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*hb1340*
HOUSE BILL 1340
P1, E5 6lr3390
By: Delegates Amprey and Ruff
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Government – Prison Education Delivery Reform Commission – 2
Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Prison Education Delivery Reform Commission as an 4
independent unit of State government ; and generally relating to the Prison 5
Education Delivery Reform Commission. 6
BY adding to 7
Article – State Government 8
Section 9 –4201 and 9–4202 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 42. Prison 9
Education Delivery Reform Commission” 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – State Government 15
SUBTITLE 42. PRISON EDUCATION DELIVERY REFORM COMMISSION. 16
9–4201. 17
IN THIS SUBTITLE , “COMMISSION” MEANS THE PRISON EDUCATION 18
DELIVERY REFORM COMMISSION. 19
9–4202. 20
(A) (1) THERE IS A PRISON EDUCATION DELIVERY REFORM 21
COMMISSION ESTABLISHED AS AN INDEPENDENT UNIT OF STATE GOVERNMENT. 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1340
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO DEVE LOP 1
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE OPTIMAL DELIVERY OF EDUCATION TO INDIVIDUALS 2
SUBJECT TO THE CRIMINAL AND JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS TO INCREASE PUBLIC 3
SAFETY AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM. 4
(B) THE COMMISSION CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS: 5
(1) THREE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, APPOINTED BY 6
THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; 7
(2) THREE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, APPOINTED BY 8
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE; 9
(3) THE SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL 10
SERVICES, OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; 11
(4) THE SECRETARY OF JUVENILE SERVICES, OR THE SECRETARY’S 12
DESIGNEE; 13
(5) THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, OR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S 14
DESIGNEE; 15
(6) THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF MARYLAND, OR THE PUBLIC 16
DEFENDER’S DESIGNEE; 17
(7) A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND JUDICIARY, APPOINTED 18
BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF MARYLAND; 19
(8) THE SECRETARY OF THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION 20
COMMISSION, OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; 21
(9) THE SECRETARY OF LABOR, OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; 22
(10) THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, OR THE STATE 23
SUPERINTENDENT’S DESIGNEE; AND 24
(11) THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR: 25
(I) A NATIONAL EXPERT ON CORRECTIONAL EDUCATI ON 26
ISSUES; 27
HOUSE BILL 1340 3
(II) A REPRESENTATIVE OF A FOUNDATION WITH EXPERTISE IN 1
CORRECTIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS; 2
(III) A REPRESENTATIVE OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMEN T 3
AGENCIES; 4
(IV) A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND STATE’S 5
ATTORNEYS’ ASSOCIATION; 6
(V) A REPRESENTATIVE OF AN ADULT PRISON SERV ICES 7
PROVIDER BUREAU; 8
(VI) A REPRESENTATIVE FRO M A RESTORATIVE JUST ICE 9
ORGANIZATION; 10
(VII) A REPRESENTATIVE FRO M THE GOUCHER COLLEGE 11
PRISON EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP; 12
(VIII) A REPRESENTATIVE OF MARYLAND CORRECTIONAL 13
ENTERPRISES; AND 14
(IX) TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OR W ERE UNDER THE 15
SUPERVISION OF THE DIVISION OF CORRECTION. 16
(C) (1) THE TERM OF AN APPOINTED MEMBER IS 4 YEARS. 17
(2) THE TERMS OF THE APPO INTED MEMBERS ARE ST AGGERED AS 18
REQUIRED BY THE TERMS PROVIDED FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON JUNE 19
1, 2026. 20
(3) AT THE END OF A TERM , A MEMBER CONTINUES TO SERVE UNTIL 21
A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED AND QUALIFIES. 22
(4) A MEMBER WHO IS APPOINTED AFTER A TERM HAS BEGUN SERVES 23
ONLY FOR THE REST OF THE TERM AND UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINT ED AND 24
QUALIFIES. 25
(5) AN APPOINTED MEMBER WHO SERVES TW O CONSECUTIVE FULL 26
4–YEAR TERMS MAY NOT B E REAPPOINTED FOR 4 YEARS AFTER COMPLETI ON OF 27
THOSE TERMS. 28
(D) THE GOVERNOR SHALL DESIGNATE THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION. 29
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(E) THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY SHALL 1
PROVIDE STAFF FOR THE COMMISSION. 2
(F) A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION: 3
(1) MAY NOT RECEIVE COMP ENSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE 4
COMMISSION; BUT 5
(2) IS ENTITLED TO REIMB URSEMENT FOR EXPENSE S UNDER THE 6
STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET. 7
(G) THE COMMISSION SHALL: 8
(1) CONVENE AN ADVISORY STAKEHOLDER GROUP TH AT INCLUDES 9
ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXPERIENCE IN: 10
(I) CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY REFORM; 11
(II) ADVOCATING FOR INDIV IDUALS WITH LEARNING 12
DISABILITIES AND THOSE FROM MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES; 13
(III) RESTORATIVE JUSTICE; AND 14
(IV) PEER RECOVERY AND SUPPORT SERVICES; 15
(2) WORK WITH THE ADVISO RY STAKEHOLDER GROUP , INCLUDING 16
CONDUCTING ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION FORUMS SEEKING PUBLIC INPUT IN ALL 17
GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF THE STATE; 18
(3) DEVELOP AN EDUCATION–FOCUSED STATEWIDE FRAMEWORK OF 19
POLICIES TO INVEST I N STRATEGIES TO INCR EASE PUBLIC SAFETY A ND REDUCE 20
RECIDIVISM OF ADULT OFFENDERS, USING A DATA–DRIVEN APPROACH; 21
(4) RESEARCH BEST PRACTI CES FOR THE PRIMARY , SECONDARY, 22
POSTSECONDARY, AND CAREER OR VOCATI ONAL EDUCATION OF TH OSE WHO ARE 23
SUBJECT TO THE CRIMINAL AND JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS; 24
(5) IDENTIFY MEASURES TO MITIGATE RISK FACTOR S THAT 25
CONTRIBUTE TO ADULT CONTACT WITH THE CRI MINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM , WITH A 26
FOCUS ON EDUCATION; 27
(6) EVALUATE CURRENT WOR KFORCE PROGRAMS IN W HICH 28
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATE AND THE PROGRAMS’ EFFECTIVENESS 29
HOUSE BILL 1340 5
IN TRAINING FOR EMPL OYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT RESULT IN LIVIN G WAGES; 1
AND 2
(7) REQUEST TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM: 3
(I) THE ABELL FOUNDATION; 4
(II) THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION; 5
(III) THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS; 6
(IV) THE VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE; 7
(V) THE COALITION ON ADULT BASIC EDUCATION; 8
(VI) THE RAND CORPORATION; AND 9
(VII) OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SIMILAR TO TH E ORGANIZATIONS 10
LISTED UNDER ITEMS (I) THROUGH (VI) OF THIS ITEM. 11
(H) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2027, AND EACH JANUARY 1 THEREAFTER, 12
THE COMMISSION SHALL SUBM IT AN ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSION’S 13
ACTIVITIES, FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN 14
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THIS ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 15
SECTION 2. AND IT BE FURTHER ENACTED, That the terms of the appointed 16
members of the Prison Education Delivery Commission who are members of the 17
Commission on the effective date of Section 1 of this Act or initially appointed after the 18
effective date shall expire as follows: 19
(1) five members in 2027; 20
(2) six members in 2028; and 21
(3) six members in 2029. 22
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 23
1, 2026. 24