School Construction - Nonpublic Special Education School Renovation Program - Established

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*hb0854*

HOUSE BILL 854
F1 6lr2268

By: Delegates Boyce and Barnes
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 20, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

School Construction – Nonpublic Special Education School Renovation 2
Program – Established 3

FOR the purpose of establishing the Nonpublic Special Education School Renovation 4
Program in the Interagency Commission on School Construction to provide grant 5
funding to certain nonpublic special education schools for certain renovations and 6
improvements; and generally relating to the Nonp ublic Special Education School 7
Renovation Program. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 5–331 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

5–331. 17

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PROGRAM” MEANS THE NONPUBLIC SPECIAL 18
EDUCATION SCHOOL RENOVATION PROGRAM. 19

2 HOUSE BILL 854

(B) (1) THERE IS A NONPUBLIC SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL 1
RENOVATION PROGRAM. 2

(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO 3
NONPUBLIC SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS FOR: 4

(I) RENOVATIONS AND IMPRO VEMENTS TO CLASSROOM S AND 5
SCHOOL FACILITIES; 6

(II) UPGRADES TO RESIDENTI AL COTTAGES ON SCHOO L 7
GROUNDS THAT WILL IMPROVE STUDENT TREATMENT AND SAFETY; 8

(III) HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS; 9

(IV) INFRASTRUCTURE MODERN IZATION AND TECHNOLO GY 10
UPGRADES; AND 11

(V) NEW CONSTRUCTION NECE SSARY TO COMPLY WITH 12
STANDARDS SET BY THE DEPARTMENT. 13

(C) THE PROGRAM SHALL BE IMPL EMENTED AND ADMI NISTERED BY THE 14
INTERAGENCY COMMISSION. 15

(D) (1) AN ELIGIBLE NONPUBLIC SPECIAL EDUCATION SC HOOL MAY 16
APPLY TO THE INTERAGENCY COMMISSION TO RECEIVE A GRANT UNDER THE 17
PROGRAM. 18

(2) A NONPUBLIC SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE 19
PROGRAM IF THE SCHOOL: 20

(I) OPERATES IN CONJUNCTI ON WITH A RESIDENTIA L 21
TREATMENT CENTER THA T IS LICENSED BY THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF 22
HEALTH, THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, OR THE DEPARTMENT OF 23
JUVENILE SERVICES; 24

(II) (I) PROVIDES: 25

1. HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT T OWARDS THE HIGH SCHO OL 26
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT; OR 27

2. A CURRICULUM AND EDUCA TIONAL PROGRAM FOR 28
ELEMENTARY OR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT IS APPROVED BY THE 29
DEPARTMENT; AND 30
HOUSE BILL 854 3

(III) (II) PROVIDES SERVICES FOR STUDENTS PLACED IN 1
NONPUBLIC EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS UNDER § 8–406 OF THIS ARTICLE. 2

(E) THE INTERAGENCY COMMISSION MAY PRIORITIZE APPLICATIONS FOR: 3

(1) PROJECTS ADDRESSING S TUDENT HEALTH OR SAF ETY 4
CONCERNS; 5

(2) PROJECTS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH STANDARDS SET BY THE 6
DEPARTMENT; AND 7

(3) NONPUBLIC SPECIAL EDU CATION SCHOOLS WITH A HIGH 8
PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE. 9

(F) FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR, THE GOVERNOR MAY IT IS THE INTENT OF THE 10
GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT THE GOVERNOR INCLUDE IN THE ANNUA L CAPITAL 11
BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION OF AT LEAST $5,000,000 TO THE PROGRAM FOR 12
EACH FISCAL YEAR. 13

(G) THE INTERAGENCY COMMISSION SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS 14
NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION. 15

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 16
1, 2026. 17

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