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*sb0764*
SENATE BILL 764
F1 6lr3402
CF HB 1205
By: Senators Zucker, Ellis, Gile, Kramer, Lam, McCray, Rosapepe, and
Waldstreicher Waldstreicher, Augustine, Hettleman, King, and
Lewis Young
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Minimum Wage for Education Support Professionals – Report on 2
Estimated Cost 3
FOR the purpose of establishing a certain minimum wage rate to be paid by county boards 4
of education to certain education support professionals beginning requiring the State 5
Department of Education, on or before a certain date , to submit a report on an 6
estimate of the total cost of implementing a certain minimum wage rate for education 7
support professionals ; and generally relating to a report on the estimated cost o f 8
implementing a minimum wage for education support professionals. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Education 11
Section 6–306 to be under the amended subtitle “Subtitle 3. Salaries and Wages” 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Education 17
Subtitle 3. Salaries AND WAGES. 18
2 SENATE BILL 764
6–306. 1
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 2
INDICATED. 3
(2) “EDUCATION SUPPORT PRO FESSIONAL” MEANS A 4
NONCERTIFICATED PUBL IC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE D ESIGNATED AS PART OF A 5
NONSUPERVISORY BARGAINING UNIT UNDER SUBTITLE 5 OF THIS TITLE. 6
(3) “PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYE E” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 7
6–501 OF THIS TITLE. 8
(B) NOTWITHSTANDING § 3–413 OF THE LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT 9
ARTICLE, BEGINNING JULY 1, 2028, EACH COUNTY BOARD SH ALL PAY TO EACH 10
EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL A MINIMUM WAGE RATE OF AT LEAS T $25.00 11
PER HOUR. 12
(C) THE STATE BOARD MAY ADOPT REGUL ATIONS NECESSARY TO CARRY 13
OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. 14
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on 15
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 16
(2) “Education support professional” means a noncertificated public school 17
employee designated as part of a nonsupervisory bargaining unit under Title 6, Subtitle 5 18
of the Education Article. 19
(3) “Public school employee” has the meaning stated in § 6 –501 of the 20
Education Article. 21
(b) (1) The State Department of Education shall study the wages of education 22
support professionals and calculate the cost of implementing a $25.00 per hour minimum 23
wage. 24
(2) The calculation of the cost of implementation shall: 25
(i) include, for each education support professional position, filled 26
and unfilled, that has an hourly wage of less than $25.00, the cost to raise the hourly wage 27
to $25.00; and 28
(ii) exclude cost assumptions for each education support profession 29
position, filled and unfilled, that has an hourly wage of $25.00 or more. 30
SENATE BILL 764 3
(3) The State Department of Education shall identify the amount by which 1
the target per pupil foundation amount would need to be adjusted to provide the funding 2
to implement a $25.00 per hour minimum wage for education support professionals. 3
(c) On or befor e December 1, 2026, the State Department of Education shall 4
submit to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, 5
the General Assembly a report with an estimate of the total cost of implementing a $25.00 6
per hour minimum wage for education support professionals, with cost estimates 7
disaggregated by local school system. 8
SECTION 3. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
July 1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of June 30, 2027, 10
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 11
of no further force and effect. 12
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.