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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1277*
HOUSE BILL 1277
F2, F5 6lr3345
CF 6lr3657
By: Delegate Smith
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations and Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity organized 3
as a partnership between the University of Maryland, College Park Campus and 4
Morgan State University to serve as a State –funded research and technical 5
assistance center to promote literacy in the State; requiring the Governor to include 6
in the annual budget bill certain appropriations to the Univer sity of Maryland, 7
College Park Campus, Morgan State University, and the Institute; and generally 8
relating to the Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Education 11
Section 24 –1401 through 24 –1405 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 14. 12
Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity” 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
Preamble 16
WHEREAS, Maryland’s fourth grade reading scores have declined sharply over the 17
last decade and , as of 2024, the State is ranked 20 out of 50 U.S. states based on the 18
National Assessment of Educational Progress survey in reading; and 19
WHEREAS, Disparities in reading outcomes on the basis of race, ethnicity, 20
socioeconomic status, and language spoken at home contribu te to broader social and 21
economic inequalities; and 22
WHEREAS, Literacy achievement is a primary civil rights concern, essential to 23
addressing unemployment, incarceration rates, poverty, and health outcomes; and 24
2 HOUSE BILL 1277
WHEREAS, Unlike neighboring states, Maryla nd lacks a dedicated 1
university–based center to provide research and technical assistance on effective literacy 2
practices; and 3
WHEREAS, The Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity would bring together 4
two of Maryland’s flagship universities – Morgan State University, the State’s preeminent 5
public urban research university, and the University of Maryland, the State’s land –grant 6
university and strategic partner – thus situating the Maryland Institute for Literacy and 7
Equity as a uniquely qualified resou rce to serve the State’s diverse population s; now, 8
therefore, 9
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
Article – Education 12
SUBTITLE 14. MARYLAND INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY AND EQUITY. 13
24–1401. 14
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 15
INDICATED. 16
(B) “INSTITUTE” MEANS THE MARYLAND INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY AND 17
EQUITY. 18
(C) “UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 19
12–101 OF THIS ARTICLE. 20
24–1402. 21
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY AND EQUITY 22
ORGANIZED AS A PARTN ERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, 23
COLLEGE PARK CAMPUS AND MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY TO SERVE A S A 24
STATE–FUNDED RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER TO PROMOTE 25
LITERACY IN THE STATE. 26
(B) THE INSTITUTE SHALL: 27
(1) SUPPORT THE MISSION A ND PRIORITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT 28
AND COUNTY BOARDS BY PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND BY 29
COORDINATING ACCESS TO PROGRAMS AND RESO URCES NEEDED BY THES E 30
ENTITIES AND THE COM MUNITIES THEY SERVE TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND THE 31
IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE LITERACY INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTION; 32
HOUSE BILL 1277 3
(2) CONDUCT CUTTING –EDGE RESEARCH ON LAN GUAGE AND 1
LITERACY TO DEVELOP INNOVATIV E, EVIDENCE–BASED PRACTICES IN L ITERACY 2
THAT INCREASE LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL CHILDREN 3
AND ADULTS IN THE STATE; 4
(3) PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE 5
AND GRADUATE STUDENT S AT THE RESPECTIVE PARTNER INSTITUTIONS ON 6
EVIDENCE–BASED LITERACY PRACTICES THAT ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF 7
A DIVERSE POPULATION; AND 8
(4) ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND 9
OUT–OF–SCHOOL LEARNING ENVI RONMENTS, INCLUDING LIBRARIES AND 10
AFTER–SCHOOL PROGRAMS, TO PROVIDE AWARENESS AROUND EVIDENCE–BASED 11
LITERACY PRACTICES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE STUDENTS SERVED. 12
24–1403. 13
(A) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 14
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $1,500,000 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF 15
MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK CAMPUS AND $1,500,000 TO MORGAN STATE 16
UNIVERSITY TO ESTABLISH THE INSTITUTE. 17
(B) (1) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2029, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE IN THE 18
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION OF $4,000,000 TO THE INSTITUTE. 19
(2) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2030, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE IN THE 20
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION OF $5,000,000 TO THE INSTITUTE. 21
(3) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2031 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, 22
THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION 23
OF $6,000,000 TO THE INSTITUTE. 24
(C) THE APPROPRIATIONS TO THE INSTITUTE UNDER SUBSE CTIONS (A) 25
AND (B) OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE USED TO: 26
(1) EXPAND CAPACITY TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE 27
DEPARTMENT AND COUNTY BOARDS AND THE COMMU NITIES THEY SERVE ON THE 28
IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE LITERACY INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTION; 29
(2) ENHANCE RESEARCH CAPA CITY THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH 30
SCHOOLS AND COMMUNIT IES TO FURTHER DEVEL OP INNOVATIVE PRACTI CES IN 31
LITERACY THAT INCREA SE LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT AND OPPO RTUNITY FOR ALL 32
CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN THE STATE; 33
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(3) PROVIDE PROGRAMS , TRAINING OPPORTUNITI ES, AND 1
RESOURCES FOR THE STATE’S LITERACY PROFESSIO NALS ON THE BEST 2
EVIDENCE–BASED LITERACY PRACT ICES THAT SUPPORT LE ARNERS FROM ALL 3
CULTURES, COMMUNITIES, LANGUAGES, AND OF ALL ABILITIES, INCLUDING TO: 4
(I) EDUCATORS; 5
(II) ADMINISTRATORS; 6
(III) LIBRARIANS AND MEDIA SPECIALISTS; 7
(IV) SPEECH–LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS; AND 8
(V) SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS; 9
(4) FACILITATE PARTNERSHIPS AMONG EDUCATORS, RESEARCHERS, 10
COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND POLICYMAKERS TO FOSTER GREATER KNOWLEDGE AND 11
UNDERSTANDING OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES AROUND LITERACY; 12
(5) ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT, COUNTY BOARDS , AND SCHOOL 13
LEADERS TO ANALYZE AND INTERPRET DATA TO: 14
(I) INFORM DECISION MAKING; 15
(II) DEVELOP ACTION PLANS; AND 16
(III) IMPROVE LITERACY OUTCOMES; 17
(6) PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE IMPACT OF POLICI ES IN THE 18
PROMOTION AND ACHIEV EMENT OF LITERACY INCLUDING THROUGH WORK WITH 19
LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; AND 20
(7) PROMOTE LITERACY AWAR ENESS AND INVOLVEMEN T WITH THE 21
BROADER COMMUNITY IN THE STATE INCLUDING THROUGH OUTREACH PROGRAMS, 22
FAMILY LITERACY INITIATIVES, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 23
24–1404. 24
ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2027, AND EACH OCTOBER 1 THEREAFTER, THE 25
INSTITUTE SHALL SUBMI T A REPORT DETAILING THE INSTITUTE’S ACTIVITIES , 26
OUTCOMES, AND FINANCIAL EXPEND ITURES FOR THE IMMED IATELY PRECEDING 27
FISCAL YEAR TO THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND AND THE DEPARTMENT. 28
HOUSE BILL 1277 5
24–1405. 1
THIS SUBTITLE MAY BE CITED AS THE MARYLAND INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY 2
AND EQUITY ACT. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 4
1, 2026. 5