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*sb0554*
SENATE BILL 554
F3 6lr3184
CF 6lr3664
By: Senator Hayes
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
Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners – Appointment Process and 2
Compensation – Alterations 3
FOR the purpose of repealing provisions of law related to the Baltimore City Public School 4
Board Community Panel; altering the process for appointments to the Baltimore City 5
Board of School Commissioners; requiring the Mayor of Baltimore City to hold a 6
certain public hearing to select qualified candidates for appointment to the 7
Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners; providing that certain members of 8
the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners are entitled to certain 9
compensation; requiring a stu dent member of the Baltimore City Board of School 10
Commissioners to be granted a certain scholarship; and generally relating to 11
appointments for and compensation of the Baltimore City Board of School 12
Commissioners. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Education 15
Section 3–108.1 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Education 21
2 SENATE BILL 554
3–108.1. 1
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 2
(2) “Board” means the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners of 3
the Baltimore City Public School System. 4
(3) “Mayor” means the Mayor of Baltimore City. 5
[(4) “Panel” means the Baltimore City Public School Board Community 6
Panel. 7
(b) (1) There is a Baltimore City Public School Board Community Panel. 8
(2) The purpose of the panel is to select nominees to be recommended to 9
the Mayor as qualified candidates for appointment to the board. 10
(3) The Mayor shall convene the panel. 11
(4) The panel may include a representative from each of the following 12
organizations, appointed by the organization: 13
(i) The Baltimore Teachers Union; 14
(ii) The Mayor’s Office; 15
(iii) The Baltimore City Council Education and Youth Committee; 16
(iv) The Baltimore City Public School Administrators and 17
Supervisors Association; 18
(v) The Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools; 19
(vi) The Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance; 20
(vii) The Fund for Educational Excellence; 21
(viii) A parent member of the PTA Council of Baltimore City; 22
(ix) The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal 23
Employees (AFSCME); 24
(x) The Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City; 25
(xi) The American Civil Liberties Union; 26
(xii) The Parent and Community Advisory Board; and 27
SENATE BILL 554 3
(xiii) Disability Rights Maryland. 1
(5) The Mayor may reconvene the panel if the Mayor elects not to appoint 2
a member from the list submitted by the panel under subsection (d)(1)(i) or (i)(6) of this 3
section.] 4
(B) (1) THE MAYOR SHALL HOLD A PU BLIC HEARING TO SELE CT 5
QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD. 6
(2) THE MAYOR SHALL PROVIDE A T LEAST 10 DAYS’ NOTICE IN 7
ADVANCE OF THE HEARING, POSTED ELECTRONICALLY ON THE BALTIMORE CITY 8
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WEBSITE, TO GIVE GROUPS IN LA W AND INTERESTED 9
PERSONS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR VIEWS INCLUDING: 10
(I) THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND 11
MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME); 12
(II) THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION; 13
(III) ASSOCIATED BLACK CHARITIES; 14
(IV) THE ASSOCIATED STUDENT CONGRESS OF BALTIMORE 15
CITY; 16
(V) THE BALTIMORE CHAPTER OF THE NAACP; 17
(VI) THE BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL EDUCATION, YOUTH, AND 18
OLDER ADULTS COMMITTEE; 19
(VII) THE BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS 20
AND SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION; 21
(VIII) THE BALTIMORE MINISTER CONFERENCE; 22
(IX) THE BALTIMORE PANHELLENIC COUNCIL; 23
(X) THE BALTIMORE TEACHERS UNION; 24
(XI) BALTIMOREANS UNITED IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 25
(BUILD); 26
(XII) DISABILITY RIGHTS MARYLAND; 27
(XIII) THE DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE FAMILY ALLIANCE; 28
4 SENATE BILL 554
