Local School Systems - Educator Screening - Educator Identification Clearinghouse (School Personnel Vetting and Hiring Transparency Act)

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
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amendment.
*hb0856*

HOUSE BILL 856
F1 6lr3421
CF SB 648
By: Delegate Ebersole
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 28, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Local School Systems – Educator Screening – Educator Identification 2
Clearinghouse 3
(School Personnel Vetting and Hiring Transparency Act) 4

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Department of Education to register each local 5
school system in the State as an associate member of a certain national membership 6
organization; requiring each local school system in the State to u tilize the Educator 7
Identification Clearinghouse to screen individuals who receive an offer of 8
employment for an educator position that requires a license and ensure that each 9
individual who receives an offer applies for and obtains the appropriate license 10
before certain occurrences; and generally relating to the hiring and screening process 11
for educators employed within local school systems in the State. 12

BY adding to 13
Article – Education 14
Section 6–103.1 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19

Article – Education 20

6–103.1. 21
2 HOUSE BILL 856

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION” MEANS A 1
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIO N THAT IS A NATIONAL COLLEC TION POINT FOR 2
PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINE ACTIONS TAKEN BY ALL 50 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF 3
COLUMBIA, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY 4
SCHOOLS, AND GUAM THAT PROVIDES MEMBERS WITH NOTIFICATION OF AN ACTION 5
TAKEN AGAINST THE CREDENTIAL OF AN EDUCATOR BY OTHER MEMBER STATES OR 6
JURISDICTIONS. 7

(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 8

(1) REGISTER EACH LOCAL S CHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE AS AN 9
ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF A NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES 10
ACCESS TO THE EDUCATOR IDENTIFICATION CLEARINGHOUSE; AND 11

(2) PAY ANY APPLICABLE FE ES AND DUES ASSOCIAT ED WITH 12
MEMBERSHIP IN THE NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION. 13

(C) EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE SHALL: 14

(1) UTILIZE THE EDUCATOR IDENTIFICATION CLEARINGHOUSE 15
THROUGH THE NATIONAL MEMBERS HIP ORGANIZATION TO SCREEN EACH 16
INDIVIDUAL WHO RECEIVES, ON OR AFTER OCTOBER AUGUST 1, 2026, AN OFFER OF 17
EMPLOYMENT FROM THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR AN EDUCATOR POSI TION 18
THAT REQUIRES A LICENSE; AND 19

(2) ENSURE THAT EACH INDI VIDUAL WH O RECEIVES AN OFFER 20
SPECIFIED UNDER ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION: 21

(I) APPLIES FOR THE APPRO PRIATE LICENSE AFTER THE 22
OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT AND BEFORE THE START OF EMPLOYMENT; AND 23

(II) OBTAINS THE APPROPRIA TE LICENSE BEFORE ANY 24
INTERACTION WITH CHILDREN. 25

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That nothing in this Act may be 26
construed to impair or effect the requirements of § 6–113 of the Education Article. 27

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 28
1, 2026. 29