HB1438 • 2026

State Board of Education - Public High School Graduation Requirements

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Woorman , Kaufman , Tomlinson , and Wims
Last action: 2026-03-26
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 4/07 at 1:00 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.

State Board of Education - Public High School Graduation Requirements

Requiring the State Board of Education to review graduation requirements for public high school students every 5 years; and requiring implementation of updated graduation requirements for the cohort entering high school in the school year following State Board approval.

What This Bill Does

Requiring the State Board of Education to review graduation requirements for public high school students every 5 years; and requiring implementation of updated graduation requirements for the cohort entering high school in the school year following State Board approval.

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

2026-03-26 Senate
Hearing 4/07 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-19 House
Favorable Report by Ways and Means
2026-03-07 House
Third Reading Passed (129-2)
2026-03-06 House
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-03-04 Senate
Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-02-23 House
Hearing 3/12 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-13 House
First Reading Ways and Means
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - State Board of Education - Public High School Graduation Requirements
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Ways and Means
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - State Board of Education - Public High School Graduation Requirements

Official Summary Text

Requiring the State Board of Education to review graduation requirements for public high school students every 5 years; and requiring implementation of updated graduation requirements for the cohort entering high school in the school year following State Board approval.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1438*

HOUSE BILL 1438
F1 6lr1728

By: Delegates Woorman, Kaufman, Tomlinson, and Wims
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

State Board of Education – Public High School Graduation Requirements 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Education to periodically review 3
graduation requirements for public high school students; requiring implementation 4
of updated graduation requirements for a certain cohort of students following State 5
Board approval; and generally rela ting to public high school student graduation 6
requirements. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Education 9
Section 7–205.1(b) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2025 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 – Education 15

7–205.1. 16

(b) (1) The State Board shall establish high school curriculum, college and 17
career readiness standards, and graduation requirements for all public schools in 18
accordance with this section. 19

2 HOUSE BILL 1438

(2) The State Board shall coordinate and consult with the Maryland Higher 1
Education Commission, the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, the Maryland 2
Association of Community Colleges, and the A ccountability and Implementation Board in 3
performing its duties under this subsection. 4

(3) AT LEAST EVERY 5 YEARS THE STATE BOARD SHALL: 5

(I) REVIEW AND UPDATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS; AND 6

(II) IMPLEMENT CHANGES TO GRADUATION REQUIREME NTS 7
FOR THE COHORT ENTERING HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SCHOOL YEAR FOLLOWING 8
STATE BOARD APPROVAL. 9

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10
1, 2026. 11

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.