(XIV) THE ECUMENICAL LEADERS GROUP; 1
(XV) THE ESPERANZA CENTER; 2
(XVI) THE FEATHERSTONE FOUNDATION; 3
(XVII) THE FUND FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE; 4
(XVIII) THE GRAND LODGE OF THE PRINCE HALL MASONS; 5
(XIX) THE GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE; 6
(XX) THE GREATER BALTIMORE URBAN LEAGUE; 7
(XXI) THE INTERDENOMINATIONAL MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE; 8
(XXII) THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER; 9
(XXIII) THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF BALTIMORE; 10
(XXIV) JEWS UNITED FOR JUSTICE; 11
(XXV) LATINA FORWARD; 12
(XXVI) LEADERS OF A BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE; 13
(XXVII) MARYLAND CASA; 14
(XXVIII) THE MARYLAND ALLIANCE OF PUBLIC CHARTER 15
SCHOOLS; 16
(XXIX) THE MAYOR’S OFFICE; 17
(XXX) THE MUSLIM CULTURAL CENTER OF BALTIMORE; 18
(XXXI) THE PARENT AND COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD; 19
(XXXII) THE PTA COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY; 20
(XXXIII) SOCCER WITHOUT BORDERS; 21
(XXXIV) EACH NEIGHBORHOOD ASS OCIATION LISTED IN T HE 22
BALTIMORE CITY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING’S COMMUNITY ASSOCIAT ION 23
DIRECTORY; AND 24
SENATE BILL 554 5
(XXXV) MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. 1
(3) A GROUP LISTED UNDER P ARAGRAPH (2) OF TH IS SUBSECTION 2
MAY SUBMIT ITS PREFE RRED RANKING OF BOAR D CANDIDATES TO THE MAYOR 3
BEFORE AN APPOINTMENT. 4
(4) NOT LESS THAN 7 DAYS AFTER THE HEARI NG AND SUBJECT TO 5
CONFIRMATION BY THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, THE MAYOR MAY APPOINT A 6
MEMBER TO THE BOARD. 7
[(c)] (B) There is a Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners of the 8
Baltimore City Public School System. 9
[(d)] (C) [(1)] The board consists of: 10
[(i)] (1) [Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, ] 11
SUBJECT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SU BSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION AND SUBJECT 12
TO CONFIRMATION BY THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, nine voting members appointed by 13
the Mayor [from a list of qualified individuals submitted to the Mayor by the panel]; 14
[(ii)] (2) Two elected voting members; and 15
[(iii)] (3) One voting student member elected as provided in 16
subsection [(m)] (L) of this section. 17
[(2) If the Mayor elects not to appoint a member from a list submitted by 18
the panel under paragraph (1)(i) of this subsection, the Mayor shall reconvene the panel to 19
submit additional names of qualified candidates.] 20
[(e)] (D) Each member of the board shall be a resident of Baltimore City. 21
[(f)] (E) The two elected voting members shall be elected at large by the voters 22
of Baltimore City. 23
[(g)] (F) To the extent p racticable, the appointed members of the board shall 24
reflect the demographic composition of Baltimore City. 25
[(h)] (G) (1) At least four of the appointed voting members shall possess a 26
high level of knowledge and expertise concerning the successful administration of a large 27
business, nonprofit, or governmental entity and shall have served in a high level 28
management position within such an entity. 29
(2) At least three of the appointed voting members shall possess a high 30
level of knowledge and expertise concerning education. 31
6 SENATE BILL 554
(3) At least one appointed voting member shall be a parent of a student 1
enrolled in the Baltimore City Public School System as of the date of appointment of the 2
member. 3
(4) (i) Among the appointed voting members, at least one member shall 4
also possess knowledge or experience in the education of children with disabilities. 5
(ii) The knowledge or experience may be derived from being the 6
parent of a child with a disability. 7
[(i)] (H) (1) (i) The term of an appointed voting member is 3 years. 8
(ii) The term of an elected member is 4 years. 9
(2) The terms of the appointed voting members are staggered as required 10
by the terms provided for the appointed members of the board on June 1, 1997. 11
(3) At the end of a term, a vot ing member continues to serve until a 12
successor is elected or appointed and qualifies. 13
