HB1275 • 2026

Public Schools - Interscholastic Athletics - Academic Eligibility

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Wims and Coley
Last action: 2026-03-09
Official status: In the House - Withdrawn by Sponsor
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Public Schools - Interscholastic Athletics - Academic Eligibility

Requiring the standards of participation for student participation in interscholastic athletics established by a county board of education to include a process for a student to appeal a determination that the student is academically ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics; and establishing certain requirements for a certain appeal process, including a certain provisional eligibility period.

What This Bill Does

Requiring the standards of participation for student participation in interscholastic athletics established by a county board of education to include a process for a student to appeal a determination that the student is academically ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics; and establishing certain requirements for a certain appeal process, including a certain provisional eligibility period.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-09 House
Withdrawn by Sponsor
2026-03-04 House
Hearing canceled
2026-02-16 House
Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-12 House
First Reading Ways and Means
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Public Schools - Interscholastic Athletics - Academic Eligibility
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Ways and Means

Official Summary Text

Requiring the standards of participation for student participation in interscholastic athletics established by a county board of education to include a process for a student to appeal a determination that the student is academically ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics; and establishing certain requirements for a certain appeal process, including a certain provisional eligibility period.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1275*

HOUSE BILL 1275
F1 6lr3431

By: Delegates Wims and Coley
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Schools – Interscholastic Athletics – Academic Eligibility 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the standards of participation for student participation in 3
interscholastic athletics established by a county board of education to include a 4
process for a student to appeal a determination that the student is academically 5
ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics ; establishing certain 6
requirements for a certain appeal process, including a certain provisional eligibility 7
period; and generally relating to public school interscholastic athletics. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–137 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

7–137. 17

(A) (1) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO THE ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY OF 18
A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS. 19

(2) NOTHING IN THIS SECTI ON MAY BE CONSTRUED TO PROHIBIT A 20
SCHOOL FROM: 21

(I) SUSPENDING OR EXPELLING A STUDENT; OR 22

2 HOUSE BILL 1275

(II) PROHIBITING STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN 1
INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHL ETICS DUE TO A VIOLA TION OF AN ESTABLISHED 2
ATTENDANCE POLICY. 3

(B) (1) THE STANDARDS OF PARTICI PATION FOR STUDENT 4
PARTICIPATION IN INT ERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETI CS ESTABLISHED BY A COUNTY 5
BOARD SHALL INCLUDE A PROCESS FOR A STUDENT TO APPEAL A PUBLIC SCHOOL’S 6
DETERMINATION THAT THE STUDENT IS ACADEMICALLY INELIGI BLE TO 7
PARTICIPATE. 8

(2) AN APPEAL PROCESS REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 9
SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE: 10

(I) AN INTERNAL SCHOOL PROC ESS TO APPEAL A 11
DETERMINATION OF ACADEMIC INELIGIBILITY, INCLUDING A HEARING; 12

(II) WRITTEN NOTICE OF: 13

1. THE DETERMINATION AND THE BASIS FOR TH E 14
DETERMINATION; 15

2. THE PROCESS FOR AN IN TERNAL SCHOOL APPEAL , 16
INCLUDING RELEVANT TIMELINES AND DEADLINES; AND 17

3. THE EARLIEST AVAILABLE HEARING DATE AND TIME; 18
AND 19

(III) ON RECEIPT OF NOTICE OF A STUDENT’S INTENT TO 20
APPEAL, A PROVISIONAL ELIGIBILITY PERIOD UNTIL THE EARLIER OF: 21

1. THE CONCLUSION OF THE INTERNAL SCHOOL 22
APPEAL; OR 23

2. 10 SCHOOL DAYS. 24

(C) DURING A PROVISIONAL ELIGIBIL ITY PERIOD OF THE APPEALS 25
PROCESS UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, A STUDENT: 26

(1) MAY PARTICIPATE IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS, INCLUDING 27
PRACTICE AND COMPETITION; AND 28

(2) MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED AN INELIGIBLE STUDEN T FOR 29
PURPOSES OF INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS RULES OR REGULATIONS. 30
HOUSE BILL 1275 3

(D) IF A PUBLIC SCHOOL UPHOLD S A DETERMINATION OF ACADEMIC 1
INELIGIBILITY TO PAR TICIPATE IN INTERSCH OLASTIC ATHLETICS AFTER AN 2
APPEAL, THE STUDENT’S ACADEMIC INELIGIBILITY SHALL TAKE EFFECT THE NEXT 3
SCHOOL DAY. 4

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 5
1, 2026. 6