Public Schools - Maryland Civic Excellence Program - Established

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
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amendment.
*hb0057*

HOUSE BILL 57
F1 6lr0717
HB 72/25 – W&M (PRE–FILED) CF SB 204
By: Delegate Vogel
Requested: August 20, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Schools – Maryland Civic Excellence Program – Established 2

FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Civic Excellence Program in the State 3
Department of Education for certain public high school students; requiring the State 4
Board of Education to establish the criteria and requirements for the Program in 5
regulation; requiring that a certain capstone project be included in the Program ; 6
authorizing a local school system to participate in the Program to recognize students 7
who meet criteria related to student proficiency in civics and civic literacy public 8
high school students for their civic readiness and civic engagement ; and generally 9
relating to the Maryland Civic Excellence Program. 10

BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 7–137 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Education 18

7–137. 19

2 HOUSE BILL 57

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND CIVIC 1
EXCELLENCE PROGRAM. 2

(B) (1) THERE IS A MARYLAND CIVIC EXCELLENCE PROGRAM IN THE 3
DEPARTMENT THAT RECOGNIZES THE CIVIC READINESS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 4
OF PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE STATE. 5

(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO RECOGNI ZE STUDENTS 6
AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS T HAT PROMOTE THE CIVI C READINESS AND CIVIC 7
ENGAGEMENT OF STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. 8

(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 9

(D) (C) (1) NOT LATER THAN THE 2027–2028 SCHOOL YEAR , THE 10
DEPARTMENT STATE BOARD, IN CONSULTATION WITH EXPERTS AND 11
STAKEHOLDERS, SHALL DEVELOP GUIDELINES TO ASSIST PARTICIPATING LOCAL 12
SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO DE TERMINE STUDENT PROF ICIENCY IN CIVICS AN D CIVIC 13
LITERACY ADOPT REGULATIONS TO ESTABLISH THE CRITERIA AND REQUIREMENTS 14
FOR AWARDING A SEAL OF CIVIC EXCELLENCE TO A QUALIFIED STUDE NT WHO 15
ATTENDS A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN A PARTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM. 16

(2) THE CRITERIA ESTABLIS HED BY THE STATE BOARD SHALL 17
INCLUDE A REQUIREMEN T THAT , IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A SEAL OF CIVIC 18
EXCELLENCE, A STUDENT MUST COMPL ETE A CAPSTONE PROJE CT THROUGH AN 19
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTI VITY THAT IS FOCUSED ON CIVIC SERVICE IN STATE, 20
COUNTY, OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. 21

(E) (D) (1) THIS SUBSECTION APPLI ES ONLY TO A A LOCAL SCHOOL 22
SYSTEM THAT PARTICIPATES MAY CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. 23

(2) A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL I N A PARTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL 24
SYSTEM SHALL UTILIZE THE GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF 25
THIS SECTION TO ESTABLISH: 26

(I) A MARYLAND CIVIC EXCELLENCE PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS; 27

(II) APPLICATION CRITERIA TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM; 28
AND 29

(III) CRITERIA FOR AWARDING A STUDENT THE SEAL OF CIVIC 30
EXCELLENCE MAY NOT OPT OUT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. 31

(3) IF A LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM CHOOSES TO PARTI CIPATE IN THE 32
PROGRAM, A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL SHALL IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM, IN 33
HOUSE BILL 57 3

ACCORDANCE WITH THE REGULATIONS ADOP TED BY THE STATE BOARD, BY 1
INCORPORATING A CIVIC SERVICE CAPSTONE PROJECT INTO AN EXTRACURRICULAR 2
ACTIVITY AT THE SCHOOL THAT: 3

(I) IS AN EXISTING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY AT THE TIME 4
THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM CHOOSES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM; OR 5

(II) IS A NEW EXTRACURRICU LAR ACTIVITY THAT IS 6
SUPERVISED BY A PAID STAFF MEMBER. 7

(F) (E) A PARTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT D ETERMINES A 8
PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HAS FULFILLE D THE CRITERIA UNDER THE 9
PROGRAM MAY ESTABLISHED IN REGULATIONS ADOPT ED IN ACCORDANCE WIT H 10
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION SHALL: 11

(1) AWARD THE STUDENT A SEAL OF CIVIC EXCELLENCE; AND 12

(2) RECOGNIZE THE AWARD BY AWARDING A CORD OR MEDAL OR BY 13
ATTACHING OTHER INSIGNIA ON THE STUDENT’S HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. 14

(G) (F) A PARTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY CO LLABORATE 15
WITH NONPROFIT ORGAN IZATIONS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS , OR INSTITUTIONS OF 16
HIGHER EDUCATION TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM. 17

(H) (G) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2028, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER, 18
EACH PARTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT 19
A REPORT ON THE PROGRAM BASED ON THE MOST RECENTLY COMPLETED SCHOOL 20
YEAR. 21

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 22
1, 2026. 23

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.