(4) A voting member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only 14
for the remainder of the term and until a successor is elected or appointed and qualifies. 15
(5) A voting member may not serve more than two consecutive full terms. 16
(6) [(i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, to the 17
extent practicable, the ] THE Mayor, IN ACCORDANCE WITH S UBSECTION (B) OF THIS 18
SECTION AND SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION BY THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, shall fill 19
any vacancy for an appointed or elected member on the board within 60 days of the date of 20
the vacancy [from a list of qualified individuals submitted to the Mayor by the panel. 21
(ii) If the Mayor elects not to appoint a member from a list submitted 22
by the panel under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the Mayor shall reconvene the panel 23
to submit additional names of qualified candidates]. 24
(7) The elected members of the board shall be elected: 25
(i) At the general election in November 2022 and every 4 years 26
thereafter; and 27
(ii) In accordance with Title 8, Subtitle 8 of the Election Law Article. 28
[(j)] (I) (1) On the approval of the Mayor, an appointed member may be 29
removed only for cause in accordance with § 3–108 of this subtitle. 30
SENATE BILL 554 7
(2) The State Board may remove an elected voting member for: 1
(i) Immorality; 2
(ii) Misconduct in office; 3
(iii) Incompetency; or 4
(iv) Willful neglect of duty. 5
[(k)] (J) (1) Each member of the board serves without compensation , 6
EXCEPT FOR THE STUDENT MEMBER, IS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE $10,000 ANNUALLY 7
AS COMPENSATION. 8
(2) (I) A STUDENT MEMBER WHO C OMPLETES A FULL TERM ON 9
THE BOARD SHALL BE G RANTED A SCHOLARSHIP OF $10,000 TO BE APPLIED 10
TOWARD COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH ER EDUCATION OR A RE GISTERED 11
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FOR THE STUDENT. 12
(II) THE SCHOLARSHIP SHALL BE PAID DIRECTLY TO THE 13
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUT ION OR REGISTERED AP PRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THAT 14
THE STUDENT ATTENDS. 15
(III) THE SCHOLARSHIP MAY NOT BE CONSIDERE D 16
COMPENSATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CALCULATING TAXABLE INCOME. 17
[(l)] (K) Beginning on July 1, 1999, and every 2 years thereafter, from among 18
its voting members the board shall elect a chairman. 19
[(m)] (L) (1) The student member shall be a student regularly enrolled in the 20
student’s junior or senior year of high school in the Baltimore City Public School System 21
who shall be elected by the high school students of the Baltimore City Public School System, 22
in accordance with procedures established by the board in collaboration with the Associated 23
Student Congress of Baltimore City. 24
(2) The term of a student member is 1 year. 25
(3) A student member may not serve more than two consecutive full terms. 26
(4) The student member may vote on matters before the board, including 27
those relating to: 28
(i) Capital and operating budgets; 29
(ii) School closings, reopenings, and boundaries; and 30
8 SENATE BILL 554
(iii) Student disciplinary matters. 1
(5) The student member may not vote on matters before the board relating 2
to personnel and collective bargaining decisions. 3
(6) The student member may attend or participate in an executive or 4
special session of the board. 5
[(n)] (M) Any action by the board shall require: 6
(1) A quorum of a majority of the voting members then serving; and 7
(2) The affirmative vote of a majority of the voting members then serving. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the requirement that 9
appointed members of and members appointed to fill a vacancy on the Baltimore City Board 10
of School Commissioners be appointed subject to confirmation by the Senate of Maryland 11
in accordance with § 3–108.1 of the Education Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, 12
shall apply to appointed members and members appointed to fill a va cancy after the 13
effective date of this Act. 14
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 15
1, 2026. 16
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.