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*sb0999*
SENATE BILL 999
F1 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr3713
By: Senator Jennings
Introduced and read first time: February 23, 2026
Assigned to: Rules
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
County Boards of Education – Reappointments of County Superintendents of 2
Schools – Audit Requirement 3
(Local School System Fiscal Accountability Act) 4
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a county board of education from reappointing a county 5
superintendent of schools unless either the Office of Legislative Audits or, under a 6
certain circumstance, an independent, third –party certified public accountant 7
completes a certain audit of the local school system to evaluate the effectiveness and 8
efficiency of the financial management practices of the local school system on or 9
before a certain date in the final year of the county superintendent’s term and the 10
county board submits the audit to the State Superintendent of Schools and releases 11
the audit to the public in a certain manner; and generally relating to reappointments 12
of county superintendents of schools. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Education 15
Section 4–201(a) and (d) and 4–201.1(a), (b), (d), and (f) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – Education 20
Section 4–201(b) and (c) and 4–201.1(e) 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23
BY adding to 24
Article – Education 25
Section 4–201.2 26
Annotated Code of Maryland 27
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 28
2 SENATE BILL 999
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 1
Article – State Government 2
Section 2–1220(e) 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Education 8
4–201. 9
(a) (1) This section does not apply to Baltimore City. 10
(2) Subsections (b), (c), (d), and (f) of this section do not apply in Prince 11
George’s County. 12
(b) (1) The term of a county superintendent is 4 years beginning on July 1. 13
(2) A county superintendent continu es to serve until a successor is 14
appointed and qualifies. 15
[(2)] (3) By February 1 of the year in which a term ends, the county 16
superintendent shall notify the county board whether the superintendent is a candidate for 17
reappointment. 18
[(3)] (4) In the year in which a term begins, the county board shall 19
appoint a county superintendent between February 1 and June 30. [However, if] 20
(5) IF the county board decides to reappoint the incumbent 21
superintendent, the county board shall take final action at a p ublic meeting no later than 22
March 1 of that year. 23
[(4)] (6) If a county board is unable to appoint a county superintendent 24
by July 1 of a year in which a term begins, the provisions of subsection (d) of this section 25
apply. 26
(c) (1) (I) An individual may not be appointed as county superintendent 27
unless the individual: 28
[(i)] 1. Is eligible to be issued a certificate for the office by the 29
State Superintendent; 30
[(ii)] 2. Has graduated from an accredited college or university; 31
SENATE BILL 999 3
and 1
[(iii)] 3. Has completed 2 years of graduate work at an accredited 2
college or university, including public school administration, supervision, and methods of 3
teaching. 4
(II) AN INDIVIDUAL MAY NOT BE REAPPOINTED AS CO UNTY 5
SUPERINTENDENT UNLESS THE COUNTY BOARD ENSURES THE COMPLETION OF AN 6
AUDIT OF THE LOCAL S CHOOL SYSTEM TO EVAL UATE THE EFFECTIVENE SS AND 7
EFFICIENCY OF THE FI NANCIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF THE LOCA L SCHOOL 8
SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 4–201.2 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 9
(2) The appointment of a county superi ntendent is not valid unless 10
approved in writing by the State Superintendent. 11
(3) If the State Superintendent disapproves an appointment, the State 12
Superintendent shall give the reasons for disapproval in writing to the county board. 13
(d) If a vacancy occurs in the office of county superintendent, the county board 14
shall appoint an interim county superintendent who serves until July 1 after the interim 15
county superintendent’s appointment. 16
4–201.1. 17
(a) This section applies only in Prince George’s County. 18
(b) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, the County 19
Superintendent of the Prince George’s County public school system shall be: 20
(1) Selected by the County Executive in accordance with subsection (c) of 21
this section; and 22
(2) Appointed by the county board after agreement on contract terms 23
negotiated by the chair of the county board. 24
(d) (1) The term of the County Superintendent is 4 years beginning on July 1. 25
(2) The County Superintendent continues to serve until a succ essor is 26
appointed and qualifies. 27
(3) By February 1 of the year in which a term ends, the County 28
Superintendent shall notify the County Executive and the county board if the County 29
Superintendent is a candidate for reappointment. 30
(4) (i) In the year a term begins, the County Executive shall select a 31
County Superintendent between February 1 and June 1, and the county board shall 32
4 SENATE BILL 999
complete the appointment on or before June 30. 1
(ii) If the County Executive decides to select the incumbent County 2
Superintendent, the county board shall complete the reappointment no later than March 1 3
of that year. 4
(5) If the county board is unable to appoint a County Superintendent by 5
July 1 of the year a term begins, the provisions of subsection (f) of this section apply. 6
(e) (1) (I) An individual may not be appointed as County Superintendent 7
unless the individual: 8
[(i)] 1. Is eligible to be issued a certificate for the office by the 9
State Superintendent; 10
[(ii)] 2. Has graduated from an accredited college or university; 11
and 12
[(iii)] 3. Has completed 2 years of graduate work at an accredited 13
college or university, including public school administration, supervision, and methods of 14
