Requiring the State Board of Education to develop, by July 1, 2027, curriculum content for an elective course in water safety and swimming for public school students in kindergarten through grade 8; requiring, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, county boards of education to implement the water safety and swimming curriculum content for students in kindergarten through grade 8 in public schools in the county; etc.

Requiring, beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, each public middle school and each public high school to begin instruction not earlier than 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively, unless granted a waiver by the State Board of Education under certain circumstances; and requiring each county board of education and each public charter school to implement a certain public service campaign to raise awareness of sleep deprivation and later school start times.

Authorizing the reallocation of certain school safety grants to local school systems that have fully expended their grant allocation and demonstrate unmet need within the same fiscal year.

Authorizing a county board of education to develop and establish income eligibility guidelines and procedures for payment of costs for a post college and career readiness (post-CCR) pathway, except under certain circumstances; extending the time period to 2030 during which the State Board and the Accountability and Implementation Board may limit the number and types of dual enrollment as a post college and career readiness pathway; etc.

Establishing the Maryland Civic Excellence Program that recognizes the civic readiness and civic engagement of public high school students in the State; requiring that a certain capstone project be included in the Program; authorizing a local school system to participate in the Program to recognize certain students who meet certain criteria; and requiring the State Board, no later than the 2027-2028 school year, to adopt regulations to establish the criteria for awarding a seal of civic excellence to a qualified student.

Clarifying the type of proposals and plans that require the approval of the State Superintendent of Schools; requiring a county board of education to request and receive approval from the State Superintendent before a county board may proceed with certain actions; authorizing the Interagency Commission on School Construction to adopt requirements for eligibility for certain State funding; repealing the requirement for the Commission to approve 75% of the preliminary school construction allocation by a certain date; etc.

Establishing the Interjurisdictional Safe Pathways Commission to identify, coordinate, and secure funding for safe pathways for students traveling to and from school; and requiring the Commission to report by December 1 annually to the Governor and certain committees of the General Assembly an assessment of funding opportunities, recommendations for infrastructure improvements, and progress in implementing interjurisdictional coordination.

Requiring a county superintendent of schools to allow a certain dependent child of an active service member to advance enroll in a school in the county in a certain manner; requiring the remote registration process to provide an opportunity for the service member or other parent or guardian of a dependent child with a disability to note whether the child has an individualized education program or a 504 plan in the sending state; and requiring the Secretary of Veterans and Military Families to publish information on advance enrollment.

Requiring each county board of education to submit a student residency and school zones report to the Department of Planning and the Interagency Commission on School Construction on or before July 1 each year, beginning on July 1, 2026; prohibiting certain adequate public facilities ordinances from delaying the processing and completion of subdivision or site development plans; and authorizing certain adequate public facilities ordinances to delay the issuance of final permits.

Requiring that a certain program on the awareness and prevention of sexual abuse and assault include, for students in grades 6 through 8, material promoting the awareness and prevention of human and sex trafficking.

Repealing the limitation on the authorization to use personnel grants and per pupil grants under the Concentration of Poverty School Grant Program to provide certain fine arts instructional programs through fiscal year 2027.

Allowing employers who provide certain parental engagement leave to certain qualified employees during the taxable year a credit against the State income tax; requiring the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Comptroller, to develop and make available a certain certification form; establishing that the credit equals the qualified employee's hourly wage rate times the number of parental leave hours used by the employee during the taxable year, up to $800; making the credit refundable under certain circumstances; etc.

Requiring each county board of education to ensure that each public school regularly restock dispensers in the women's restrooms at the school with menstrual hygiene products.

Requiring a county board of education to allow, subject to certain requirements and policies, the use of therapy dogs in public schools in the county.

Repealing the termination date of certain provisions of law that authorize a county board of education to provide transportation to and from school for certain students using a vehicle other than a certain type of school vehicle under certain circumstances; requiring the State Department of Education, in consultation with certain entities, to study the current regulations for vehicles other than a certain type of school vehicle and report the results of the review to certain committees of the General Assembly by January 1, 2027.

Repealing the limitation on the authorization to use personnel grants and per pupil grants under the Concentration of Poverty School Grant Program to provide certain fine arts instructional programs through fiscal year 2027.

