Maryland2026Enacted
HB0006
Maryland Law on Data and Plans for Pregnant and Parenting College Students
Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 4:24 AM
In one sentence
This law requires Maryland public colleges to collect data about students who are parents or pregnant, create support plans for them, and report the findings to state lawmakers.
What it does
- Requires the Maryland Higher Education Commission to ask all public colleges to gather information on whether enrolled students are parents or legal guardians.
- Mandates that colleges collect details about student caregiving roles, such as if they share responsibilities with others and the ages of their children.
- Orders every community college and public higher education institution to create a written plan supporting pregnant and parenting students.
- Requires these plans to list referrals for government aid programs like food assistance, child care scholarships, and health insurance.
- Directs colleges to post their support plans on their official websites by October 1, 2026.
- Sets a deadline of September 1, 2027, for the Commission to submit a summary report of all collected data to state legislative committees.
Who it affects
- Public institutions of higher education in Maryland, including community colleges and universities within the University System of Maryland.
- The Maryland Higher Education Commission, which must collect data and issue regulations for reporting formats.
- Students who are pregnant or have caregiving responsibilities for children at these public schools.
Limits and unknowns
- The law does not apply to the University of Maryland Global Campus.
- Information about parental status is treated as student data but is explicitly excluded from being classified as a medical or health record.
- Pregnancy status itself remains separate and is listed under information that is not considered 'student data' for certain reporting purposes.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Parental status
- Information about whether a student is a parent, legal guardian, or shares care of a child with someone else.
- Demographic data
- Facts collected from students that describe their background and personal characteristics.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
Requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission to collect data regarding the parental status of students from each public institution of higher education; requiring public institutions of higher education to collect and report certain demographic data from students; requiring community colleges to adopt a certain plan for pregnant and parenting students; requiring the Commission to submit a report, by September 1, 2027, to certain committees of the General Assembly, that summarizes the data collected.
Official activity
Bill history
- Approved by the Governor - Chapter 735