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*hb0060*
HOUSE BILL 60
J1, F2 6lr1492
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 421
By: Delegate Patterson
Requested: October 29, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: February 10, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Sickle Cell Disease – Institutions of Higher Education – Policies, Procedures, 2
and Educational Campaigns 3
(Kaitlyn’s Law) 4
FOR the purpose of prohibiting an institution of higher education from denying access or 5
services to a student based on the student’s diagnosis of sickle cell disease; requiring 6
an insti tution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations for 7
students with sickle cell disease; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to 8
develop an education and awareness campaign for institutions of higher education 9
in the State regarding st udents with sickle cell disease; requiring the Department, 10
in consultation with the Maryland Higher Education Commission , the Statewide 11
Steering Committee on Sickle Cell Disease, and certain community organizations to 12
develop a framework and procedures for institutions of higher education in the State 13
to follow in assessing, supporting, and treating students with sickle cell disease; 14
requiring the Department to develop or compile materials to provide a 15
comprehensive education on sickle cell di sease to certain faculty and staff at 16
institutions of higher education in the State; and generally relating to sickle cell 17
disease and institutions of higher education. 18
BY adding to 19
Article – Education 20
Section 15–141 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23
2 HOUSE BILL 60
BY adding to 1
Article – Health – General 2
Section 18–510 through 18–512 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Education 8
15–141. 9
(A) AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION: 10
(1) SHALL PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS TO A STUDENT 11
WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE; AND 12
(2) MAY NOT DENY ACCESS T O FACILITIES OR SERV ICES T O A 13
STUDENT BASED ON THE STUDENT’S DIAGNOSIS OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 14
(B) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION SHALL ESTABLISH A CLEAR 15
AND ACCESSIBLE PROCEDURE THROUGH WH ICH A PERSON MAY REP ORT AN 16
ALLEGED VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 17
(C) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION SHALL PUBLICIZE IN A 18
MANNER THAT IS CLEAR AND ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS: 19
(1) THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND 20
(2) THE REPORTING PROCEDURE ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION 21
(B) OF THIS SECTION. 22
Article – Health – General 23
18–510. 24
(A) THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE 25
TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATIONS , SHALL 26
DEVELOP AN EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAI GN FOR INSTITUTIONS OF 27
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE REGARD ING STUDENTS WITH SI CKLE CELL 28
DISEASE. 29
HOUSE BILL 60 3
(B) THE CAMPAIGN DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 1
SHALL: 2
(1) DESCRIBE CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG ADULTS LIVING WITH 3
SICKLE CELL DISEASE , WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON CHALLENG ES ARISING 4
DURING SICKLE CELL DISEASE –RELATED HEALTH CRISES AND OTHER CHRONIC 5
CONDITIONS THAT MAY COMPOUND THESE CHALLENGES; AND 6
(2) PROVIDE INFORMATION O N ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORT 7
THAT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION CAN OFFER TO STUDENTS WITH SICKLE 8
CELL DISEASE TO ENABLE THE STUDENTS TO SUCCEED ACADEMICA LLY WHILE 9
EFFECTIVELY MANAGING SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 10
18–511. 11
(A) THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MARYLAND HIGHER 12
EDUCATION COMMISSION, THE STATEWIDE STEERING COMMITTEE ON SICKLE 13
CELL DISEASE, AND SICKLE CELL DISEASE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS BASED IN 14
THE STATE, SHALL DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK AND PROCEDURES FOR INSTITUTIONS 15
OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE TO FOLLOW IN ASSESSING, SUPPORTING, AND 16
TREATING STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 17
(B) THE DEPARTMENT, THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION 18
COMMISSION, AND THE STATEWIDE STEERING COMMITTEE ON SICKLE CELL 19
DISEASE JOINTLY SHALL: 20
(1) BEGINNING DECEMBER 1, 2026, PROVIDE TECHNICAL 21
ASSISTANCE TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO: 22
(I) IMPLEMENT THE PROCEDU RES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS 23
SECTION; AND 24
(II) INSTRUCT PERSONNEL OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER 25
EDUCATION REGARDING THE PROCEDURES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SECTION; AND 26
(2) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2026, DEVELOP A PROCESS TO 27
MONITOR THE IM PLEMENTATION OF THE PROCEDURES BY INSTIT UTIONS OF 28
HIGHER EDUCATION. 29
18–512. 30
(A) THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATEWIDE 31
STEERING COMMITTEE ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE AND SICKLE CE LL DISEASE 32
4 HOUSE BILL 60
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS BASED IN THE STATE, SHALL DEVELOP OR COMPILE 1
MATERIALS TO PROVIDE HEALTH PERSONNEL , FACULTY, AND ADMINISTRATIVE 2
STAFF EMPLOYED AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE WITH 3
A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 4
(B) THE MATERIALS DEVELOP ED OR COMPILED UNDER THIS S ECTION 5
SHALL BE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF SIC KLE CELL DISEASE , 6
REDUCE STIGMAS, AND PROMOT E AN ALL –ENCOMPASSING AND SUPPORTIVE 7
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 8
(C) EACH INSTITUT ION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IS ENCOURAGED T O 9
CONDUCT PERIODIC ASSESSMENTS , SURVEILLANCE ACTIVIT IES, AWARENESS 10
CAMPAIGNS, AND EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS BASED ON THE MA TERIALS DEVELOPED 11
OR COMPILED UNDER THIS SECTION AS FINANCIAL RESOURCES ALLOW. 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.