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.
*sb0540*
SENATE BILL 540
F2 2lr1835
CF HB 598
By: Senators Elfreth, Hester, Hershey, Ready, and Reilly
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Higher Education – Transfer Platform – Established 2
(Transfer With Success Act 2.0) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring each community college and certain 4–year institution 4
institutions of higher education that receives receive State funds to participate in a 5
transfer platform that the Maryland Higher Education Commission establishes to 6
facilitate the transfer of students from community colleges to 4–year institutions of 7
higher education; adding a certain requirement to certain transfer procedures 8
established by the Commission; altering a certain report that must be submitted by 9
public institutions of higher education; and generally relating to the transfer of 10
credits from community colleges to 4–year institutions of higher education. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 11–207 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
Article – Education 19
11–207. 20
2 SENATE BILL 540
(a) The Commission shall: 1
(1) Establish procedures for transfer of students between the public 2
segments of postsecondary education; 3
(2) Recommend cooperative programs among segments of postsecondary 4
education to assure appropriate flexibility in the higher education system; and 5
(3) In conjunction with the governing boards, establish standards for 6
articulation agreements. 7
(b) (1) The procedures established under subsection (a) of this section shall 8
require: 9
(I) A RECEIVING INSTITUTIO N TO APPROVE THE TRA NSFER OF 10
A CREDIT OR COURSE F ROM A SENDING INSTIT UTION IF AT LEAST 70% OF THE 11
LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE CREDIT OR COURSE ARE EQUIVALENT ; 12
(1) (II) A receiving institution that denies the transfer of a credit or 13
course to an enrolled student to notify the transfer coordinator or institutional designee of 14
the sending institution and the enrolled student about the denial within a time period that 15
the Commission determines to be the latest possible time for the notification and specify 16
the rationale for the denial; 17
(2) (III) The transfer coordinator or institutional designee of the sending 18
institution, after receiving notice of a denial of the transfer of a credit or course, in 19
conjunction with the receiving institution’s designee, to conduct a review within a time 20
period the Commission determines to be appropriate; and 21
(3) (I) (IV) Each public institution of higher education to submit an 22
annual report to the Commission listing any denials of the transfer of a credit or course and 23
the reasons for the denials. 24
(II) (2) IF A PUBLIC INSTITUTI ON OF HIGHER EDUCATI ON 25
DOES NOT HONOR THE I NFORMATION IN THE TR ANSFER PLATFORM ESTA BLISHED 26
UNDER SUBSECTION (G) OF THIS SECTION , THE INSTITUTION SHAL L REPORT THE 27
FAILURE TO HONOR INF ORMATION IN THE PLAT FORM AS A DENIAL OF TRANSFER 28
CREDIT ON THE ANNUAL REP ORT SUBMITTED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS 29
PARAGRAPH PARAGRAPH (1)(IV) OF THIS SUBSECTION . 30
(c) The Commission, in collaboration with the public institutions of higher 31
education, shall develop and implement a statewide transfer agreement whereby at least 32
60 credits of general education, elective, and major courses that a student earns at any 33
community college in the State toward an associate of arts or associate of science degree 34
shall be transferable to any public senior higher education institution in the State for credit 35
toward a bachelor’s degree by July 1, 2016. 36 SENATE BILL 540 3
(d) The Commission, in collaboration with the public institutions of higher 1
