Public Schools - Veterans' Day - Excused Student Absence

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1390*

HOUSE BILL 1390
F1 6lr1661

By: Delegates Howard, Adams, Allen, Buckel, Ciliberti, Hartman, Hornberger,
Hutchinson, Jacobs, McComas, Miller, Nkongolo, Reilly, Rose, Schmidt,
Stinnett, and Tomlinson
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Schools – Veterans’ Day – Excused Student Absence 2

FOR the purpose of requiring public schools to excuse any student’s absence from school 3
for observance of Veterans’ Day; and generally relating to excused absences for public 4
school students. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Article – Education 7
Section 7–103(c) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12

Article – Education 13

7–103. 14

(c) (1) The following days are public school holidays: 15

(i) Thanksgiving Day and the day after; 16

(ii) Christmas Eve and from then through January 1; 17

(iii) Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; 18

(iv) Presidents’ Day; 19

2 HOUSE BILL 1390

(v) The Friday before Easter and from then through the Monday 1
after Easter; 2

(vi) Memorial Day; and 3

(vii) Primary and general election days. 4

(2) If the federal and State observances of a holiday are on different days, 5
the board of education of each county shall determine which date shall be the date of 6
observance for the public schools within the county. 7

(3) The public schools shall devote a part of at least one day to appropriate 8
exercises for each of the following: 9

(i) Washington’s Birthday; 10

(ii) Lincoln’s Birthday; 11

(iii) Veterans’ Day; 12

(iv) Columbus Day; 13

(v) Arbor Day; 14

(vi) Black History Month, with an emphasis on Harriet Tubman and 15
Frederick Douglass and the contributions they made in the fight against slavery; and 16

(vii) Any other day of national significance. 17

(4) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY O THER PROVISIONS OF T HIS ARTICLE , 18
PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHALL EXCUSE ANY STUDENT ’S ABSENCE FROM SCHOO L FOR 19
OBSERVANCE OF VETERANS’ DAY. 20

[(4)] (5) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, the public 21
schools, in the following counties, may remain open and in session on primary and general 22
election days: 23

(i) Calvert; 24

(ii) Caroline; 25

(iii) Dorchester; 26

(iv) Kent; 27

(v) Talbot; and 28

HOUSE BILL 1390 3

(vi) Worcester. 1

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 2
1, 2026. 3