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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0659*
HOUSE BILL 659
F1 6lr2556
By: Delegates Guzzone, Allen, Alston, Boyce, Crutchfield, Embry, Fair, Forbes,
Guyton, Hill, D. Jones, Lewis, McCaskill , Moreno, Palakovich Carr,
Pasteur, Phillips, Pruski, Spiegel, Taveras, Taylor, Terrasa, Watson,
White Holland, Williams, Wolek, and Ziegler
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Board of Education – Membership – Early Childhood Development 2
Professional 3
FOR the purpose of altering the membership of the State Board of Education to include a 4
certain early childhood development professional as a member; and genera lly 5
relating to the membership of the State Board of Education. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Education 8
Section 2–202 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Education 14
2–202. 15
(a) The State Board consists of 13 regular members, and 1 student member, 16
appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. 17
(b) (1) In making appointments to the State Board, the Governor shall 18
consider representation from: 19
(i) All parts of this State; and 20
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(ii) Areas of this State with concentrations of population or unique 1
needs. 2
(2) Except as provided in paragraphs (4 ) through [(6)] (7) of this 3
subsection, the members of the Board shall be appointed from the general public. 4
(3) The following individuals may not be appointed to the Board: 5
(i) Except for the teacher member , EARLY CHILDHOOD 6
DEVELOPMENT MEMBER , and student member, any individual who is subject to the 7
authority of the Board; 8
(ii) The Governor; and 9
(iii) The State Superintendent. 10
(4) (i) Of the 13 regular members of the State Board, one regular 11
member shall be a certified teacher who is actively teaching. 12
(ii) The Governor shall appoint the teacher member, with the advice 13
and consent of the Senate, who received the highest number of votes after an election by 14
teachers in the State. 15
(iii) The Department shall provide notice of a te acher member 16
vacancy on the State Board to: 17
1. All certified teachers who are actively teaching in the 18
State; and 19
2. All teachers’ organizations representing teachers in the 20
State for purposes of collective bargaining. 21
(iv) 1. The election shall be conducted under regulations that the 22
Department adopts. 23
2. The Department may consult with the State Retirement 24
Agency of the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System to conduct the election 25
required under this subparagraph. 26
(v) The teacher member may attend and participate in an executive 27
session of the State Board. 28
(vi) The teacher member may not vote on any matter that relates to 29
appeals to the State Board under § 6–202 of this article. 30
(5) (I) OF THE 13 REGULAR MEMBERS OF THE STATE BOARD, ONE 31
REGULAR MEMBER SHALL BE AN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL 32
HOUSE BILL 659 3
WITH EXTENSIVE EXPER IENCE, AS DETERMINED BY THE OFFICE OF CHILD CARE 1
ADVISORY COUNCIL, IN THE OPERATIONS OF A CHILD CARE BUSINES S AND EARLY 2
CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM AND DEVELOPMENT. 3
(II) THE GOVERNOR SHALL APPOIN T THE EARLY CHILDHOO D 4
DEVELOPMENT MEMBER, WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE, FROM A 5
LIST OF THREE QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR FROM THE 6
OFFICE OF CHILD CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL. 7
(III) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE OF THE INITIAL 8
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVE LOPMENT MEMBER VACAN CY AND ANY SUBSEQUEN T 9
VACANCY TO ALL LICENSED CHILD CARE PROVIDERS IN THE STATE. 10
(IV) THE EARLY CHILDHOOD D EVELOPMENT MEMBER MA Y 11
ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE STATE BOARD. 12
[(5)] (6) (i) Of the 13 regular members of the State Board, one regular 13
member shall be the parent of a student enrolled in a public school in the State. 14
(ii) The Governor shall appoint the parent member, with t he advice 15
and consent of the Senate, from a list of three qualified individuals submitted to the 16
Governor by the Maryland PTA. 17
(iii) The Department shall provide notice of the parent member 18
vacancy on the State Board to the Maryland PTA. 19
(iv) The parent member may attend and participate in an executive 20
session of the State Board. 21
[(6)] (7) The student member shall be selected by the Governor from a list 22
of 2 persons nominated by the Maryland Association of Student Councils. 23
(c) (1) The student member shall be: 24
(i) A regularly enrolled student; and 25
(ii) In good standing in a public high school in the State. 26
(2) The student member may attend and participate in an executive 27
session of the Board. 28
(3) The student member may not vote on any matter that relates to: 29
(i) The dismissal of or other disciplinary action involving personnel; 30
or 31
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(ii) Appeals to the State Board under § 2 –205 of this subtitle or § 1
4–205 or § 6–202 of this article. 2
(d) (1) Each regular member serves for a term of 4 years and until a successor 3
is appointed and qualifies. These terms are staggered as required by the terms of the 4
members serving on the State Board as of July 1, 1989. 5
(2) The Governor shall appoint a new member to fill any vacancy on the 6
Board for the remainder of that term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 7
(3) A member is eligible for reappointment but may not serve for more than 8
two full 4–year terms. 9
(4) The student member shall serve for a term of 1 year. A student member 10
is eligible for reappointment but may not serve more than two full 1–year terms. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2026. 13