EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0472*
HOUSE BILL 472
F1 2lr0691
HB 1536/20 – W&M CF SB 887
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
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 12, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Primary and Secondary Education – Title IX – Policies and Procedures Notice 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; each public school to inform students, faculty, staff, and parents 9
regarding who serves as the Title IX coordinator for the school, the process for filing 10
a sexual misconduct complaint, and the support measures that are in place for filing 11
a sexual misconduct complaint and how to access the support measures; and 12
generally relating to sexual misconduct complaints and Title IX compliance. 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Education 15
Section 7–450 7–129 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20 2 HOUSE BILL 472
Article – Education 1
7–450. 2
(A) ON OR BEFORE MARCH 31, 2023, THE STATE BOARD, AFTER 3
CONSULTATION WITH LO CAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS , SHALL DEVELOP POLICI ES AND 4
PROCEDURES FOR REPOR TING, ADMINISTERING , INVESTIGATING , AND RESOLVING 5
COMPLAINTS RELATED T O INCIDENTS OF SEXUA L MISCONDUCT AND TITLE IX OF 6
THE EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1972. 7
(B) THE POLICIES AND PROC EDURES DEVELOPED UND ER SUBSECTION (A) 8
OF THIS SECTION SHAL L REQUIRE: 9
(1) THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A DATABASE FOR 10
ADMINISTRATORS TO UP LOAD SEXUAL MISCONDU CT COMPLAINTS ; AND 11
(2) A PUBLIC SCHOOL TO : 12
(I) NOTIFY THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A STUDEN T WHO 13
FILES A COMPLAINT RE LATED TO SEXUAL MISC ONDUCT; 14
(II) COLLECT DATA ON SEXUA L MISCONDUCT COMPLAI NTS AND 15
REPORT THE DATA TO THE DEPARTMENT EACH YEAR ; AND 16
(III) INFORM STUDENTS , FACULTY, AND STAFF OF: 17
1. WHO SERVES AS THE TITLE IX COORDINATOR FOR 18
THE SCHOOL; AND 19
2. HOW TO FILE A SEXUAL MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT . 20
(C) A PERSON MAY: 21
(1) BRING A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST A LOC AL SCHOOL SYSTEM THA T 22
FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE POLICIES AND PRO CEDURES DEVELOPED UN DER THIS 23
SECTION; AND 24
(2) RECOVER DAMAGES , REASONABLE COSTS , AND ATTORNEY ’S 25
FEES. 26
(D) THE STATE BOARD SHALL ADOPT REG ULATIONS TO IMPLEMEN T THIS 27
SECTION. 28
7–129. 29 HOUSE BILL 472 3
EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL SH ALL INFORM STUDENTS , FACULTY, STAFF, AND 1
PARENTS REGARDING : 2
(1) WHO SERVES AS THE TITLE IX COORDINATOR FOR THE SCHOOL; 3
(2) THE PROCESS IN PLACE FOR FILING A SEXUAL MISCONDUCT 4
COMPLAINT; AND 5
(3) THE SUPPORT M EASURES THAT ARE IN PLACE FOR AN 6
INDIVIDUAL WHO FILES A SEXUAL MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT AND HOW TO ACCESS 7
THE SUPPORT MEASURES . 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 9
1, 2022. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.