Adult Prison School Board Model Development Committee

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0438*

HOUSE BILL 438
E5, E4, F5 6lr1645

By: Delegates Pasteur, Addison, Amprey, Boyce, Conaway, Crutchfield, Ebersole,
Embry, Hill, Holmes, Lewis, J. Long, Martinez, McCaskill, Mireku –North,
Phillips, Pruski, Ruth, Simmons, Stein, Stinnett, Taveras, White Holland,
Wilkins, Williams, Wims, and Young
Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means and Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Adult Prison School Board Model Development Committee 2

FOR the purpose of establishing the Adult Prison School Board Model Development 3
Committee; and generally relating to the Adult Prison School Board Model 4
Development Committee. 5

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That: 7

(a) There is an Adult Prison School Board Model Development Committee. 8

(b) The Committee consists of the following members: 9

(1) one member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 10
the Senate; 11

(2) one member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the 12
House; 13

(3) the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, or the 14
Secretary’s designee; 15

(4) the State Superi ntendent of Schools, or the State Superintendent’s 16
designee; 17

(5) the Secretary of Higher Education, or the Secretary’s designee; 18

2 HOUSE BILL 438

(6) the Superintendent for the Juvenile Services Education Program, or the 1
Superintendent’s designee; 2

(7) the Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee; and 3

(8) the following members appointed by the Governor: 4

(i) a representative of Maryland Correctional Enterprises; 5

(ii) a national expert on correctional education issues; and 6

(iii) a represe ntative of a nonprofit organization focused on 7
correctional reform. 8

(c) The Governor shall appoint the chair of the Committee. 9

(d) The State Department of Education shall provide staff for the Committee. 10

(e) A member of the Committee: 11

(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Committee; but 12

(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 13
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 14

(f) The Committee shall: 15

(1) develop a comprehensive plan for a school board system to oversee 16
correctional education for individuals subject to the criminal and juvenile justice systems ; 17
and 18

(2) conduct a fiscal mapping project for correctional education that 19
examines the needs and options necessary to sustain a school board system, including: 20

(i) examining internal and external funding sources; 21

(ii) determining funding required for teacher salaries, professional 22
development, educational services and supplies, and any other costs associated with 23
developing and implementing the school board system; and 24

(iii) developing an independent relationship with the Department of 25
Budget and Management to establish and manage capital and operating budgets. 26

(g) The school board system plan developed under subsection (f) of this section 27
shall include: 28

HOUSE BILL 438 3

(1) educational standards aligned with educational standards for school 1
systems in the State; 2

(2) a recommendation for the school board to be made up of individuals who 3
are residents of the State and who represent various State agencies or professional 4
backgrounds, including: 5

(i) representatives of the Department of Labor, the Department of 6
Public Safety and Correctional Services , the Office of the Correctional Ombudsman, the 7
Maryland Higher Education Commission , the State Department of Education , the 8
Department of Information Technology, and Maryland Correctional Enterprises; 9

(ii) formerly incarcerated students in the State; 10

(iii) representatives of relevant businesses or industry groups in the 11
State; 12

(iv) representatives of participating colleges or universities; 13

(v) representatives of a nonprofit prison reform organization; and 14

(vi) a State employee with experience related to budget processing 15
and analysis, prisons, and education. 16

(h) (1) On or before June 1, 2027, the Committee shall submit an interim 17
report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 18
2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly. 19

(2) On or before June 1, 2028, the Committee shall submit a final report of 20
its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 21
State Government Article, the General Assembly. 22

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 23
1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and 1 month and, at the end of June 24
30, 202 8, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 25
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 26