HB1528 • 2026

Education - Homeschool Students - Extracurricular Activities

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Ross , Bhandari , Roberson , Toles , and Wilson
Last action: 2026-02-16
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/12 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.

Education - Homeschool Students - Extracurricular Activities

Authorizing a public school to allow a student participating in a certain home instruction program to participate in extracurricular activities sponsored by the school under certain circumstances; and requiring a public school to give placement priority to a student enrolled in a certain school over a student who is not enrolled in the school if certain limitations exist.

What This Bill Does

Authorizing a public school to allow a student participating in a certain home instruction program to participate in extracurricular activities sponsored by the school under certain circumstances; and requiring a public school to give placement priority to a student enrolled in a certain school over a student who is not enrolled in the school if certain limitations exist.

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

2026-02-16 House
Hearing 3/12 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-13 House
First Reading Ways and Means
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Education - Homeschool Students - Extracurricular Activities

Official Summary Text

Authorizing a public school to allow a student participating in a certain home instruction program to participate in extracurricular activities sponsored by the school under certain circumstances; and requiring a public school to give placement priority to a student enrolled in a certain school over a student who is not enrolled in the school if certain limitations exist.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1528*

HOUSE BILL 1528
F1 6lr3420

By: Delegates Ross, Bhandari, Roberson, Toles, and Wilson
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Education – Homeschool Students – Extracurricular Activities 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing a public school to allow a student participating in a certain 3
home instruction program to participate in extracurricular activities sponsored by 4
the school under certain circumstances; requiring a public school to give placement 5
priority to a student enrolled in a certain school ove r a student who is not enrolled 6
in the school if certain limitations exist; and generally relating to students in home 7
instruction and extracurricular activities sponsored by public schools. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–137 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

7–137. 17

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY” MEANS ATHLETICS, 18
INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS, OR ANOTHER ACTIVITY: 19

(1) IN WHICH A STUDENT MA Y PARTICIPATE OUTSID E OF REGULAR 20
SCHOOL HOURS; AND 21

(2) FOR WHICH A STUDENT DOES NOT EARN ACADEMIC CREDIT. 22

2 HOUSE BILL 1528

(B) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION S (C) AND (D) OF THIS SECTION , A PUBLIC 1
SCHOOL MAY ALLOW A S TUDENT WHO IS NOT EN ROLLED IN THE SCHOOL TO 2
PARTICIPATE IN AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY SPONSORED BY THE SCHOOL TO 3
THE SAME EXTENT THAT A STUDENT WHO IS ENR OLLED IN THE SCHOOL MAY 4
PARTICIPATE IN THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY IF TH E STUDENT WHO IS NOT 5
ENROLLED PARTICIPATE S IN A HOME INSTRUCT ION PROGRAM IN ACCORDANCE 6
WITH COMAR GUIDELINES. 7

(C) A PUBLIC SCHOOL MAY AL LOW A STUDENT WHO PARTICIPATES IN A 8
HOME INSTRUCTION PRO GRAM TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ATHLETIC 9
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY, INCLUDING INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS , IF THE 10
LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM APPROVES OF THE PARTICIPATION. 11

(D) A PUBLIC SCHOOL SHALL GIVE PLACEMENT PRIOR ITY TO A STUDENT 12
ENROLLED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SPONSORING THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY 13
OVER A STUDENT WHO I S NOT ENROLLED IN THE PUBL IC SCHOOL IF THERE A RE A 14
LIMITED NUMBER OF SPACES AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS IN THE EXTRACURRICULAR 15
ACTIVITY. 16

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17
1, 2026. 18