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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1418*
HOUSE BILL 1418
F1 6lr1928
By: Delegates Arikan, Griffith, A. Johnson, S. Johnson, McComas, and Reilly
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public and Nonpublic Schools – Employing Individuals Charged With Crimes – 2
Prohibition 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a nonpublic school and a county board of education from 4
hiring or retaining a certain employee who the school or county board knows has 5
been charged with a certain crime; requiring a nonpublic school or local school 6
system contract to provide that a contractor or subcontractor for the nonpublic school 7
or local school system may not knowingly assign an employee to work on school 8
premises with certain access to children if the employee has been charged with a 9
certain crime; prohibiting a nonpublic school or local school system from rehiring an 10
employee if the employee fails to provide certain notice as required; and generally 11
relating to prohibiting employment in public and nonpublic schools for individuals 12
charged with crimes. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Education 15
Section 2–206.1 and 6–113 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Education 21
2–206.1. 22
(a) A nonpublic school that is subject to the requirements of this title may not hire 23
or retain any employee who works with or has access to students and who the school knows 24
HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH OR has been convicted of a crime involving: 25
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(1) An offense under § 3–307 or § 3–308 of the Criminal Law Article or an 1
offense under the laws of another state that would constitute a violation of § 3 –307 or § 2
3–308 of the Criminal Law Article if committed in the State; 3
(2) Child sexual abuse under § 3 –602 of the Criminal Law Article, or an 4
offense under the laws of another state that would constitute child sexual abuse under § 5
3–602 of the Criminal Law Article if committed in this State; [or] 6
(3) A crime of violence as defined in § 14–101 of the Criminal Law Article, 7
or an offense under the laws of another state that would be a violation of § 14 –101 of the 8
Criminal Law Article if committed in this State; 9
(4) A CRIME OF MORAL TURPI TUDE, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE 10
LAWS OF ANOTHER STAT E THAT WOULD CONSTIT UTE A CRIME OF MORAL 11
TURPITUDE IF COMMITTED IN THIS STATE; 12
(5) A DISTRIBUTION CRIME UNDER THE MARYLAND CONTROLLED 13
DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ACT, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE LAWS OF ANOTHER 14
STATE THAT WOUL D CONSTITUTE A DISTR IBUTION CRIME IN THIS STATE UNDER 15
THE MARYLAND CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ACT; 16
(6) A FEDERAL CRIME INVOLVING THE TARGETING OF A SCHOOL , 17
INCLUDING SCHOOL STUDENTS, PERSONNEL, PROPERTY, OR OPERATIONS; OR 18
(7) ANY FELONY NOT COVERED UNDER ITEMS (1) THROUGH (6) OF 19
THIS SUBSECTION, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE LAWS OF ANOTHER STATE OR THE 20
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A FELONY IN THIS STATE. 21
(b) A nonpublic school contract shall provide that a contractor or subcontractor 22
for the school may not knowingly assign an employee to work on school premises with 23
direct, unsupervised, and uncontrolled access to children, if the employee HAS BEEN 24
CHARGED WITH OR has been convicted of a crime identified under subsection (a) of this 25
section. 26
(c) The State Board: 27
(1) Shall revoke the certificate of approval or letter of tentative approval of 28
a nonpublic school that violates subsection (a) of this section; and 29
(2) May revoke the certificate of approval or letter of tentative approval of 30
a nonpublic school that violates subsection (b) of this section. 31
(D) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (E) OF T HIS SECTION , THIS SECTION DOES 32
NOT PRECLUDE A NONPU BLIC SCHOOL FROM HIR ING OR REHIRING , OR A 33
HOUSE BILL 1418 3
CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR FROM ASSIGNING TO A SCHOOL, AN INDIVIDUAL 1
WHOSE CHARGE DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION IS DISPOSED 2
OF BY AN ACQUITTAL, A DISMISSAL, OR A NOLLE PROSEQUI. 3
(E) (1) AN EMPLOYEE OF A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL WHO IS CHARGED WITH 4
A CRIME DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOTIFY THE 5
SCHOOL WITHIN 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE INDIVIDUAL HAS NOTICE OF THE 6
CHARGE. 7
(2) AN EMPLOYEE WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH PARAG RAPH (1) OF 8
THIS SUBSECTION MAY NOT BE REHIRED BY THE NONPUBLIC SCHOOL FOR 5 YEARS, 9
BEGINNING WITH THE D ATE THE CHARGE IS DI SPOSED OF BY AN ACQUITTAL , A 10
DISMISSAL, OR A NOLLE PROSEQUI. 11
6–113. 12
(a) A county board may not knowingly hire or retain any individua l who HAS 13
BEEN CHARGED WITH OR has been convicted of a crime involving: 14
(1) An offense under § 3–307 or § 3–308 of the Criminal Law Article or an 15
offense under the laws of another state that would constitute a violation of § 3 –307 or § 16
3–308 of the Criminal Law Article if committed in the State; 17
(2) Child sexual abuse under § 3 –602 of the Criminal Law Article, or an 18
offense under the laws of another state that would constitute child sexual abuse under § 19
3–602 of the Criminal Law Article if committed in this State; [or] 20
(3) A crime of violence as defined in § 14–101 of the Criminal Law Article, 21
or an offense under the laws of another state that would be a violation of § 14 –101 of the 22
Criminal Law Article if committed in this State; 23
(4) A CRIME OF MORAL TURPI TUDE, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE 24
LAWS OF ANOTHER STAT E THAT WOULD CONSTIT UTE A CRIME OF MORAL 25
TURPITUDE IF COMMITTED IN THIS STATE; 26
(5) A DISTRIBUTION CRIME U NDER THE MARYLAND CONTROLLED 27
DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ACT, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE LAWS OF ANOTHER 28
STATE THAT WOULD CON STITUTE A DISTRIBUTI ON CRIME IN THIS STATE UNDER 29
THE MARYLAND CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ACT; 30
(6) A FEDERAL CRIME INVOLV ING THE TARGETING OF A SCHOOL , 31
INCLUDING SCHOOL STUDENTS, PERSONNEL, PROPERTY, OR OPERATIONS; OR 32
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(7) ANY FELONY NOT COVERE D UNDER ITEMS (1) THROUGH (6) OF 1
THIS SUBSECTION, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE LAWS OF ANOTHER STATE OR THE 2
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A FELONY IN THIS STATE. 3
(b) A local school system contract shall provide that a contractor or subcontractor 4
for the local school system may not knowingly assign an employee to work on school 5
premises with direct, unsupervised, and uncontrolled access to children, if the employee 6
HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH OR has been convicted of a crime identified under subsection 7
(a) of this section. 8
(C) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION , THIS SECTION DOES 9
NOT PRECLUDE A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM HIRING OR REHIR ING, OR A 10
CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR FROM ASSIGNING TO A SCHOOL, AN INDIVIDUAL 11
WHOSE CHARGE DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION IS DISPOSED 12
OF BY AN ACQUITTAL, A DISMISSAL, OR A NOLLE PROSEQUI. 13
(D) (1) AN EMPLOYEE OF A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM WHO IS CHARGED 14
WITH A CRIME DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOTIFY 15
THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM WITHIN 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE EMPLOYEE HAS 16
NOTICE OF THE CHARGE. 17
(2) AN EMPLOYEE WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH PARAG RAPH (1) OF 18
THIS SUBSECTION MAY NOT BE REHIRED B Y THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR 5 19
YEARS, BEGINNING WITH THE DATE THE CHARGE IS DISPOSED OF BY AN ACQUITTAL, 20
A DISMISSAL, OR A NOLLE PROSEQUI. 21
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 22
1, 2026. 23