Nonpublic Schools - Transcripts - Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt
Nonpublic Schools - Transcripts - Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt
EducationParental Rights
Passed Legislature
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Sponsor
Delegates Smith , Acevero , Amprey , Coley , Conaway , Davis , J. Long , Ruff , Toles , and Young
Last action
2026-03-20
Official status
In the Senate - Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date
2026-07-01
Plain English Breakdown
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
Nonpublic Schools - Transcripts - Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt
Prohibiting nonpublic schools that participate in State-funded education programs from refusing to provide a current or former student or the student's parent or guardian with a transcript or taking other punitive measures regarding a student's transcript request because the student owes a debt to the nonpublic school.
What This Bill Does
Prohibiting nonpublic schools that participate in State-funded education programs from refusing to provide a current or former student or the student's parent or guardian with a transcript or taking other punitive measures regarding a student's transcript request because the student owes a debt to the nonpublic school.
Limits and Unknowns
This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 534
(First Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 534
(First Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
1
On page 1, strike in their entirety lines 2 through 3, inclusive, and substitute
“Education – Primary, Secondary, and Nonpublic Schools – Alternative School
Options and Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt (Right
to Learn and Transcript Protection Act) ”; in line 4, after “of” insert “requiring, on
or before a certain date each year, each county board of education to provide certain
information to the parent or legal guardian of a student who attends a failing school;
requiring that a failing school continue to be designated as a failing school until certain
conditions are met; requiring that a student who is attending a failing school be provided
the opportunity to attend an alternative school; establishing the Broadening Options
and Opportunities for Students Today Program to p rovide certain scholarships for
certain students; requiring each county board to provide a list of available military
boarding school options to the parent or legal guardian of a certain student; requiring a
parent or legal guardian of a certain student to notify the county board of a student’s
decision to continue attending the school or to attend an alternative school or military
boarding school; requiring the local school system of a certain student to pay for the
student to attend a certain military boa rding school; ”; in line 8, after “to” insert
“alternative school options and ”; and in line 11, after “Section” insert “5–244, 5–245,
and”.
Text - First - Nonpublic Schools - Transcripts - Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Ways and Means
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Nonpublic Schools - Transcripts - Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt
Official Summary Text
Prohibiting nonpublic schools that participate in State-funded education programs from refusing to provide a current or former student or the student's parent or guardian with a transcript or taking other punitive measures regarding a student's transcript request because the student owes a debt to the nonpublic school.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0534*
HOUSE BILL 534
F1 6lr1583
HB 184/25 – W&M
By: Delegates Smith, Acevero, Amprey, Coley, Conaway, Davis, J. Long, Ruff,
Toles, and Young
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 28, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Nonpublic Schools – Transcripts – Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to 2
Student Debt 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting nonpublic schools that participate in State –funded 4
education programs from refusing to issue a transcript to a current or former student 5
or the student’s parent or guardian or taking other punitive measures regarding a 6
student’s transcript request because the student owes a debt to the nonpublic school; 7
and generally relating to the issuance of transcripts by nonpublic schools. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–118 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Education 16
7–118. 17
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 18
INDICATED. 19
2 HOUSE BILL 534
(2) (I) “DEBT” MEANS ANY MONEY , OBLIGATION, CLAIM, OR SUM 1
DUE OR OWED BY A STUDENT OR FORMER STUDENT TO A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL. 2
(II) “DEBT” DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FEE, IF ANY, CHARGED TO 3
A STUDENT FOR THE ACTUAL COSTS OF PROVIDING A TRANSCRIPT. 4
(3) “NONPUBLIC SCHOOL ” MEANS A NONPUBLIC SC HOOL IN THE 5
STATE THAT PARTICIPATES IN STATE–FUNDED EDUCATION PROGRAMS. 6
(4) “STUDENT” INCLUDES CURRENT STU DENTS AND FORMER 7
STUDENTS OF A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL. 8
(B) A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL MAY NOT: 9
(1) REFUSE TO ISSUE A TRANSCRIPT TO A STUDENT OR THE PARENT 10
OR GUARDIAN OF A STUDENT BECAUSE THE STUDENT OWES A DEBT; 11
(2) CONDITION THE ISSUANC E OF A TRANSCRIPT ON THE PAYMENT 12
OF A DEBT; 13
(3) CHARGE A HIGHER FEE FOR OBTAINING A TRANSCRIPT BECAUSE 14
THE STUDENT OWES A DEBT; 15
(4) PROVIDE LESS FAVORABL E TREATMENT OF A TRA NSCRIPT 16
REQUEST BECAUSE A STUDENT OWES A DEBT; OR 17
(5) USE TRANSCRIPT ISSUANCE AS A TOOL OF DEBT COLLECTION. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 19
1, 2026. 20
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.