Extending the time period during which a certain method is used to calculate compensatory education enrollment through fiscal year 2028; repealing a termination date for the use of funds under the Concentration of Poverty Grant Program for the purpose of providing certain programs; altering the qualifications for an initial teacher certificate; requiring the State Department of Education to suspend operation of the Expert Review Team Program during the 2026-2027 school year; etc.

Establishing a direct admission program at participating public senior higher education institutions for eligible high school students beginning in the 2028-2029 academic year; requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the State Department of Education, and public senior higher education institutions to establish eligibility requirements for the direct admission program; requiring a student to have completed all prerequisite courses, met certain eligibility requirements, and applied by a certain deadline; etc.

Requiring the governing board of each institution of higher education in the State and local school systems to designate a Title VI Coordinator to ensure compliance with Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964; and authorizing a person alleging discrimination under certain provisions of law to file a complaint with a Title VI Coordinator of a local school system, as applicable.

Establishing the standard of review that the State Board of Education must use when considering an appeal of certain actions taken by a county board of education; and establishing a limit of 90 days on the duration of a stay ordered by the State Superintendent of Schools of a certain action taken by a county board.

Requiring the State Department of Education to approve and certify a nonprofit organization that meets certain requirements as a scholarship granting organization; requiring the Department, beginning in 2027, to annually provide the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury a list of scholarship granting organizations; and requiring the Comptroller to make available online guidance that assists taxpayers in claiming a certain tax credit for certain contributions.

Requiring the University System of Maryland to develop, in consultation with the State Department of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission, certain recommendations for a Southern Maryland Early College Teacher Pathway Program and a teacher preparation pathway in a certain manner; establishing the Southern Maryland Early College Teacher Pathway Program Workgroup; requiring, the Governor to include an appropriation of $125,000 in fiscal years 2028 and 2029, to support the Workgroup's recommendations; etc.

Repealing the prohibition on a public school employer negotiating the maximum number of students assigned to a class.

Designating November 14 as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day to commemorate Ruby Bridges, who became the first African American student to integrate an all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana; requiring the State Department of Education to provide resource materials to assist public school systems in planning a program of education for Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day; and requiring the resources developed by the Department to assist teachers in engaging students in discussions about civil rights and social justice.

Requiring the State Department of Education to approve and certify a nonprofit organization that meets certain requirements as a scholarship granting organization; requiring the Department, beginning in 2027, to annually provide the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury a list of scholarship granting organizations; and requiring the Comptroller to make available online guidance that assists taxpayers in claiming a certain tax credit for certain contributions.

Authorizing a county board of education to develop and establish income eligibility guidelines and procedures for payment of costs for a certain post college and career readiness (post-CCR) pathway, except that a county board must provide access to the post-CCR pathway at no cost to the student or student's parents or guardians if the student's family income is below 400% of the federal poverty level.

Altering the composition of the Board of Trustees of the Maryland School for the Deaf from 19 members to 13 members and requiring that at least 7 members be deaf.

Authorizing a county board of education to adopt an open enrollment policy to authorize certain students to attend, free of charge, a public school in a county other than the county where the student is domiciled with the student's parent or guardian, subject to certain requirements; requiring county boards to include certain students in full-time equivalent enrollment counts; and directing certain funding to the county in which certain students are enrolled in a public school under an open enrollment policy.

Extending the time period during which a certain method is used to calculate compensatory education enrollment through fiscal year 2027; altering the qualifications for an initial teacher certificate; requiring the State Department of Education to suspend operation of the Expert Review Team Program during the 2026-2027 school year; requiring the Accountability and Implementation Board and the Department to identify a methodology for counting low-income students for purposes of certain funding formulas; etc.

Requiring a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school receiving transfer of a student to accept certain unofficial documents to satisfy the academic records requirement from the sending school in the event that a dispute between the sending school and the student has caused the sending school to deny the request for the official academic transcript and records of the transferring student.

Prohibiting nonpublic schools that participate in State-funded education programs from refusing to provide a current or former student or the student's parent or guardian with a transcript or taking other punitive measures regarding a student's transcript request because the student owes a debt to the nonpublic school.

