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