Charles County - Student Bus Transportation Providers - Provider Displacement

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0574*

SENATE BILL 574
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By: Charles County Senators
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Charles County – Student Bus Transportation Providers – Provider 2
Displacement 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the Charles County Board of Education to provide certain 4
notice and hold a certain public hearing before taking any action that results in a 5
certain displacement of a person that has been providing student bus transportation 6
services in Charles County; and generally relating to student bus transportation 7
services in Charles County. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–811 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Education 16

7–811. 17

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “DISPLACEMENT” MEANS THE PROVISION OF 18
STUDENT BUS TRANSPOR TATION SERVICES BY T HE CHARLES COUNTY BOARD OF 19
EDUCATION IN A MANNER THAT PRECLUDES A PRI VATE PERSON THAT HAS BEEN 20
PROVIDING THE SERVICES FROM CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES. 21

(2) “DISPLACEMENT” DOES NOT INCLUDE CIR CUMSTANCES IN 22
WHICH: 23

2 SENATE BILL 574

(I) THE CHARLES COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DOES NOT 1
RENEW A CONTRACT FOR STUDENT BUS TRANSPOR TATION SERVICES FOR CAUSE, 2
AND AT THE END OF TH E CONTRACT TERM , CONTRACTS WITH ANOTH ER PRIVATE 3
PERSON TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES; OR 4

(II) THE PERSON THAT HAS B EEN PROVIDING THE ST UDENT 5
BUS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES: 6

1. HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAV E ACTED IN A MANNER 7
THREATENING TO PUBLIC HEALTH OR SAFETY; 8

2. HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE COMMITTED A MATERIAL 9
BREACH OF A CONTRACT FOR STUDENT BUS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES; OR 10

3. REFUSES TO CONTINUE T O PROVIDE STUDENT BU S 11
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES UNDER THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF AN EXISTING 12
AGREEMENT. 13

(B) AT LEAST 10 YEARS BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTION THAT RESULTS IN THE 14
DISPLACEMENT OF A PE RSON THAT HAS BEEN P ROVIDING STUDENT BUS 15
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES IN CHARLES COUNTY, THE CHARLES COUNTY BOARD 16
OF EDUCATION SHALL: 17

(1) PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE INTENT TO DISPLACE, SENT BY 18
FIRST–CLASS MAIL AT LEAST 45 DAYS BEFORE THE HEAR ING REQUIRED UNDER 19
ITEM (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION, TO EACH PERSON THAT PROVIDES THE SERVICES IN 20
CHARLES COUNTY; AND 21

(2) (I) HOLD AT LEAST ONE PUB LIC HEARING ON THE 22
ADVISABILITY OF THE CHARLES COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PROVIDING THE 23
STUDENT BUS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES; AND 24

(II) PROVIDE NOTICE OF THE HEARING TO THE PUBLI C BY 25
PUBLISHING A NOTIFICATION IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE 26
COUNTY ONCE EACH WEEK FOR 2 SUCCESSIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE HEARING. 27

(C) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , WITHIN 1 28
YEAR AFTER THE PUBLI C HEARING , AND AT LEAST 2 YEARS BEFORE ANY 29
DISPLACEMENT, THE CHARLES COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL PROVI DE 30
WRITTEN NOTICE BY RE GISTERED MAIL OF THE DISPLACEMENT TO THE PERSON 31
PROVIDING THE STUDENT BUS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. 32

SENATE BILL 574 3

(2) THE CHARLES COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY BEGIN 1
PROVIDING STUDENT BU S TRANSPORTATION SER VICES OR CONTRACT WI TH 2
ANOTHER PERSON TO PR OVIDE THE SERVICES L ESS THAN 2 YEARS AFTER 3
PROVIDING THE NOTICE REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION IF: 4

(I) THE CHARLES COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PAYS THE 5
DISPLACED PERSON THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDING THE SERVICES AN AMOUNT EQUAL 6
TO THE PERSON’S GROSS RECEIPTS FOR PROVIDING THE SERVICES IN THE COUNTY 7
FOR THE PRECEDING 24–MONTH PERIOD; 8

(II) THE CHARLES COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE 9
PERSON THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDING THE SERVICES AGREE TO A DIFFERENT NOTICE 10
PERIOD OR COMPENSATION AMOUNT; OR 11

(III) THE PERSON STOPS PROV IDING THE SERVICES I N THE 12
COUNTY. 13

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
1, 2026. 15