EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXIS TING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0472*
HOUSE BILL 472
F1 2lr0691
HB 1536/20 – W&M CF 2lr2781
By: Delegates J. Lewis, Bartlett, Boyce, Cardin, Cullison, Foley, Fraser–Hidalgo,
Henson, Hill, Howell, Jalisi, R. Jones, Kaiser, Kelly, Landis, Lehman,
Lierman, Love, Luedtke, McComas, McIntosh, Proctor, Qi, Reznik, Terrasa,
Valentino–Smith, and Williams
Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2022
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Primary and Secondary Education – Title IX – Policies and Procedures 2
(Hear Our Voices Act of 2022) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Education to develop policies and 4
procedures for reporting, administering, investigating, and resolving complaints 5
related to incidents of sexual misconduct and violations of a certain federal law; 6
authorizing a person to bring a civil action against a local system that fails to comply 7
with certain policies and procedures and to recover damages, reasonable costs, and 8
attorney’s fees; and generally relating to sexual misconduct complaints and Title IX 9
compliance. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 7–450 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Education 18
7–450. 19
(A) ON OR BEFORE MARCH 31, 2023, THE STATE BOARD, AFTER 20
CONSULTATION WITH LO CAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS , SHALL DEVELOP POLICI ES AND 21
PROCEDURES FOR REPOR TING, ADMINISTERING , INVESTIGATING , AND RESOLVING 22 2 HOUSE BILL 472
COMPLAINTS RELATED T O INCIDENTS OF SEXUA L MISCONDUCT AND TITLE IX OF 1
THE EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1972. 2
(B) THE POLICIES AND PROC EDURES DEVELOPED UND ER SUBSECTION (A) 3
OF THIS SECTION SHALL REQUIRE : 4
(1) THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A DATABASE FOR 5
ADMINISTRATORS TO UP LOAD SEXUAL MISCONDU CT COMPLAINTS ; AND 6
(2) A PUBLIC SCHOOL TO : 7
(I) NOTIFY THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A STUDEN T WHO 8
FILES A COMPLAINT RE LATED TO SEXUAL MISC ONDUCT; 9
(II) COLLECT DATA ON SEXUA L MISCONDUCT COMPLAI NTS AND 10
REPORT THE DATA TO T HE DEPARTMENT EACH YEAR ; AND 11
(III) INFORM STUDENTS , FACULTY, AND STAFF OF: 12
1. WHO SERVES AS THE TITLE IX COORDINATOR FOR 13
THE SCHOOL; AND 14
2. HOW TO FILE A SEXUAL MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT . 15
(C) A PERSON MAY: 16
(1) BRING A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT 17
FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE POLICIES AND PRO CEDURES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS 18
SECTION; AND 19
(2) RECOVER DAMAGES , REASONABLE COSTS , AND ATTORNEY ’S 20
FEES. 21
(D) THE STATE BOARD SHALL ADOPT REG ULATIONS TO IMPLEMEN T THIS 22
SECTION. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2022. 25