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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*sb0421*
SENATE BILL 421
J1, F2 6lr2395
CF HB 60
By: Senator M. Washington
Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment and Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Sickle Cell Disease – Institutions of Higher Education – Policies, Procedures, 2
and Educational Campaigns 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting an institution of higher education from denying access or 4
services to a student based on the student’s diagnosis of sickle cell disease; requiring 5
an institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations for 6
students with sickle cell disease; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to 7
develop an education and awareness campaign for institutions of higher education 8
in the State regarding students with sickle cell disease; requiring the Department, 9
in consultation with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the Statewide 10
Steering Committee on Sickle Cell Disease, and certain community organizations to 11
develop a framework and procedures for institutions of higher education in the State 12
to follow in assessing, supporting, and treating students with sickle cell disease; 13
requiring the Depa rtment to develop or compile materials to provide a 14
comprehensive education on sickle cell disease to certain faculty and staff at 15
institutions of higher education in the State; and generally relating to sickle cell 16
disease and institutions of higher education. 17
BY adding to 18
Article – Education 19
Section 15–141 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
BY adding to 23
Article – Health – General 24
Section 18–510 through 18–512 25
Annotated Code of Maryland 26
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 27
2 SENATE BILL 421
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Education 3
15–141. 4
(A) AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION: 5
(1) SHALL PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS TO A STUDENT 6
WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE; AND 7
(2) MAY NOT DENY ACCESS T O FACILITIES OR SERV ICES TO A 8
STUDENT BASED ON THE STUDENT’S DIAGNOSIS OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 9
(B) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION SHALL ESTABLISH A CLEAR 10
AND ACCESSIBLE PROCE DURE TH ROUGH WHICH A PERSON MAY REPORT AN 11
ALLEGED VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 12
(C) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION SHALL PUBLICIZE IN A 13
MANNER THAT IS CLEAR AND ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS: 14
(1) THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND 15
(2) THE REPORTING PROCEDURE ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION 16
(B) OF THIS SECTION. 17
Article – Health – General 18
18–510. 19
(A) THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE 20
TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATIONS , SHALL 21
DEVELOP AN EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAI GN FOR INSTITUTIONS OF 22
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE REGARDING STUDE NTS WITH SICKLE CELL 23
DISEASE. 24
(B) THE CAMPAIGN DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 25
SHALL: 26
(1) DESCRIBE CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG AD ULTS LIVING WITH 27
SICKLE CELL DISEASE , WITH PARTICULAR EMPH ASIS ON CHALLENGES A RISING 28
DURING SICKLE CELL D ISEASE–RELATED HEALTH CRISE S AND OTHER CHRONIC 29
CONDITIONS THAT MAY COMPOUND THESE CHALLENGES; AND 30
SENATE BILL 421 3
(2) PROVIDE INFORMATION O N ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORT 1
THAT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION CAN OFFER TO STUDENTS WITH SICKLE 2
CELL DISEASE TO ENAB LE THE STUDENTS TO S UCCEED ACADEMICALLY WHILE 3
EFFECTIVELY MANAGING SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 4
18–511. 5
(A) THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MARYLAND HIGHER 6
EDUCATION COMMISSION, THE STATEWIDE STEERING COMMITTEE ON SICKLE 7
CELL DISEASE, AND SICKLE CELL DISEASE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS BASED IN 8
THE STATE, SHALL DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK AND PROCEDURES FOR INSTITUTIONS 9
OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE TO FOLLOW IN ASSESSING, SUPPORTING, AND 10
TREATING STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 11
(B) THE DEPARTMENT, THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION 12
COMMISSION, AND THE STATEWIDE STEERING COMMITTEE ON SICKLE CELL 13
DISEASE JOINTLY SHALL: 14
(1) BEGINNING DECEMBER 1, 2026, PROVIDE TECHNICA L 15
ASSISTANCE TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO: 16
(I) IMPLEMENT THE PROCEDU RES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS 17
SECTION; AND 18
(II) INSTRUCT PERSONNEL OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER 19
EDUCATION REGARDING THE PROCEDURES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SECTION; AND 20
(2) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2026, DEVELOP A PROCESS TO 21
MONITOR THE IMPLEMEN TATION OF THE PROCED URES BY INSTITUTIONS OF 22
HIGHER EDUCATION. 23
18–512. 24
(A) THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATEWIDE 25
STEERING COMMITTEE ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE AND SICKLE CE LL DISE ASE 26
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS BASED IN THE STATE, SHALL DEVELOP OR COM PILE 27
MATERIALS TO PROVIDE HEALTH PERSONNEL , FACULTY, AND ADMINISTRATIVE 28
STAFF EMPLOYED AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE WITH 29
A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 30
(B) THE MATERIALS DEVELOP ED OR COMPILED UNDER THIS SECTION 31
SHALL BE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDIN G OF SICKLE CELL DIS EASE, 32
4 SENATE BILL 421
REDUCE STIGMAS , AND PROMOTE AN ALL –ENCOMPASSING AND SUP PORTIVE 1
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 2
(C) EACH INSTITUTION OF H IGHER EDUCATION IS E NCOURAGED TO 3
CONDUCT PERIODIC ASS ESSMENTS, SURVEILLANCE ACTIVIT IES, AWARENESS 4
CAMPAIGNS, AND EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS BASED ON THE MA TERIALS DEVELOPED 5
OR COMPILED UNDER THIS SECTION AS FINANCIAL RESOURCES ALLOW. 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 7
October 1, 2026. 8