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*sb0507*
SENATE BILL 507
F1, O3, O4 6lr1368
SB 851/25 – EEE CF HB 311
By: Senator Zucker Senators Zucker, Attar, Brooks, Feldman, Harris, Kagan, and
Watson
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Schools – Individuals With Disabilities – Accessibility and Emergency 2
Planning 3
FOR the purpose of requiring each local school system to identify, in its regular safety 4
evaluation, issues of accessibility for individuals with disabilities; requiring local 5
school systems to include in a certain annual report instances in which a public 6
school facility became inaccessible for a student with a disability in a manner that 7
could impede evacuation or an emergency response; requiring a certain annual 8
report to be confidential and limiting disclosure of the report to certain individuals; 9
and generally relating to accessibility and emergency planning for individuals with 10
disabilities. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 7–1510(a) and (f) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – Education 18
Section 7–1510(b), (d), and (e) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21
2 SENATE BILL 507
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Education 3
7–1510. 4
(a) On or before June 15, 2019, and regularly thereafter, each local school system 5
shall conduct a safety evaluation of each public school under the local school system’s 6
jurisdiction to: 7
(1) Identify and, if necessary, develop solutions for physical safety 8
concerns, including issues with building security AND ASSOCIATED ISSUES OF 9
ACCESSIBILITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES; and 10
(2) Identify and evaluate any patterns of safety concerns on school property 11
or at school–sponsored events. 12
(b) In performing the safety evaluations, each designated safety coordinator shall: 13
(1) Consult with the Center for guidance; 14
(2) Coordinate with the Interagency Commission on School Construction’s 15
facility assessment process, established under § 5 –310 of this article, in identifying issues 16
with public school facilities that could impact school safety; and 17
(3) Submit a summary of the completed safety evaluations to the Center. 18
(d) On or before August 1, 2020, and regularly thereafter, each local school system 19
shall update the school emergency plan for each public school in t he school system’s 20
jurisdiction to: 21
(1) Include detailed plans for the manner in which each public school will 22
address: 23
(i) Behavioral threats; 24
(ii) Emergency events; and 25
(iii) Accommodations for students with disabilities in emergency 26
events; 27
(2) Conform with the Emergency Planning Guidelines updated under 28
subsection (c) of this section; and 29
(3) Incorporate any changes required under subsection (f) of this section. 30
SENATE BILL 507 3
(e) Each local school system shall submit the plans updated under subsection (d) 1
of this section to the Center for review and comment. 2
(f) (1) On or before August 1, 2020, and each August 1 thereafter, each local 3
school system shall submit a report to the Center that includes, for the immediately 4
preceding school year: 5
(i) Aggregate data about threats made against any school or school 6
system facility; 7
(ii) Information about any school lockdowns, evacuations, or other 8
emergency responses that occurred; 9
(III) INSTANCES IN WHICH A PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITY BECAME 10
INACCESSIBLE FOR A S TUDENT WITH A DISABI LITY IN A MANNER THA T COULD 11
IMPEDE EVACUATION OR AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE; 12
[(iii)] (IV) Incidents in which a public school’s emergency plan failed 13
in part or in whole to function as anticipated in an emergency or an emergency drill; and 14
[(iv)] (V) School hours spent in an emergency or an emergency drill. 15
(2) Each local school system shall, in consultation with the Center, update 16
each emergency plan to correct weaknesses identified under paragraph (1) of this 17
subsection. 18
(3) (I) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF THIS 19
PARAGRAPH, A REPORT SUBMITTED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION: 20
1. SHALL BE CONFIDENTIAL; 21
2. MAY NOT BE DISCLOSED; AND 22
3. IS NOT CONSIDERED A PUBLIC RECORD AND SHALL BE 23
EXEMPT FROM INSPECTION UNDER THE MARYLAND PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT. 24
(II) A REPORT MAY BE DISCLO SED TO A MEMBER OF T HE 25
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON REQUEST. 26
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 27
1, 2026. 28