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*sb0535*
SENATE BILL 535
F5 (6lr2025)
ENROLLED BILL
— Education, Energy, and the Environment/Ways and Means —
Introduced by Senator King
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
County Boards of Library Trustees – Membership – Student Member 2
FOR the purpose of authorizing a county board of library trustees to provide for the 3
selection of a student member of the board; establishing the qualifications, term of 4
office, and voting rights of the student member of a county board of library trustees, 5
if selected; and generally relating to the me mbership of county boards of library 6
trustees. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Education 9
Section 23–403 and 23–404 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
2 SENATE BILL 535
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Education 3
23–403. 4
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection AND 5
SUBSECTION (G) OF THIS SECTION , each board of library trustees consists of seven 6
APPOINTED members appointed by the county governing body from nominees submitted 7
by the board of library trustees. 8
(2) A board that existed before 1945 under a corporate charter may 9
continue as constituted if: 10
(i) It has at least seven APPOINTED members; 11
(ii) The APPOINTED members are chosen on the basis of character, 12
ability, and demonstrated interest in library matters; and 13
(iii) The APPOINTED members meet the qualifications required 14
under subsection (b) of this section. 15
(3) In Harfor d County, the Board of Trustees consists of at least 7 16
APPOINTED members, but not more than 11 APPOINTED members, appointed by the 17
county governing body from nominees submitted by the Board of Trustees. 18
(b) The APPOINTED members of the board shall be: 19
(1) Representative of the area the library serves; and 20
(2) Residents of the county that the library serves. 21
(c) (1) (I) Except as provided in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, [a] 22
AN APPOINTED member of a board serves for a term of 5 years and until a successor is 23
appointed and qualifies. 24
(II) [These] THE terms OF THE APPOINTED MEM BERS are 25
staggered as required by the terms of the APPOINTED members serving on the board as of 26
July 1, 1978. 27
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, [a] AN 28
APPOINTED member may be reappointed but may not serve more than two consecutive 29
terms. 30
SENATE BILL 535 3
(3) [A] AN APPOINTED member appointed to fill a vacancy in an 1
unexpired term: 2
(i) Serves only for the remainder of that term and until a successor 3
is appointed and qualifies; and 4
(ii) Is eligible for appointment to serve two additional consecutive 5
terms. 6
(4) [A] AN APPOINTED member of the Board of the Prince George’s 7
County Memorial Library System may serve an unlimited number of consecutive terms of 8
office. 9
(d) In Charles County, [a] AN APPOINTED member of the Board serves for a term 10
of 4 years. 11
(e) In Harford County, [a] AN APPOINTED member of the Board serves for a term 12
of 5 years, beginning on July 1, and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 13
(f) Each member of a board serves without compensation. 14
(G) (1) A BOARD MAY PROVIDE FO R THE SELECTION OF A STUDENT 15
MEMBER OF THE BOARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBSECTION. 16
(2) A STUDENT MEMBER SHALL BE SELECTED BY A PRO CESS 17
ESTABLISHED BY THE BOARD. 18
(3) THE STUDENT MEMBER OF A BOARD SHALL: 19
(I) BE A JUNIOR OR SENIOR YEAR STUDENT ENROLLE D IN A 20
PUBLIC OR NONPUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL OR A HOME INSTRUCTIO N PROGRAM IN THE 21
COUNTY THAT THE LIBR ARY SERVES, WHO IS OF GOOD CHARA CTER AND , IN THE 22
CASE OF A STUDENT EN ROLLED IN A PUBLIC O R NONPUBLIC HIGH SCH OOL, IS IN 23
GOOD STANDING IN THE STUDENT’S HIGH SCHOOL; 24
(II) BE SELECTED IN THE ST UDENT’S SOPHOMORE OR JUNIO R 25
YEAR BY A METHOD ESTABLISHED BY THE BOARD; 26
(III) HAVE AN INTEREST IN LIBRARY MATTERS; AND 27
(IV) SERVE A TERM OF 1 YEAR. 28
(4) A STUDENT MEMBER S ELECTED TO FILL A VA CANCY IN AN 29
UNEXPIRED TERM: 30
4 SENATE BILL 535
(I) SERVES ONLY FOR THE R EMAINDER OF THAT TER M AND 1
UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS SELECTED AND QUALIFIES; AND 2
(II) IS ELIGIBLE FOR SELEC TION FOR A FULL TERM IF THE 3
STUDENT MEETS THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 4
SUBSECTION. 5
(5) (I) SUBJECT TO SUBPARAGRA PH (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , A 6
STUDENT MEMBER OF A BOARD MAY VOTE ON AL L POLICY MATTERS BEF ORE THE 7
BOARD. 8
(II) A BOARD MAY ADOPT A POLICY OR BYLAW TO AUTHORIZE A 9
STUDENT MEMBER TO VO TE ON ADDITIONAL NON POLICY MATTERS BEFOR E THE 10
BOARD. 11
23–404. 12
(a) Each year, each board of library trustees: 13
(1) Shall elect one of its APPOINTED members as its [chairman] CHAIR; 14
and 15
(2) May elect any other officer it requires FROM AMONG THE APPOINTED 16
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. 17
(b) The treasurer of each board of library trustees shall be bonded adequately. 18
(c) Each board of library trustees may determine the time and place of its 19
meetings and may adopt rules for the conduct of its meetings. However: 20
(1) Each board shall meet at least once every 3 months; 21
(2) Any final action of a board shall be taken at a public meeting; and 22
(3) The minutes of board meetings shall be open to the public. 23
(d) (1) Any member of a board of library trustees who fails to attend at least 24
half of the scheduled meetings of the board during any calendar year shall be considered to 25
have resigned from the board. 26
(2) The [chairman] CHAIR of the board of library trustees shall report the 27
member’s name and nonattendance to the county governing body by January 15 of the 28
following year. 29
SENATE BILL 535 5
(3) The county governing body may reject the resignation if the member 1
explains his nonattendance satisfactorily. 2
(4) The resignation is effective from the date of the final review by the 3
county governing body, which shall be within 10 days after it receives the report from the 4
[chairman] CHAIR of the board of library trustees. The county governing body shall fill any 5
resulting vacancy as provided in § 23–403 of this subtitle. 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 7
1, 2026. 8
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.