BOE Positions and Testimonies

The 2016 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly convened on January 13, 2016 and adjourns 90 days later on April 11, 2016. In advance of the legislative session, the Board of Education approved its 2016 Legislative Platform, which provides the foundation for legislative and policy positions in the coming year.

During the 2016 session, the Board will strive to upload all testimony to be submitted to committees prior to the bill hearing, and will update the bill report weekly.

For further information about these and all pieces of legislation, please visit the Maryland General Assembly website. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Swanson, legislative aide to the Board of Education at patricia_r_swanson@mcpsmd.org

House Bills

HB0029
Education - Participants in Youth Sports Programs -
Concussions - Penalties for Coaches
Delegate Chang
Oppose

HB0039
Education - Orange Ribbon for Healthy School Hours -
Establishment
Delegate Miller, A.
  Oppose

HB0041
Public Schools - Boards of Education - Anonymous Two-Way Text
Messaging Tip Programs
Delegate Arentz
  Oppose

HB0072
Education - Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention
Program - Development and Implementation
Delegate Luedtke, M. Washington, Ebersole, Hixson, and Kaiser
  Support

HB0073
Intercounty Connector - Public School Bus - Exemption From
Toll
Delegate Luedtke, Barkley, Dumais, Fraser-Hidalgo, Frick,
Gilchrist, Gutierrez, Hixson, Kaiser, Kelly, Korman, Kramer, A. Miller, Moon,
Morales, Platt, Reznik, S. Robinson, Smith, Waldstreicher, and Zucker
  Support

HB0085
Education - Children With Disabilities - Support Services -
Parental Notification
Delegate Luedtke
Support

HB0086
Special Education - Translations of Individualized Education
Programs or Individualized Family Service Plans - Native Language
Delegate Luedtke
  Support

HB0109
Public Schools - Health and Safety - Food Transparency
Delegate Fennell
Oppose

HB0115
Education - Robotics Grant Program - Establishment
Delegate Reznik
Support

HB0141
Education - Education Accountability Program - Limits on
Testing
Delegate Luedtke
Oppose

HB0142
Education - Health and Safety - Emotional Health Awareness
Programs
Delegate Hixson
Oppose

HB0145
Public School Labor Relations Board - Renegotiation
Procedures and Administration
Delegate Hixson
Support

HB0198
Primary and Secondary Education - Security - School Resource
Officers
Delegate Cluster
Oppose

HB0245
Child Abuse and Neglect - Failure to Report
Delegate Dumais
Support

HB0251
Education - Home Instruction Programs - Participation in
Clubs and Activities
Delegate West
Oppose

HB0352
Office of Legislative Audits - Local School System Audits -
Repeal
Delegate Ghrist
Support

HB0397
Education - Assessments - Best Practices in the
Administration of Assessments
Delegate Washington, M.

HB0412
Education - Administration of Assessments - Provision of
Information
Delegate Kaiser

HB0453
Maryland Education Credit
Governor
Oppose

HB0474
Elementary School Students - Daily Physical Activity (Student
Health and Fitness Act)
Delegate Walker
Oppose

HB0476
State Board of Education - Financial Literacy Curriculum -
Graduation Requirement
Delegate Walker
Oppose

HB0528
Primary and Secondary Education - Sensible Sugar in Schools
Act
Delegate Ebersole
Oppose

HB0537
Teachers' Retirement and Pension Systems - Reemployment of
Retirees - Clarification
Delegate Barnes, B.
Support


HB0620
Elementary and Secondary Education - Required Number of
School Days - Repeal
Delegate Adams
Support

HB0657
Education - Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Assessments -
Administration
Delegate Shoemaker
Support

HB0681
Vehicle Laws - School Vehicles - Definition
Delegate Lam
Oppose

HB0708
Education - Maryland Seal of Biliteracy Act - Establishment
Delegate Gutierrez
Support

HB0725
Handguns - School Employees - Handgun Permits and Carrying
Weapons on School Property
Delegate Impallaria
Oppose

