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*sb0420*
SENATE BILL 420
F2 (6lr1427)
ENROLLED BILL
— Education, Energy, and the Environment/Appropriations —
Introduced by Senator M. Washington
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at __ ______________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Institutions of Higher Education – Pregnant and Parenting Students – 2
Plan and Reporting 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission to collect certain 4
certain data regarding the parental status of students from each public institution 5
of higher education in the State; requiring public institutions of higher education to 6
collect and report certain demographic data from students; requiring all public 7
institutions of higher education to adopt a certain plan for pregnant and parenting 8
students; altering the definition of “student data” to authorize the Commission to 9
share with the Maryland Longitudinal Data System certain data regarding the 10
parental status of certain students; requiring public institutions of higher education 11
to collect and report certain demographic data from students; requiring all public 12
institutions of higher education to adopt a certain plan for pregnant and parenting 13
students; and generally relating to pregnant and parenting students at public 14
institutions of higher education. 15
2 SENATE BILL 420
BY adding to 1
Article – Education 2
Section 11–409 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Article – Education 7
Section 15–140 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Education 12
Section 24–701(l) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Education 18
11–409. 19
(A) (1) (1) THE COMMISSION SHALL COLLECT STUDENT–LEVEL DATA 20
FROM EACH PUBLIC INS TITUTION OF HIGHER E DUCATION IN THE STATE ON THE 21
PARENTAL STATUS OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN EACH INSTITUTION. 22
(2) THE COMMISSION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE PUBLIC 23
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION , SHALL DEVELOP QUESTI ONS THAT ALLOW 24
EACH STUDENT TO IDENTIFY: 25
(I) WHETHER THE STUDENT I S A PARENT OR A LEGA L 26
GUARDIAN, ACTING AS A PARENT O R A LEGAL GUARDIAN , OR EXERCISING CARE , 27
CUSTODY, OR CONTROL OVER A CHILD OF ANY AGE; 28
(II) THE AGE OF THE CHILDREN FOR WHICH THE STUDENT HAS 29
RESPONSIBILITY; AND 30
(III) THE TYPE OF CAREGIVING RESPONSIBILITIES THE STUDENT 31
PROVIDES, INCLUDING WHETHER THE STUDENT: 32
1. IS A SINGLE PARENT; OR 33
SENATE BILL 420 3
2. SHARES PARENTAL RESPO NSIBILITIES WITH 1
SOMEONE IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD OR A DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD. 2
(B) (1) EACH PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL PLACE 3
THE QUESTIONS DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION ON ONE OR 4
MORE FORMS THAT ARE USED BY THE INSTITUT ION TO COLLECT DEMOG RAPHIC 5
DATA FROM STUDENTS. 6
(2) EACH PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATI ON SHALL MAKE 7
THE DATA COLLECTED U NDER THIS SECTION AV AILABLE TO THE COMMISSION IN 8
ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION UNDER 9
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 10
(2) THE COMMISSION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE PUBLIC 11
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER EDUCATION, SHALL DEVELOP QUESTI ONS THAT ALLOW 12
EACH STUDENT TO IDENTIFY: 13
(I) WHETHER THE STUDENT I S A PARENT OR A LEGA L 14
GUARDIAN, ACTING AS A PARENT O R A LEGAL GUARDIAN , OR EXERCISIN G CARE , 15
CUSTODY, OR CONTROL OVER A CHILD OF ANY AGE; 16
(II) THE AGE OF THE CHILDREN FOR WHICH THE STUDENT HAS 17
RESPONSIBILITY; AND 18
(III) THE TYPE OF CAREGIVIN G RESPONSIBILITIES T HE 19
STUDENT PROVIDES, INCLUDING WHETHER THE STUDENT: 20
1. IS A SINGLE PARENT; OR 21
2. SHARES PARENTAL RESPO NSIBILITIES WITH 22
SOMEONE IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD OR A DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD. 23
(B) (1) EACH PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL PLACE 24
THE QUESTIONS DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION ON ONE OR 25
MORE F ORMS THAT ARE USED B Y THE INSTITUTION TO COLLECT DEMOGRAPHIC 26
DATA FROM STUDENTS. 27
(2) EACH PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL MAKE 28
THE DATA COLLECTED U NDER THIS SECTION AV AILABLE TO THE COMMISSION IN 29
ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION UNDER 30
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 31
4 SENATE BILL 420
(C) (B) (C) THE COMMISSION SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT 1
THIS SECTION, INCLUDING: 2
(1) ESTABLISHING A COMMON FORMAT AND TIME FRAM E FOR THE 3
COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF THE DATA REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION; AND 4