teaching. 15
(II) AN INDIVIDUAL MAY NOT BE REAPPOINTED AS COUNTY 16
SUPERINTENDENT UNLESS THE COUNTY BOARD ENSURES THE COMPLETION OF AN 17
AUDIT OF THE LOCAL S CHOOL SYSTEM TO EVAL UATE THE EFFECTIVENE SS AND 18
EFFICIENCY OF THE FI NANCIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF THE LOCA L SCHOOL 19
SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 4–201.2 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 20
(2) The appointment of the County Superintendent is not valid unless 21
approved in writing by the State Superintendent. 22
(3) If the State Superintendent disapproves an appointment, the State 23
Superintendent shall give the reasons for disapproval in writ ing to the county board and 24
the County Executive. 25
(f) If a vacancy occurs in the office of County Superintendent, the County 26
Executive shall select and the county board shall appoint an interim County 27
Superintendent to serve until July 1 after the appointment. 28
4–201.2. 29
(A) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO BALTIMORE CITY. 30
(B) AN INCUMBENT COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR 31
REAPPOINTMENT AND A COUNTY BOARD MAY NOT REAPPOINT AN INCUMBE NT 32
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT UNLESS: 33
SENATE BILL 999 5
(1) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , DURING THE 1
COUNTY SUPERINTENDEN T’S TERM , THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AUDITS 2
COMPLETES AN AUDIT UNDER § 2–1220(E) OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE 3
OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM TO EVALUATE T HE EFFECTIVENESS AND 4
EFFICIENCY OF THE FI NANCIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL 5
SYSTEM; AND 6
(2) THE COUNTY BOARD: 7
(I) SUBMITS THE REPORT OF THE AUDIT PREPARED I N 8
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1224 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE TO THE STATE 9
SUPERINTENDENT; AND 10
(II) RELEASES THE REPORT OF THE AUDIT PREPARED IN 11
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1224 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE TO THE 12
PUBLIC. 13
(C) IF THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AUDITS HAS NOT COMPLETED AN 14
AUDIT UNDER § 2–1220(E) OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE OF THE LOCAL 15
SCHOOL SYSTEM ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1 OF THE THIRD YEAR OF A COUNTY 16
SUPERINTENDENT’S TERM , THE COUNTY BOARD SHA LL HIRE A N INDEPENDENT , 17
THIRD–PARTY CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT TO COMPLETE THE AUDIT IN 18
ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 2, SUBTITLE 12, PART IV OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 19
ARTICLE ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1 OF THE FINAL YEAR OF THE COUNTY 20
SUPERINTENDENT’S TERM. 21
(D) THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AUDITS OR THE INDEPENDENT, 22
THIRD–PARTY CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT HIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 23
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION SHALL PRESENT THE FINDINGS OF THE AUDIT AT 24
A PUBLIC MEETING OF THE COUNTY BOARD AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE THE COUNTY 25
BOARD TAKES FINAL AC TION ON THE REAPPOINTMENT OF A COUNTY 26
SUPERINTENDENT. 27
Article – State Government 28
2–1220. 29
(e) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, at least once 30
every 6 years, the Office of Legislative Audits shall conduct an audit of each local school 31
system to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the financial management practices 32
of the local school system. 33
(2) The audits may be performed concurrently or separately. 34
6 SENATE BILL 999
(3) The Office of Legislative Audits shall provide information regarding the 1
audit process to the local school system before the audit is conducted. 2
(4) (i) Subject to the limitation under subparagraph (ii) of this 3
paragraph, beginning in fiscal year 2017, a local school system shall be exempt from the 4
audit requirement under paragraph (1) of this subsection if the county governing body, the 5
county board of education, and th e county delegation to the Maryland General Assembly 6
consisting of the county senators and delegates each submits a letter to the Joint Audit and 7
Evaluation Committee requesting an exemption on or before November 1 of fiscal year 8
2017, or on or before November 1 of the last year of a 6 –year audit cycle under paragraph 9
(1) of this subsection, as determined by the Office of Legislative Audits. 10
(ii) A local school system may not be exempt for two consecutive 11
6–year audit cycles. 12
(5) (i) On or before November 1 of the third year of a 6–year audit cycle 13
under paragraph (1) of this subsection, each local school system shall submit a report to the 14
Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee on the status of implementation of corrective 15
actions to address repeat findings and recommendations identified by the Office of 16
Legislative Audits in the most recent audit conducted under paragraph (1) of this 17
subsection. 18
(ii) Each local school system shall publish the report required under 19
this paragraph on its website. 20
(iii) Before publishing the report in accordance with subparagraph 21
(ii) of this paragraph, any cybersecurity findings shall be redacted in a manner consistent 22
with auditing best practices. 23
(6) Notwithstanding paragraph (4) of this subsection, the Jo int Audit and 24
Evaluation Committee may direct the Office of Legislative Audits to conduct an audit of a 25
local school system at any time. 26
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 27
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservat ion of the public health or safety, has 28
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three –fifths of all the members elected to 29
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 30
enacted. 31