HB0778
Education - Students With Disabilities - Parental Consent for
Individualized Education Program Content
Delegate Washington, M.
Oppose

HB0781
Education - Assessments - Reporting of Aggregate Results
Delegate Wilson, C.
Oppose

HB0836
Educational Institutions - Notice of Criminal Activity and
Threats to Safety
Delegate Arentz
Oppose

HB0921
Primary and Secondary Education - School Personnel - Training Requirement
Delegate Fraser-Hidalgo

HB0934
Teachers' Retirement and Pension System - Employer
Contribution for Local Employees
Delegate Barnes, B.
Support

HB0983
Public Schools - Food Recovery Programs - Authorization
Delegate Barnes, D.

HB0996
Education - Public School Holidays - Easter Monday
Delegate Beidle
Support

HB1095
Education - Prekindergarten Programs - Notification of
Eligibility by Local Departments of Social Services
Delegate Platt
Support

HB1100
School Counseling Program - Counseling Services - Requirements
Delegate Hill

HB1204
Education - PARCC Testing - Exemption for Children With Disabilities
(Ben's Rule)
Delegate Vogt

HB1228
Education - Grounds for Discipline
Delegate Washington, A.

HB1233
Education - Administration of Standardized Tests and Assessments - Notice
Delegate Ebersole

HB1375
Public Schools and Libraries - Access to Obscene Materials and Child
Pornography - Prohibited
Delegate Parrott

HB1433
Education - Prekindergarten Students - Funding
Delegate Washington, A.
Support

HB1473
Public Schools - School Vehicles - Three-Point Seat Belts
Delegate Fraser-Hidalgo
Oppose

Senate Bills

SB0065
Primary and Secondary Education - Health and Safety - Sugar-Free Schools Act
Senator Young
Oppose

SB0071
Public and Nonpublic Schools - Student Diabetes Management Program
Senator Young
Oppose

SB0083
Public Safety - School Safety Enforcement Fund
Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee (Governor)
Support

SB0183
School Vehicles - Seat Belts - Requirements
Senator Brochin
Oppose

SB0267
Public Schools - Voluntary Nonsectarian Prayer at School-Sponsored Student Events
Senator Salling
Oppose

SB0269
Education - Public School Holidays - Veterans' Day
Senator Salling
Oppose

SB0271
Capital Grant Program for Local School Systems With Significant Enrollment Growth or Relocatable Classrooms - Funding
Senator King
Support

SB0375
Relief From Budget Mandates
Governor
Oppose

SB0461
Education - Prekindergarten Students - Funding
Senator Conway
Support

SB0464
Higher Education - College Admissions Outreach Program for High-Achieving Students - Establishment
Senator Madaleno
Support

SB0494
State Department of Education - Community-Partnered School Behavioral Health Services Programs - Reporting System and Report (School Behavioral Health Accountability Act)
Senator Nathan-Pulliam
Support

SB0575
County Boards of Education - Limit on Liability
Senator Ramirez
Oppose

SB0595
Education - Dual Enrollment - Middle School Students
Senator Rosapepe
No Position

SB0674

Employer Contribution for Local Employees

Senator Peters

Support

SB0755
State Department of Education - Breakfast and Lunch Programs - Funding (Free School Meals for Students From Low- and Middle-Income Families Act)
Senator Madaleno

SB0756
Primary and Secondary Education - Breakfast Program - School Requirements (Breakfast After the Bell Act)
Senator Madaleno

SB0764
Education - Student Journalists - Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press
Senator Raskin

SB0767
Education - Beginning of School Year - After Labor Day
Senator Mathias
Oppose

SB0770
Education - Public High Schools - Agriculture Science
Senator Bates
Oppose

SB0832
Education - Grounds for Discipline
Senator Guzzone

SB0901
Public and Nonpublic Schools - Classwork and Assessment Involving Live and Dead Animals - Student Right of Refusal
Senator Young

SB0950
Education - Students With Disabilities - Parental Consent for Individualized Education Program Content
Senator Conway
Oppose