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SB0534 • 2026

Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

Education Energy
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Frederick County Senators
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 577
Effective date
2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Frederick Community College Board Meeting and Training Requirements

This law sets rules for public comment at meetings, recording those meetings, and training board members every two years.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires each meeting of the Frederick Community College Board to have time for public comments.
  • Makes sure that all meetings are recorded either in video or audio format.
  • Publishes recordings from meetings on the board's website within a reasonable timeframe, typically within two business days after the recording is made.
  • Keeps recordings and meeting minutes permanently available.
  • Requires board members to receive training every two years about their roles, responsibilities, governance, and structure.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County
  • Members of the public who want to comment on decisions made by the board

Terms To Know

Public Comment
Time set aside during meetings where members of the public can speak about issues or concerns.
Perpetuity
For a very long time, essentially forever.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how board members will be trained.
  • It is unclear what happens if the recordings are not made available within two business days as required.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

843321/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 843321/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 534 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, after line 12, insert: “Preamble WHEREAS, Public comment enables and enhances communication and transparency between decision–making bodies and the community; and WHEREAS, The Frederick County Delegation acknowledges Frederick Community College’s efforts to engage with the public; and WHEREAS, This Act is intended to supplement Frederick Community College’s efforts to engage with the public; now, therefore,”.

  • AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 534 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, after line 12, insert: “Preamble WHEREAS, Public comment enables and enhances communication and transparency between decision–making bodies and the community; and WHEREAS, The Frederick County Delegation acknowledges Frederick Community College’s efforts to engage with the public; and WHEREAS, This Act is intended to supplement Frederick Community College’s efforts to engage with the public; now, therefore,”.
  • On page 2, in line 12, after “(F)” insert “ (1) THE BOARD SHALL MAINTAIN IN PERPETUITY A VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDING REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION AND ANY MINUTES OF THE BOARD.
  • (2) THE BOARD MAY TRANSCRIBE A VIDEO RECORDING REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION IF: (I) THE VIDEO RECORDING HAS BEEN MAINTAINED F OR AT LEAST 5 YEARS; AND (II) THE TRANSCRIBED VIDEO RECORDING IS MAINTAINED IN PERPETUITY.
  • SB0534/843321/1 BY: Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee SB0534/843321/01 Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee Amendments to SB 534 Page 2 of 2 (G)”.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 577

  2. 2026-04-09 House

    Favorable Report by Appropriations

  3. 2026-04-01 House

    Third Reading Passed (123-0)

  4. 2026-03-27 Senate

    Returned Passed

  5. 2026-03-26 House

    Hearing 4/08 at 1:00 p.m.

  6. 2026-03-23 House

    Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed

  7. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

  8. 2026-03-09 House

    Referred Appropriations

  9. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (39-0)

  10. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Favorable with Amendments { 843321/1 Adopted

  11. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  12. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.

  13. 2026-02-04 Senate

    First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

  14. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

  15. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Appropriations

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Frederick Community College - Board of Trustees - Meeting and Training Requirements

Official Summary Text

Establishing certain public comment requirements and recording requirements for the Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County; and requiring the members of the Board to undergo, at least every 2 years, training specific to board governance, structure, responsibilities, and roles.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0534*

SENATE BILL 534
F4 6lr1872
CF HB 839
By: Frederick County Senators
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 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

Frederick Community College – Board of Trustees – Meeting and Training 2
Requirements 3

FOR the purpose of establishing certain public comment requirements and recording 4
requirements for the Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County; 5
requiring the members of the Board to undergo certain training; and generally 6
relating to the Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Education 9
Section 16–407 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

Preamble 13

WHEREAS, Public comment enables and enhances communication and 14
transparency between decision–making bodies and the community; and 15

WHEREAS, The Frederick County Delegation acknowledges Frederick Community 16
College’s efforts to engage with the public; and 17

WHEREAS, This Act is intended to supplement Frederick Community College’s 18
efforts to engage with the public; now, therefore, 19

2 SENATE BILL 534

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2

Article – Education 3

16–407. 4

(a) The Board of Community College Trustees for Frederick County consists of 5
seven members. Of the members: 6

(1) Each shall be a resident of Frederick County; and 7

(2) Each shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent 8
of the Senate, for a term of 5 years. 9

(b) (1) A member of the Board of Community College Trustees may not serve 10
more than three consecutive 5–year terms. 11

(2) A member of the Frederick County Board of Education may not serve 12
on the Board of Community College Trustees. 13

(c) Each member of the Board is entitled to $500 a year for expenses. 14

(D) EACH MEETING OF THE BOARD SHALL INCLUDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR 15
PUBLIC COMMENT. 16

(E) (1) THE BOARD SHALL MAKE A VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDING OF EACH 17
MEETING OF THE BOARD. 18

(2) THE BOARD SHALL MAKE A RECORDING REQ UIRED UNDER 19
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE BOARD’S 20
WEBSITE WITHOUT CHAR GE AND , TO THE EXTENT PRACTI CABLE, WITHIN 2 21
BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE RECORDING IS MADE. 22

(F) (1) THE BOARD SHALL MAINTAIN IN PERPETUITY A VIDEO OR AUDIO 23
RECORDING REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION AND ANY MINUTES 24
OF THE BOARD. 25

(2) THE BOARD MAY TRANSCRIBE A VIDEO RECORDING RE QUIRED 26
UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION IF: 27

(I) THE V IDEO RECORDING HAS B EEN MAINTAINED FOR A T 28
LEAST 5 YEARS; AND 29

SENATE BILL 534 3

(II) THE TRANSCRIBED VIDEO RECORDING IS MAINTAI NED IN 1
PERPETUITY. 2

(G) AS PART OF ONGOING TR AINING FOR BOARD MEMBERS AND AT LEAST 3
EVERY 2 YEARS, THE BOARD MEMBERS SHALL U NDERGO TRAINING SPE CIFIC TO 4
BOARD GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ROLES. 5

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 6
1, 2026. 7

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.