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HB0839 • 2026

Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

Budget
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Frederick County Delegation
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 576
Effective date
2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Frederick Community College Board Meeting and Training Requirements

This law sets rules for public comment at meetings, recording of meetings, and training requirements for board members of Frederick Community College.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires each meeting to have a time for people from the community to speak.
  • Needs the Board to record all their meetings either on video or audio.
  • Makes sure recordings are available free online within two business days after the meeting.
  • Keeps recordings and minutes of meetings forever.
  • Allows transcribing videos if they've been kept for at least five years, but only if the transcript is also kept forever.
  • Requires board members to undergo training specific to board governance, structure, responsibilities, and roles every two years.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County
  • People who attend or want to comment on board meetings

Terms To Know

Public Comment
A time during a meeting when people from the community can speak about issues.
Perpetuity
Forever, without an end date.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how long it takes to transcribe videos.
  • It is unclear if there are any penalties for not following these rules.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

173823/1

None • Senator Lewis Young

Floor Amendment { 173823/1 (Senator Lewis Young)

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 839 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 23, strike “THE” and substitute “EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE”; in the same line, strike “ VIDEO OR AUDIO”; in lines 24 and 25, strike “AND ANY MINUTES OF THE BOARD”; and in lines 26 and 28, in each instance, strike “VIDEO”.

  • AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 839 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 23, strike “THE” and substitute “EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE”; in the same line, strike “ VIDEO OR AUDIO”; in lines 24 and 25, strike “AND ANY MINUTES OF THE BOARD”; and in lines 26 and 28, in each instance, strike “VIDEO”.
  • On page 3, in line 1, strike “TRANSCRIBED VIDEO RECORDING” and substitute “TRANSCRIPTION”; and after line 5, insert: “(H) ANY MINUTES OF THE BOARD SHALL BE MAINTA INED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 3 OF THE GENERAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE.”.
  • HB0839/173823/1 BY: Senator Lewis Young
513621/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 513621/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 839 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, after line 12, insert: “Preamble WHEREAS, Public comment enables and enhances communication and transparency between decision–making bodies and the community; and WHEREAS, The Frederick County Delegation acknowledges Frederick Community College’s efforts to engage with the public; and WHEREAS, This Act is intended to supplement Frederick Community College’s efforts to engage with the public; now, therefore,”.

  • AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 839 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, after line 12, insert: “Preamble WHEREAS, Public comment enables and enhances communication and transparency between decision–making bodies and the community; and WHEREAS, The Frederick County Delegation acknowledges Frederick Community College’s efforts to engage with the public; and WHEREAS, This Act is intended to supplement Frederick Community College’s efforts to engage with the public; now, therefore,”.
  • On page 2, in line 12, after “(F)” insert “(1) THE BOARD SHALL MAINTAIN IN PERPETUITY A VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDING REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION AND ANY MINUTES OF THE BOARD.
  • (2) THE BOARD MAY TRANSCRIBE A VIDEO RECORDING REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION IF: (I) THE VIDEO RECORDING HAS BEEN MAINTAINED F OR AT LEAST 5 YEARS; AND (II) THE TRANSCRIBED VIDEO RE CORDING IS MAINTAINE D IN PERPETUITY.
  • HB0839/513621/1 BY: Appropriations Committee HB0839/513621/01 Appropriations Committee Amendments to HB 839 Page 2 of 2 (G)”.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 576

  2. 2026-04-02 Senate

    Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

  3. 2026-03-23 House

    Returned Passed

  4. 2026-03-20 House

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Appropriations

  5. 2026-03-20 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (43-0)

  6. 2026-03-18 Senate

    Floor Amendment { 173823/1 (Senator Lewis Young) Withdrawn

  7. 2026-03-18 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  8. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Floor Amendment { 173823/1 (Senator Lewis Young)

  9. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Motion Special Order until 4/7 (Senator Folden) Adopted

  10. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  11. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Motion Special Order until 4/6 (Senator Lewis Young) Adopted

  12. 2026-03-09 House

    Third Reading Passed (128-0)

  13. 2026-03-08 House

    Favorable with Amendments { 513621/1 Adopted

  14. 2026-03-08 House

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  15. 2026-03-07 Senate

    Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

  16. 2026-02-17 House

    Hearing 3/19 at 1:00 p.m.

  17. 2026-02-04 House

    First Reading Appropriations

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Appropriations

  20. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

  21. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment

  22. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

Official Summary Text

Establishing certain public comment requirements and recording requirements for the Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County; and requiring the members of the Board to undergo at least every 2 years, training specific to board governance, structure, responsibilities, and roles.

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.
*hb0839*

HOUSE BILL 839
F4 6lr1874
CF SB 534
By: Frederick County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 8, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Frederick Community College – Board of Trustees – Meeting and Training 2
Requirements 3

FOR the purpose of establishing certain public comment requirements and recording 4
requirements for the Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County; 5
requiring the members of the Board to undergo certain training; and generally 6
relating to the Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Education 9
Section 16–407 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

Preamble 13

WHEREAS, Public comment enables and enhances communication and 14
transparency between decision–making bodies and the community; and 15

WHEREAS, The Frederick County Delegation acknowledges Frederick Community 16
College’s efforts to engage with the public; and 17

WHEREAS, This Act is intended to supplement Frederick Community College’s 18
efforts to engage with the public; now, therefore, 19

2 HOUSE BILL 839

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2

Article – Education 3

16–407. 4

(a) The Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County consists of 5
seven members. Of the members: 6

(1) Each shall be a resident of Frederick County; and 7

(2) Each shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent 8
of the Senate, for a term of 5 years. 9

(b) (1) A member of the Board of Community College Trustees may not serve 10
more than three consecutive 5–year terms. 11

(2) A member of the Frederick County Board of Education may not serve 12
on the Board of Community College Trustees. 13

(c) Each member of the Board is entitled to $500 a year for expenses. 14

(D) EACH MEETING OF THE BOARD SHALL INCLUDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR 15
PUBLIC COMMENT. 16

(E) (1) THE BOARD SHALL MAKE A VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDING OF EACH 17
MEETING OF THE BOARD. 18

(2) THE BOARD SHALL MAKE A RECORDING REQ UIRED UNDER 19
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE BOARD’S 20
WEBSITE WITHOUT CHAR GE AND , TO THE EXTENT PRACTI CABLE, WITHIN 2 21
BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE RECORDING IS MADE. 22

(F) (1) THE BOARD SHALL MAINTAIN IN PERPETUITY A VIDEO OR AUDIO 23
RECORDING REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION AND ANY MINUTES 24
OF THE BOARD. 25

(2) THE BOARD MAY TRANSCRIBE A VIDEO RECORDING RE QUIRED 26
UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION IF: 27

(I) THE VIDEO RECORDING H AS BEEN MAINT AINED FOR AT 28
LEAST 5 YEARS; AND 29

HOUSE BILL 839 3

(II) THE TRANSCRIBED VIDEO RECORDING IS MAINTAI NED IN 1
PERPETUITY. 2

(G) AS PART OF ONGOING TR AINING FOR BOARD MEMBERS AND AT LEAST 3
EVERY 2 YEARS, THE BOARD MEMBERS SHALL U NDERGO TRAINING SPEC IFIC TO 4
BOARD GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ROLES. 5

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 6
1, 2026. 7

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