Primary and Secondary Education - Educator Professional Development - Course on Well-Being and Flourishing

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0726*

SENATE BILL 726
F1 6lr2513
CF HB 546
By: Senator Feldman
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Primary and Secondary Education – Educator Professional Development – 2
Course on Well–Being and Flourishing 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Department of Education to make available a 4
continuing professional development course on educator well–being and flourishing 5
to school personnel and administrators on or before a certain date; and generally 6
relating to an educator professional development course on well –being and 7
flourishing. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 6–132 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

6–132. 17

(A) (1) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE 18
AVAILABLE A CONTINUI NG PROFESSIONAL DEVE LOPMENT COURSE ON ED UCATOR 19
WELL–BEING AND FLOURISHING. 20

(2) THE COURSE SHALL BE M ADE AVAILABLE TO ALL SCHOOL 21
PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATORS. 22

2 SENATE BILL 726

(3) THE COURSE MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH SYNCHRONOUS 1
OR ASYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION. 2

(4) TO FULFILL THE REQUIR EMENTS OF THIS SUBSE CTION, THE 3
DEPARTMENT MAY: 4

(I) DEVELOP A COURSE; 5

(II) ADAPT AN EXISTING COU RSE DEVELOPED BY A T HIRD 6
PARTY; OR 7

(III) MAKE AVAILABLE AN EXISTING COU RSE DEVELOPED BY A 8
THIRD PARTY. 9

(B) THE COURSE UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE MAD E AVAILABLE AT A 10
COMPARABLE RATE TO CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES FOR 11
LICENSED PERSONNEL T HAT CONTAIN THE SAME NUMBER OF PROFESSION AL 12
DEVELOPMENT POINTS. 13

(C) (1) THE COURSE MADE AVAIL ABLE BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER 14
THIS SECTION SHALL C ONSIST OF INSTRUCTIO N ON UNDERSTANDING T HE EIGHT 15
DIMENSIONS OF WELL–BEING IDENTIFIED BY THE FEDERAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND 16
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AND APPLYING THOSE LESSONS TO 17
INCREASING THE EDUCATOR’S PERSONAL WELL–BEING. 18

(2) THE COURSE SHALL INCLUDE INSTRUCTION ON: 19

(I) SOCIAL WELL –BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORT ANCE OF 20
DIFFERENT TYPES OF R ELATIONSHIPS AND BUI LDING FRIENDSHIPS AN D A SENSE 21
OF BELONGING AND COMMUNITY; 22

(II) ENVIRONMENTAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING: 23

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONNECTION TO NATURE AND 24
THE OUTDOORS; AND 25

2. THE IMPORTANCE OF FEE LING SAFE TO AN 26
EDUCATOR’S OVERALL WELL–BEING; 27

(III) PHYSICAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF A 28
HEALTHY BODY TO OVERALL WELL–BEING; 29

SENATE BILL 726 3

(IV) EMOTIONAL WELL –BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORT ANCE 1
OF BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS FEELINGS, ADJUST TO EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES, COPE 2
WITH LIFE’S STRESSORS, AND ENJOY LIFE; 3

(V) SPIRITUAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF 4
A SENSE OF MEANING, PURPOSE, AND CHARACTER; 5

(VI) OCCUPATIONAL WELL –BEING, INCLUDING THE 6
IMPORTANCE OF WORK TO AN INDIVIDUAL’S PERSONAL WELL–BEING; 7

(VII) INTELLECTUAL WELL –BEING, INCLUDING THE 8
IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO KEEP AN ACTIV E BRAIN, CULTIVATE PERSONAL 9
INTERESTS, AND PURSUE LIFELONG LEARNING; AND 10

(VIII) FINANCIAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF 11
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL PROCESSES AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES. 12

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 13
1, 2026. 14