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*hb1059*
HOUSE BILL 1059
F1 6lr3228
HB 1323/25 – W&M
By: Delegates Valderrama, Bhandari, Chang, Wolek, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
State Department of Education – Asian American History – Professional 2
Development and Library Materials Accurate Instruction 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Education to evaluate certain Asian 4
American history training programs for inclusion in the State Department of 5
Education’s continuing professional development progra m and requiring the 6
Department to publicize these programs; establishing the Asian American History 7
Grant Program to provide expanded access to professional development in Asian 8
American history to educators and to provide funding to school libraries to purchase 9
certain materials; State Department of Education to establish a program designed 10
to assist with the accurate teaching of Asian American history; requiring the 11
Department to identify certain courses and materials and make available a certain 12
professional development course; and generally relating to continuing professional 13
development for educators and library materials on a program assisting with the 14
accurate teaching of Asian American history. 15
BY adding to 16
Article – Education 17
Section 6–132 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1059
Article – Education 1
6–132. 2
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANI NGS 3
INDICATED. 4
(2) “CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM” MEANS 5
CONTINUING PROFESSIO NAL DEVELOPMENT EXPE RIENCES OR PROGRAMS 6
APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT. 7
(3) “PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINT” MEANS A UNIT USED TO 8
RENEW TEACHER LICENSES EARNED THRO UGH COMPLETION OF SP ECIFIC 9
PROFESSIONALLY ALIGNED TASKS AND ASSIGNMENTS. 10
(B) THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, DIVISION OF EDUCATOR 11
EFFECTIVENESS SHALL E VALUATE ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY TRAI NING 12
PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE FOLLOWING ENTIT IES FOR INCLUSION IN THE 13
DEPARTMENT’S CONTINUING PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT PR OGRAM THROUGH 14
WHICH EDUCATORS EARN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINTS: 15
(1) THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION; 16
(2) THE ASIAN AMERICAN EDUCATION PROJECT; 17
(3) TEACHER AAPI; 18
(4) THE ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER DESI AMERICAN RESOURCE 19
CENTER AT SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY; 20
(5) THE SIKH COALITION; 21
(6) THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL STUDIES; AND 22
(7) THE ASIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION. 23
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PUBLICIZE THE AVAILABILITY OF TRAINING 24
PROGRAMS INCLUDED IN THE DEPARTMENT’S CONTINUING PROFESS IONAL 25
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. 26
(D) (1) THERE IS AN ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY GRANT PROGRAM. 27
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO: 28
HOUSE BILL 1059 3
(I) PROVIDE EXPANDED ACCE SS TO PROFESSIONAL 1
DEVELOPMENT IN ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY TO EDUCATORS; AND 2
(II) PROVIDE FUNDING FOR S CHOOL LIBRARIES TO P URCHASE 3
MATERIALS ON ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HISTORY. 4
(3) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 5
(4) AN ELEMENTARY , MIDDLE, OR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER MAY 6
SUBMIT AN APPLICATIO N TO THE DEPARTMENT TO RECEIVE A GRANT OF UP TO 7
$2,000 TO COVER COSTS RELAT ED TO OBTAINING PROF ESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 8
POINTS THROUGH A PROGRAM DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 9
(5) A SCHOOL LIBRARY MAY S UBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE 10
DEPARTMENT TO RECEIVE A GRANT OF UP TO $1,000 PER YEAR TO PURCHASE 11
AGE–APPROPRIATE MATERIAL S ON ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER 12
HISTORY. 13
(6) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, 14
THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION 15
OF $500,000 FOR THE PROGRAM. 16
(a) The State Department of Education shall establish a program designed to 17
assist with the accurate teaching of Asian American history in accordance with this section. 18
(b) (1) The Department shall identify existing courses and materials that can 19
be adapted into a professional development course on Asian American history for educators 20
in the State from the following entities: 21
(i) the Smithsonian Institution; 22
(ii) the Asian American Education Project; 23
(iii) Teach AAPI; 24
(iv) the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resource Center at San 25
Diego State University; 26
(v) the Sikh Coalition; 27
(vi) the National Council for Social Studies; and 28
(vii) the Asian American Foundation. 29
4 HOUSE BILL 1059
(2) Based on the material the Department is able to collect from the entities 1
described under paragraph (1) of this subsection, and using existing resources, the 2
Department shall make available a professional development course on A sian American 3
history by: 4
(i) developing a course; 5
(ii) adapting an existing course developed by an entity listed under 6
paragraph (1) of this subsection; or 7
(iii) making available an existing course offered by an entity listed 8
under paragraph (1) of this subsection. 9
(3) A professional development course offered in accordance with this 10
subsection shall be aligned with the State Board of Education’s existing social studies 11
standards. 12
(c) In the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 school years, the Department shall identify 13
age–appropriate materials for use in instruction during Asian American history month and 14
disseminate the materials to each county board of education. 15
(d) In carrying out its duties under this section, the Department shall consult 16
with academics, organizations, and leaders with expertise in Asian American history. 17
(e) (1) On or before December 1, 2028, the State Department of Education 18
shall report on the results of its activities under this section, in accordance with § 2 –1257 19
of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly. 20
(2) The Department shall include in its report under this subsection, 21
information about Asian American history that, in school years 2026–2027 and 2027–2028, 22
has been incorporated into the program of instruction in public schools in the State. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of June 30, 2029, 25
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 26
of no further force and effect. 27