Requiring the State Department of Education to study existing STEM and robotics programs in public schools in the State to determine the feasibility of establishing competitive extracurricular STEM and robotics programs throughout the State; and requiring the Department to report the results of the study and recommendations to the General Assembly by January 1, 2027.

Establishing the Task Force on Proactive Review of Audio and Video Recordings on Special Education Buses to study the use of artificial intelligence to proactively review audio and video recordings from special education buses to ensure the safety and security of student passengers; and requiring the Task Force by December 1 2026, to report its findings and recommendations to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment, and the House Ways and Means Committee.

Requiring each county board of education to develop and implement, by the 2027-2028 school year, a policy prohibiting the use of certain electronic communication devices by a student during the academic school day; and prohibiting the policy from restricting the use of an electronic communication device for purposes of accommodations related to a disability, including for any purpose in a student's individual education program, to address a documented health issue, to access language translation tools, or to meet caregiving responsibilities.

Requiring the State Department of Education to make available a professional development course on educator well-being and flourishing to school personnel and administrators on or before July 1, 2027; and requiring the Department to make the course available only if it can be provided at no cost or at a cost comparable to that which the Department pays for providing a commensurate course.

Requiring each county board of education to ensure that each public school regularly restock dispensers in the women's restrooms at the school with menstrual hygiene products.

Requiring the student attendance policy of each county board of education to include a provision allowing an excused or discretionary absence for a public school student participating in civil engagement activities; and clarifying that civic engagement includes testifying virtually or in person at a hearing of a legislative body, meeting with members of the legislative body, contributing to the consideration, development, or implementation of policy issues, or participation in the Maryland General Assembly Page Program.

Altering the method for calculating the maintenance of effort amount county governing bodies are required to appropriate to the school operating budget by requiring an annual inflation adjustment.

Requiring each county board of education to collect data on energy usage and report the data collected to the Interagency Commission on School Construction; requiring the Commission to adopt regulations specifying the data to be collected and the means and frequency of reporting; and requiring the Commission to analyze the data collected and provide recommendations for improving school building energy efficiency and usage.

Modifying certain reporting requirements, boards, and commissions for practicability and efficiency; repealing certain reporting requirements that are unnecessary, obsolete, or duplicative; repealing as obsolete the Renewable Fuels Incentive Board, Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board, Two-Generation Family Economic Security Commission, and Commission on Trauma-Informed Care; repealing as unnecessary the Partnership for Workforce Quality Advisory Board; etc.

Establishing the Commission on Historic, Cultural, and Civic Contributions in Education to study and make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission about certain lessons currently taught in public schools; requiring the Commission to study school calendars and make recommendations to the State Board and the General Assembly; and requiring the State Board to identify existing courses and materials to be updated into professional development courses under certain circumstances.

Altering the definition of "military-connected student" under the Purple Star Schools Program to conform with certain terms defined under State law; and establishing the Purple Star Colleges Program to recognize certain colleges that provide strong services and support for military-connected students.

Altering the membership of the State Board of Education to include, as a member, an early childhood development professional with extensive experience in the operations of a child care business and early childhood curriculum and development; and requiring the Governor to appoint the early childhood development member, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from a list of three qualified individuals submitted from the Office of Child Care Advisory Council.

Establishing that it is unlawful for a parent or guardian of a student in a public school to fail to seek and participate in counseling with the parent's or guardian's child after receiving a certain notice of violent and disruptive behavior; and requiring a public school principal to provide a certain written notice to the parent or guardian of a student who engages in two or more incidents of violent and disruptive behavior on school premises or during school-related activities during the school year.

Requiring each county board of education to collect data on energy usage and report the data collected to the Interagency Commission on School Construction; requiring the Commission to adopt regulations specifying the data to be collected and the means and frequency of reporting; and requiring the Commission to analyze the data collected and provide recommendations for improving school building energy efficiency and usage.

Requiring the State Department of Education to develop or approve an artificial intelligence training program for members of county boards of education that includes foundational training and continuing annual training; requiring each member of a county board to complete an artificial intelligence training program each year that covers developments in artificial intelligence technology, evolving best practices for use in education settings and new guidance; and providing the training may be in person, online or in a hybrid format.

