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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1592*
HOUSE BILL 1592
F5 6lr3574
CF SB 378
By: Delegate Barnes
Introduced and read first time: February 15, 2026
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Regional Resource Centers and County Libraries – Funding 2
FOR the purpose of altering the calculation of certain funding for certain regional resource 3
centers and each county public library system for cer tain fiscal years; altering the 4
types of services of which each public library is required to offer at least one service; 5
and generally relating to the public libraries in the State. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Education 8
Section 23–202(b) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 23–205(c), 23–410, and 23–503 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
Article – Education 19
23–202. 20
(b) Each regional resource center shall provide, through mutual cooperation and 21
coordination, bo oks, information, and other material and service resources that an 22
individual library cannot provide adequately by itself. 23
23–205. 24
2 HOUSE BILL 1592
(c) (1) Subject to subsection (g) of this section, each year each participating 1
regional resource center shall receive a m inimum amount of funding for each resident of 2
the area served, to be used for operating and capital expenses. 3
(2) The allocation shall be calculated as follows: 4
(i) [For each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015.... $6.75 per each 5
resident of the area served; 6
(ii) For fiscal year 2016........................................ $6.95 per each 7
resident of the area served; 8
(iii) For fiscal year 2017........................................ $7.15 per each 9
resident of the area served; 10
(iv) For fiscal year 2018........................................ $7.55 per each 11
resident of the area served; 12
(v) For fiscal year 2019........................................ $7.95 per each 13
resident of the area served; 14
(vi) For fiscal year 2020................... ..................... $8.35 per each 15
resident of the area served; 16
(vii) For fiscal year 2021........................................ $8.55 per each 17
resident of the area served; 18
(viii)] For fiscal year 2022........................................ $8 .75 per each 19
resident of the area served; 20
[(ix)] (II) For fiscal year 2023........................................ $9.19 per 21
each resident of the area served; 22
[(x)] (III) For fiscal year 2024........................................ $9.39 per 23
each resident of the area served; 24
[(xi)] (IV) For fiscal year 2025........................................ $9.59 per 25
each resident of the area served; 26
[(xii)] (V) For fiscal year 2026........................................ $9.79 per 27
each resident of the area served; [and] 28
[(xiii)] (VI) For fiscal year 2027 [and each fiscal year 29
thereafter]................................................................................................... $9.99 per each 30
resident of the area served; 31
HOUSE BILL 1592 3
(VII) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028....................................... $10.29 PER 1
EACH RESIDENT OF THE AREA SERVED; 2
(VIII) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2029....................................... $10.60 PER 3
EACH RESIDENT OF THE AREA SERVED; 4
(IX) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2030....................................... $10.92 PER 5
EACH RESIDENT OF THE AREA SERVED; 6
(X) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2031....................................... $11.24 PER 7
EACH RESIDENT OF THE AREA SERVED; AND 8
(XI) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2032 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 9
THEREAFTER....................................... $11.58 PER EACH RESIDENT OF THE AREA 10
SERVED. 11
23–410. 12
[Beginning January 1, 2024, each] EACH public library must offer at least one of the 13
following services alone or in partnership with units of government or nonprofit 14
organizations: 15
(1) [A program to increase scores on the kindergarten assessment 16
administered under § 7–210 of this article; 17
(2) A program designed to close learni ng gaps created by lack of access to 18
education, including learning gaps that occurred during the COVID–19 pandemic; 19
(3) An initiative to expand digital equity and access to free computing and 20
broadband Internet; 21
(4) An educational program providing t echnology instruction and skills, 22
health literacy, instruction on operating a small business, and instruction on workforce 23
development] A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO INCREASE EARLY CHILD HOOD LITERACY 24
AND LEARNING , SCHOOL READINESS , LITERACY PROFICIENCY , AND STUDEN T 25
SUCCESS; 26
(2) AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRA M THAT ADVANCES INFO RMATION 27
LITERACY, TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTION AND SKILLS, AND ECONOMIC, CAREER, AND 28
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT; 29
(3) AN INITIATIVE THAT INCREASES DIGITAL EQUITY AND ACCESS TO 30
THE INTERNET; 31
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[(5)] (4) Serving as a community resource and distribution site during 1
public emergencies; AND 2
[(6) A program to reduce barriers to STEM education, including by 3
providing activities, classes, programs, and events; and 4
(7)] (5) Support for mental health and [reducing social and physical 5
isolation] PERSONAL WELL–BEING. 6
23–503. 7
(a) (1) The entire capital and operating cost of the minimum library program 8
for this State as a whole shall be shared as provided in this subsection. 9
(2) Subject to subsection (d) of this section, the State shall provide: 10
(i) Approximately 40 percent of the total cost of the minimum 11
program; and 12
(ii) Not less than 20 percent of the cost of the minimum program in 13
any county. 14
(3) The counties participating in the program toget her shall provide 15
through local taxes approximately 60 percent of the total statewide cost of the minimum 16
program. 17
(b) (1) Subject to subsection (d) of this section, each county public library 18
system that participates in the minimum library program shall be provided for each 19
resident of the county, to be used for operating and capital expenses: 20
(i) [For each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015 – $14.00; 21
(ii) For fiscal year 2016 – $14.27; 22
(iii) For fiscal year 2017 – $14.54; 23
(iv) For fiscal year 2018 – $15.00; 24
(v) For fiscal year 2019 – $15.50; 25
(vi) For fiscal year 2020 – $16.00; 26
(vii) For fiscal year 2021 – $16.43; 27
(viii)] For fiscal year 2022 – $17.10; 28
HOUSE BILL 1592 5
[(ix)] (II) For fiscal year 2023 – $17.50; 1
[(x)] (III) For fiscal year 2024 – $17.90; 2
[(xi)] (IV) For fiscal year 2025 – $18.30; 3
[(xii)] (V) For fiscal year 2026 – $18.70; [and] 4
[(xiii)] (VI) For fiscal year 2027 [and each fiscal year thereafter ] – 5
$19.10; 6
(VII) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028 – $19.71; 7
(VIII) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2029 – $20.35; 8
(IX) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2030 – $21.00; 9
(X) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2031 – $21.67; AND 10
(XI) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2032 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 11
THEREAFTER – $22.37. 12
(2) (i) Subject to subsection (d) of this section, the State shall share in 13
this amount. 14
(ii) Any county may provide an amount greater than its share under 15
the cooperative program, but the State may not share in the excess. 16
(c) Any employer Social Security contributions required by federal law for any 17
employee in a county public library system shall remain the obligation of the employer. 18
(d) (1) Receipt of State funding for a county library system that participates in 19
the minimum library program under this section is contingent on the board of library 20
trustees adop ting a written policy for operation of the county library system that is 21
consistent with the State standards for libraries. 22
(2) (i) The Comptroller shall withhold all State funds from a county 23
library system that the State Library Board certifies has failed to meet the State standards 24
for libraries. 25
(ii) The Comptroller shall continue to withhold funds under 26
subparagraph (i) of this paragraph until the State Library Board certifies that the county 27
library system has adopted a written policy consisten t with the State standards for 28
libraries. 29
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SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2026. 2