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SENATE BILL 40
F3 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr1337
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 41
By: Senator Sydnor
Requested: October 27, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Baltimore County Board of Education – Alterations of Elected Member Districts 2
and Establishment of Redistricting Process 3
FOR the purpose of requiring certain members of the Baltimore County Board of Education 4
to be elected in a certain manner from certain districts in certain elections; requiring 5
the chair of the Baltimore County delegation to the General Assembly to introduce 6
legislation to reapportion certain school board districts in a certain manner after 7
each decennial census of the United States; and generally relating to elected member 8
districts for the Baltimore County Board of Education. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Education 11
Section 3–2B–01 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14
BY adding to 15
Article – Education 16
Section 3–2B–11 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
2 SENATE BILL 40
Article – Education 1
3–2B–01. 2
(a) The Baltimore County Board of Education consists of: 3
(1) Seven nonpartisan elected members; 4
(2) Four appointed members; and 5
(3) One student member. 6
(b) (1) Of the 11 elected and appointed members of the county board: 7
(i) 1. [One] BEFORE THE 2034 GENERAL ELECTION , ONE 8
member shall be elected from each of the seven councilmanic districts in the county, 9
established by the County Council of Baltimore County IN EXISTENCE ON OCTOBER 1, 10
2024, by the voters of that district; and 11
2. BEGINNING WITH THE 2034 GENERAL ELECTION, ONE 12
MEMBER SHALL BE ELECTED FROM EACH OF THE SEVEN SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICTS 13
ESTABLISHED BY THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS DESCRIBED IN § 3–2B–11 OF THIS 14
SUBTITLE, BY THE VOTERS OF THAT DISTRICT; AND 15
(ii) Four members shall be appointed by the Governor from the 16
county at large. 17
(2) (i) The seven elected members shall be elected at a general election 18
in gubernatorial election years in accordance with § 3–2B–02 of this subtitle. 19
(ii) The four appointed members shall be appointed by the Governor 20
in presidential election years from a list of nominees submitted by the Baltimore County 21
School Board Nominating Commission as provided in § 3–2B–03 of this subtitle: 22
1. On the expiration of the term of an incumbent appointed 23
member within 30 days after the general election; or 24
2. Within the 30 –day period otherwise required under this 25
subtitle. 26
(3) (i) A member from a school board district shall be at least 21 y ears 27
old, a resident of that district for at least 2 years, and a registered voter of the county before 28
the election. 29
SENATE BILL 40 3
(ii) A member from a district who does not maintain residency in 1
that district may not continue as a member of the county board and th e office shall be 2
deemed vacant. 3
(iii) If the boundary line of a district is changed, the term of an 4
incumbent member of the county board who no longer resides in the district because of the 5
change is not affected during this term. 6
(4) (i) A member may not be elected or appointed to serve on the county 7
board for more than three consecutive terms. 8
(ii) A member who has served three consecutive 4 –year terms may 9
not be elected or appointed to the county board until at least 4 years have elapsed since the 10
end of the member’s last term on the county board. 11
(5) During an election year: 12
(i) The Governor may not appoint as a member of the county board 13
an individual who files a certificate of candidacy for election to the county board; and 14
(ii) An individual who files a certificate of candidacy for election to 15
the county board may not seek appointment to the county board by the Governor through 16
nomination by the Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission. 17
3–2B–11. 18
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT” MEANS THE GEOGRAPHIC 19
AREA OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FROM WHICH AN ELECTED MEMBER OF TH E 20
BALTIMORE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION IS ELECTED. 21
(B) (1) BEGINNING AFTER THE 2030 U.S. CENSUS, THE SCHOOL BOARD 22
DISTRICTS SHALL BE: 23
(I) REAPPORTIONED AFTER EACH DECENNIAL CENSUS OF THE 24
UNITED STATES; AND 25
(II) EFFECTIVE FOR EACH GE NERAL ELECTION WHERE A 26
MEMBER WILL BE ELECTED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DECENNIAL CENSUS. 27
(2) THE REAPPORTIONED SCH OOL BOARD DISTRICTS UNDER THIS 28
SECTION SHALL BE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN POPULATION. 29
(C) AFTER EACH DECENNIAL CENSUS, THE CHAIR OF THE BALTIMORE 30
COUNTY DELEGATION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL INTROD UCE 31
LEGISLATION TO REAPPORTION THE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICTS. 32
4 SENATE BILL 40
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, Tha t this Act is an emergency 1
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 2
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three –fifths of all the members elected to 3
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, an d shall take effect from the date it is 4
enacted. 5
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.