Requiring the Anne Arundel County Board of Education and the State Board of Elections, in consultation with the State Department of Education, to establish a career and technical education pilot program in the county schools to prepare students for a career as an election official.

Establishing a direct admission program at participating public senior higher education institutions for certain eligible high school students beginning in the 2028-2029 academic year; requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the State Department of Education, and public senior higher education institutions to establish eligibility requirements for the program; and requiring the Commission with the Department to study and make recommendations to the General Assembly on the program by July 1, 2027.

Establishing the Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Program in the State Department of Education to provide funding to eligible schools that participate in the federal community eligibility provision of the child nutrition programs; requiring schools that opt out of the Community Eligibility Provision of the Child Nutrition Program to include certain information in a certain report; and requiring the Governor in fiscal year 2028 and succeeding years to include $10,000,000 in the annual budget bill for the Program.

Repealing a certain provision of law relating to a certain school police officer's authorization to carry a firearm under certain circumstances; and requiring a school resource officer to carry a firearm while present on the premises of the school to which the officer is assigned.

Requiring each public school to employ a full-time therapist that provides school-based mental health services to students during the instructional day; and requiring the full-time therapist to be licensed and certified by the State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.

Requiring each local school system to identify, in its regular safety evaluation, issues of accessibility for individuals with disabilities; and requiring local school systems to include in a certain confidential annual report instances in which a public school facility became inaccessible for a student with a disability in a manner that could impede evacuations or emergency response.

Establishing the Language Acquisition Tracking Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in the State Department of Education to ensure that eligible children develop language skills at the same rate and to the same extent as their peers; establishing a State Coordinator of Language Acquisition for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children to coordinate the Program and create a parent and guardian resource to help parents and guardians of deaf or hard of hearing children track a child's language acquisition progress; etc.

Requiring each county board of education to develop and implement, not later than the 2026-2027 school year, a policy prohibiting the use of a personal electronic device by a student during school day hours; providing the policy may not prohibit a student from using a personal electronic device for any purpose related to an individualized program or 504 plan; providing that any disciplinary measures adopted as part of the policy may not include suspension or expulsion solely for violation of the policy; etc.

Adding new pathways to the early childhood career ladder for eligible private prekindergarten providers that allow educators to meet certain experiential and educational qualifications within certain periods of time; etc.

Updating certain provisions of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future that refer to "behavioral health" to be inclusive of "student well-being and human flourishing"; and amending the purposes, membership, and duties of the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports to include the furtherance of student well-being and human flourishing.

Requiring the State Board of Education to develop curriculum resources and county boards of education to develop and incorporate instruction on the consequences of a conviction for felony murder for public middle school students in the State.

Requiring a principal or school administration to investigate each student fight or physical struggle; prohibiting a school employee from disciplining a student under certain circumstances; and requiring a principal or school administration to expunge certain documentation from a student's disciplinary record under certain circumstances.

Requiring a teacher preparation program to include certain training in English language learner-related teacher competencies and include English language learner-related teacher competencies in other courses throughout the curriculum; and requiring a teacher preparation program to include a certain course in teaching English language learners beginning in the 2028-2029 academic year.

Altering certain requirements of the career ladder for educators to increase the required percentage of working time a teacher on level one, two, or three of the career ladder must spend teaching in the classroom from 60% to 80%.

Requiring certain nonpublic schools that offer athletic activities for students to develop policies and programs to provide certain information on sudden cardiac arrest to persons participating in the nonpublic school's athletic programs; requiring a physical examination for student participation in an interscholastic sport to include a cardiovascular prescreening to assess an individual's heart health, identify risk factors, and underlying abnormalities; requiring notification of certain persons if risk factors are detected; etc.

Prohibiting a county board of education from charging a student or a student's parent or guardian any fees related to enrollment in or completion of a competitive entry college preparatory program consisting of Advanced Placement courses specified by the College Board.

Authorizing the Governor to appoint as a member of the State Board of Education an individual who is an employee of a county board of education, under certain circumstances; altering the number of members required to affirmatively vote for the State Board to take an action on certain matters.