(2) REQUIRING THE COLLECTION OF PARENTAL STATUS DATA TO BE 5
INCLUDED WITH THE COLLECTION OF OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. 6
(D) INFORMATION COLLECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION IS NOT 7
CONSIDERED TO BE A MEDICAL OR HEALTH RECORD FOR PURPOSES OF § 24–701(L) 8
OF THIS ARTICLE. 9
(D) (C) (E) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2027, AND EACH SEPTEMBER 1 10
THEREAFTER, AND EACH SEPTEMBER 1 THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSION SHALL 11
SUBMIT A REPORT TO T HE SENATE BUDGET AND TAXATION COMMITTEE, THE 12
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE 13
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE 14
STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THAT SUMMARIZES THE DATA COLLECTED BY THE 15
COMMISSION UNDER THIS SECTION. 16
15–140. 17
(a) [(1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 18
(2) “Pregnant] IN THIS SECTION , “PREGNANT, “PREGNANT and 19
parenting student” means a student enrolled at a public [senior higher education ] 20
institution OF HIGHER EDUCATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION who: 21
[(i)] (1) (1) Is pregnant; [or] 22
[(ii)] (2) (2) Exercises care, custody, or control over a child[. 23
(3) (i) “Public senior higher education institution” means: 24
1. The constituent institutions of the University System of 25
Maryland; 26
2. Morgan State University; and 27
3. St. Mary’s College of Maryland. 28
(ii) “Public senior higher education institution” does not include: 29
SENATE BILL 420 5
1. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental 1
Studies; 2
2. The University of Maryland Global Campus; or 3
3. The University of Baltimore OF ANY AGE; OR 4
(3) SHARES PARENTAL RESPO NSIBILITIES WITH SOM EONE IN THE 5
SAME HOUSEHOLD OR A DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD] OF ANY AGE; OR 6
(3) SHARES PARENTAL RESPO NSIBILITIES WITH SOM EONE IN 7
THE SAME HOUSEHOLD OR A DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD. 8
(b) The General Assembly finds that all students at an institution of higher 9
education in the State, regardless of their gender, shall enjoy freedom from discrimination 10
of any kind, including pregnancy discrimination as described in Title IX of the Education 11
Amendments of 1972. 12
(c) (1) Each public [senior higher education ] institution OF HIGHER 13
EDUCATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION shall adopt a plan re garding pregnant and 14
parenting students that is consistent with Title IX of the federal Higher Education Act. 15
(2) The plan required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include: 16
(i) Referral to on–campus or off–campus services to assist regarding 17
the availability of or eligibility for government assistance programs, including: 18
1. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 19
for Women, Infants, and Children; 20
2. The Child Care Scholarship Program; 21
3. The Maryland Medical Assistance Program; 22
4. The Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program; and 23
5. Any other programs, scholarships, or subsidies for 24
pregnant and parenting students; 25
(ii) The provision of information about or referrals to resources 26
regarding adoption services; 27
(iii) The provision of information about or referrals to resources 28
regarding adoption services; 29
6 SENATE BILL 420
(iii) The availability of institutional accommodations for pregnant 1
and parenting students; and 2
(iv) (III) (iv) A referral network of on –campus and off –campus health 3
care service providers. 4
(d) On or before [August] OCTOBER 1, 2026, each public [senior higher 5
education] institution OF HIGHER EDUCATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION shall post the 6
plan adopted under subsection (c) of this section on the institution’s website. 7
24–701. 8
(l) (1) “Student data” means data relating to or impacting student 9
performance. 10
(2) “Student data” includes: 11
(i) State and national assessments; 12
(ii) Course–taking and completion; 13
(iii) Grade point average; 14
(iv) Remediation; 15
(v) Retention; 16
(vi) Degree, diploma, or credential attainment; 17
(vii) Enrollment; 18
(viii) Demographic data; 19
(ix) Juvenile delinquency records; 20
(x) Elementary and secondary school disciplinary records; 21
(xi) Child welfare data; 22
(xii) License, industry certificate, or vocational certificate; 23
(xiii) Personally identifiable information; [and] 24
(xiv) PARENTAL STATUS; AND 25
(XV) Student disability data by specific disability category. 26
SENATE BILL 420 7
(3) “Student data” does not include: 1
(i) Criminal and CINA records; [and] 2
(ii) Medical and health records; AND 3
(III) PREGNANCY STATUS. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 5
1, 2026. 6
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.