SB0383 • 2026

Higher Education - Private Career Schools - Advertising

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Senators Watson , Muse , and West
Last action: 2026-02-10
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 3/11 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.

Higher Education - Private Career Schools - Advertising

Authorizing the Secretary of Higher Education to allow certain private career schools to advertise certain information and collect contact information from potential new students before receiving a certificate of approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to operate a private career school in the State under certain circumstances; requiring an approved private career school to advertise only information relating to the opening of the private career school and include a certain disclosure; etc.

What This Bill Does

Authorizing the Secretary of Higher Education to allow certain private career schools to advertise certain information and collect contact information from potential new students before receiving a certificate of approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to operate a private career school in the State under certain circumstances; requiring an approved private career school to advertise only information relating to the opening of the private career school and include a certain disclosure; etc.

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

2026-02-10 Senate
Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-27 Senate
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Higher Education - Private Career Schools - Advertising

Official Summary Text

Authorizing the Secretary of Higher Education to allow certain private career schools to advertise certain information and collect contact information from potential new students before receiving a certificate of approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to operate a private career school in the State under certain circumstances; requiring an approved private career school to advertise only information relating to the opening of the private career school and include a certain disclosure; etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0383*

SENATE BILL 383
F2 6lr2161
HB 1138/25 – APP CF HB 28
By: Senators Watson, Muse, and West
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Higher Education – Private Career Schools – Advertising 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Secretary of Higher Education to allow certain private 3
career schools to advertise certain information and collect certain contact 4
information before receiving a certificate of approval from the Maryland Higher 5
Education Commission to operate a private career school in the State; and generally 6
relating to private career schools. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Article – Education 9
Section 10–101(a) and (j) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

BY adding to 13
Article – Education 14
Section 11–212 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19

Article – Education 20

10–101. 21

(a) In this division the following words have the meanings indicated. 22

(j) “Private career school” means a privately owned and privately operated 23
institution of postsecondary education other than an institution of higher education that 24
2 SENATE BILL 383

furnishes or offers to furnish programs, whether or not requiring a payment of tuition or 1
fee, for the purpose of training, retraining, or upgrading individuals for gainful employment 2
as skilled or semiskilled workers or technicians in recognized occupations or in new and 3
emerging occupations. 4

11–212. 5

(A) THE SECRETARY MAY APPROVE A REQUEST FROM AN APPLICANT FOR A 6
PRIVATE CAREER SCHOO L TO ADVERTISE AND C OLLECT CONTACT INFOR MATION 7
FROM POTENTIAL NEW STUDENTS BEFORE THE PRIVATE CAREER SCHOOL RECEIVES 8
A CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL TO OPERATE. 9

(B) A PRIVATE CAREER SCHOO L APPROVED UNDER SUB SECTION (A) OF 10
THIS SECTION: 11

(1) SHALL: 12

(I) ADVERTISE ONLY INFORM ATION RELATING TO TH E 13
OPENING OF THE PRIVATE CAREER SCHOOL, INCLUDING THE ANTICIPATED DATE OF 14
OPENING, PROGRAMS OF INSTRUCTION, AND THE APPLICATION PROCESS; AND 15

(II) INCLUDE, IN ANY ADVERTISEMEN T, A DISCLOSURE THAT 16
THE CERTIFICATE OF A PPROVAL TO OPERATE T HE PRIVATE CAREER SC HOOL IS 17
PENDING APPROVAL; AND 18

(2) MAY NOT COLLECT ANY F EES OR ENTER INTO AN ENROLLMENT 19
AGREEMENT WITH POTENTIAL STUDENTS. 20

(C) THE SECRETARY SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS PROVID ING FOR THE 21
PROCESS TO APPROVE A PRIVATE CAREER SCHOO L TO ADVERTISE UNDER THIS 22
SECTION. 23

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2026. 25