HB1397 • 2026

School Construction - Gross Area Baseline Calculation - Aquatic Facilities

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Toles , Harrison , Ivey , McCaskill , Patterson , and Shetty
Last action: 2026-03-11
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/11 at 1:35 p.m.
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.

School Construction - Gross Area Baseline Calculation - Aquatic Facilities

Requiring the Interagency Commission on School Construction, when calculating a school's Gross Area Baseline, to allocate square footage to accommodate certain aquatic facilities; requiring each local school system to develop a certain facilities plan before the start of a certain school year; and requiring the Interagency Commission to collaborate with each school system on developing a certain facilities plan.

What This Bill Does

Requiring the Interagency Commission on School Construction, when calculating a school's Gross Area Baseline, to allocate square footage to accommodate certain aquatic facilities; requiring each local school system to develop a certain facilities plan before the start of a certain school year; and requiring the Interagency Commission to collaborate with each school system on developing a certain facilities plan.

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

2026-03-11 House
Hearing canceled
2026-03-11 House
Hearing 3/11 at 1:35 p.m.
2026-02-17 House
Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-13 House
First Reading Appropriations
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - School Construction - Gross Area Baseline Calculation - Aquatic Facilities

Official Summary Text

Requiring the Interagency Commission on School Construction, when calculating a school's Gross Area Baseline, to allocate square footage to accommodate certain aquatic facilities; requiring each local school system to develop a certain facilities plan before the start of a certain school year; and requiring the Interagency Commission to collaborate with each school system on developing a certain facilities plan.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1397*

HOUSE BILL 1397
F1 6lr2451

By: Delegates Toles, Harrison, Ivey, McCaskill, Patterson, and Shetty
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

School Construction – Gross Area Baseline Calculation – Aquatic Facilities 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Interagency Commission on School Construction, when 3
calculating a school’s Gross Area Baseline, to allocate square footage to accommodate 4
certain aquatic facilities ; requiring each local school system to develop a certain 5
facilities plan before a certain school year; requiring the Interagency Commission to 6
collaborate with each school system on developing a certain facilities plan; and 7
generally relating to calculating Gross Area Baseline and aquatic facilities. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 5–331 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

5–331. 17

WHEN CALCULATING A SCHOOL ’S GROSS AREA BASELINE, THE 18
INTERAGENCY COMMISSION SHALL ALLO CATE SQUARE FOOTAGE TO 19
ACCOMMODATE AQUATIC FACILITIES FOR ATHLETIC EDUCATION AND COMPETITIVE 20
PURPOSES. 21

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 22

(a) Before the 2026 –2027 school year begins, each local school system shall 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1397

develop a facilities plan that identifies options for students to have access to a pool or 1
aquatic facilities. 2

(b) The Interagency Commission on School Construction shall collaborate with 3
each local school system to develop the plan under subsection (a) of this section. 4

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 5
1, 2026. 6