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*hb1310*
HOUSE BILL 1310
F1 6lr3050
By: Delegates Coley, Acevero, Amprey, Conaway, Fennell, Healey, Kaufman,
McComas, Phillips, Ruff, Smith, Solomon, and Young Young, Addison,
Ebersole, Feldmark, Mireku–North, Pasteur, Patterson, Roberson, Wilkins,
and Wims
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public High Schools – Student Transcripts – Traumatic Loss Notation 2
FOR the purpose of providing that a certain high school student who experiences a certain 3
traumatic loss may request the inclusion of a traumatic loss notation on the student’s 4
official transcript; requiring a local school system to print a certain traumatic loss 5
notation on a certain student’s official transcript under certain circumstances; 6
requiring the State Department o f Education to develop standard language for a 7
traumatic loss notation; requiring high school counselors to provide certain 8
information to students and surviving parents under certain circumstances; and 9
generally relating to a traumatic loss notation on high school student transcripts. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 7–213 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Education 18
2 HOUSE BILL 1310
7–213. 1
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 2
INDICATED. 3
(2) “PARENT” INCLUDES A STEPPARENT AND GUARDIAN. 4
(3) “SIBLING” INCLUDES A STEPSIBLING. 5
(4) “TRAUMATIC LOSS” MEANS THE DEATH OF A PARENT OR SIBLING 6
AS A RESULT OF REPRO DUCTIVE CANCER, INCLUDING BREAST CANCER, CERVICAL 7
CANCER, AND UTERINE CANCER. 8
(B) A STUDENT WHO EXPERIEN CES A TRAUMATIC LOSS WHILE ENROLLED 9
IN HIGH SCHOOL MAY SUBMIT A WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM 10
TO INCLUDE A TRAUMAT IC LOSS NOTATION ON THE STUDENT ’S OFFICIAL 11
TRANSCRIPT TO INDICA TE AN IMPACT ON THE STUDENT’S ACADEMIC 12
PERFORMANCE, ACHIEVEMENT, OR ATTENDANCE. 13
(C) A STUDENT IS ELIGIBLE TO REQUEST A TRAUMATIC LOSS NOTATION ON 14
THE STUDENT’S OFFICIAL TRANSCRIP T IF THE STUDENT SUB MITS TO THE LOCAL 15
SCHOOL SYSTEM: 16
(1) A REQUEST TO INCLUDE A TRAUMATIC LOSS NOTAT ION ON THE 17
FORM PROVIDED BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM; AND 18
(2) (I) A COPY OF THE PARENT’S DEATH CERTIFICATE OF THE 19
PARENT OR SIBLING LISTING A CAUSE OF DEATH THAT QUALIFIES AS A TRAUMATIC 20
LOSS; OR 21
(II) A LETTER FROM A LICENS ED HEALTH CARE PROVI DER 22
VERIFYING THAT THE PARENT’S CAUSE OF DEATH QUALIFIES AS A TRAUMATIC LOSS. 23
(D) (1) ON RECEIPT OF A REQUE ST FROM A STUDENT ELIGIBLE UND ER 24
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTE M SHALL PRINT A 25
TRAUMATIC LOSS NOTATION ON THE STUDENT’S OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT USING THE 26
STANDARD LANGUAGE DEVELOPED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER SUBSECTION (E) 27
OF THIS SECTION. 28
(2) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM S HALL REMOVE A TRAUMA TIC LOSS 29
NOTATION FROM A STUDENT’S OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT AT THE WRITTEN REQUEST OF 30
THE STUDENT. 31
HOUSE BILL 1310 3
(E) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP STANDARD LANGUAGE FOR A 1
TRAUMATIC LOSS NOTAT ION PRINTED ON AN OF FICIAL TRANSCRIPT B Y A LOCAL 2
SCHOOL SYSTEM UNDER THIS SECTION. 3
(2) TO MAINTAIN STUDENT P RIVACY, THE STANDARD LANGUAG E 4
DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL REFER TO THE TRAUMATIC LOS S AS 5
EITHER: 6
(I) A DOCUMENTED COMPELLING PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCE; 7
OR 8
(II) AN EXCEPTIONAL HARDSHIP ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 9
(3) A TRAUMATIC LOSS NOTATION: 10
(I) SHALL STATE THE SCHOO L YEAR OR YEARS THE STUDENT 11
WAS IMPACTED BY AND SEMESTER IN WHICH THE TRAUMATIC LOSS OCCURRED; AND 12
(2) WITH THE APPROVAL OF A SURVIVING PARENT I F THE 13
STUDENT IS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, MAY BE ACCOMPANIED B Y A LETTER 14
WRITTEN BY THE STUDE NT DESCRIBING THE CI RCUMSTANCES OF THE S TUDENT’S 15
TRAUMATIC LOSS AND THE IMPACT ON THE STU DENT’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, 16
ACHIEVEMENT, OR ATTENDANCE. 17
(F) ON NOTIFICATION THAT A STUDENT HAS E XPERIENCED A TRAUMAT IC 18
LOSS, A HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR SHALL: 19
(1) INFORM THE STUDENT AN D ANY SURVIVING PARE NT OF THE 20
OPTION FOR REQUESTIN G A TRAUMATIC LOSS N OTATION ON THE STUDE NT’S 21
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT; AND 22
(2) ADVISE THE STUDENT O N HOW THE TRAUMATIC LOSS NOTATION 23
MAY BE USED TO EXPLA IN FLUCTUATIONS IN A CADEMIC PERFORMANCE , 24
ACHIEVEMENT, OR ATTENDANCE. 25
(G) THE STATE BOARD MAY ADOPT REGUL ATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE 26
PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 28
1, 2026. 29