education, shall develop and implement a statewide reverse transfer agreement whereby 2
at least 30 credits that a student earns at any public senior higher education institution in 3
the State toward a bachelor’s degree are transferable to any community college in the State 4
for credit toward an associate’s degree by July 1, 2016. 5
(e) The Commission and each public institution of higher education shall develop 6
and implement incentives for students to obtain an associate’s degree before enrolling in a 7
public senior institution of higher education. 8
(f) The Commission may recommend procedures and guidelines for consideration 9
by the governing boards of institutions of postsecondary education on: 10
(1) Improvement and coordination of student financial assistance 11
programs; and 12
(2) Other subjects of general interest and concern to the higher education 13
community in the State. 14
(G) (1) (I) EACH COMMUNITY COLLEG E AND PUBLIC 4–YEAR 15
INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION THAT RECEIVES STATE FUNDS SHALL 16
PARTICIPATE IN THE T RANSFER PLATFORM EST ABLISHED IN ACCORDAN CE WITH 17
THIS SUBSECTION . 18
(II) A NONPUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION THAT 19
RECEIVES STATE FUNDS: 20
1. SHALL PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSFER PLATFOR M 21
ESTABLISHED UNDER TH IS SUBSECTION IF THE NONPUBLIC INSTITUTIO N HAS A 22
TOTAL OF AT LEAST 50 STUDENTS WHO TRANSFE R TO THE NONPUBLIC I NSTITUTION 23
FROM A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE STATE; OR 24
2. MAY PARTICIPATE IN TH E TRANSFER PLATFORM 25
REGARDLESS OF THE NU MBER OF STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER TO THE NONP UBLIC 26
INSTITUTION FROM A C OMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE STATE. 27
(2) (I) THE COMMISSION SHALL ESTA BLISH A TRANSFE R 28
PLATFORM TO FACILITA TE THE TRANSFER OF S TUDENTS FROM COMMUNI TY 29
COLLEGES TO 4–YEAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE. 30
(II) IF SUBJECT TO SUBPARAGRA PH (III) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , 31
IF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND HAS A SIMILA R TRANSFER PLA TFORM, 32
THE COMMISSION SHALL DELE GATE THE DESIGN OR E STABLISHMENT OF THE 33
PLATFORM TO THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND. 34 4 SENATE BILL 540
(III) IF THE DESIGN AND EST ABLISHMENT OF THE TR ANSFER 1
PLATFORM IS DELEGATE D TO THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND: 2
1. THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND SHALL 3
ADHERE TO THE REQUIR EMENTS FOR THE TRANS FER PLATFORM UNDER T HIS 4
PARAGRAPH ; AND 5
2. THE COMMISSION SHALL RETA IN: 6
A. ENFORCEMENT CONTROL O F THE TRANSFER 7
PLATFORM; AND 8
B. ACCESS TO ALL DATA IN THE TRANSFER PLATFORM . 9
(3) THE TRANSFER PLATFORM SHALL: 10
(I) ALLOW STUDENTS AND AD VISORS TO DETERMINE IF A 11
COURSE WILL TRANSFER FROM ANY COMMUNITY C OLLEGE TO ANY 4–YEAR 12
INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION THAT PAR TICIPATES IN THE TRA NSFER 13
PLATFORM; 14
(II) PROVIDE RECOMMENDED C OURSES TO STUDENTS FOR 15
SPECIFIC PROGRAMS OF STUDY AT 4–YEAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION ; 16
AND 17
(III) INCLUDE A TRANSCRIPT OPTION OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS 18
THAT: 19
1. DETERMINES THE STATUS OF COURSES; 20
2. 1. COMPARES COURSES WITH RECOMMENDED 21
TRANSFER PROGRAMS ; AND AT AN INSTITUTION WI TH RECOMMENDED 22
ARTICULATION AGREEME NTS; 23
3. COMPUTES GRADE POINT AVERAGES. 24
2. ALLOWS STUDENTS TO ES TABLISH ACCOUNTS ; 25
3. ALLOWS ACCESS TO SAVE D SEARCHES FOR TRANS FER 26
PROGRAMS AND COURSES; 27
4. PROVIDES TRANSFER PRO GRAMS FOR 28
NEAR–COMPLETERS ; 29
SENATE BILL 540 5
5. PROVIDES REVERSE TRAN SFER ACCOUNTABILITY 1
FOR STUDENTS ; 2
6. PROVIDES ADMISSIONS R EQUIREMENTS FOR 3
INSTITUTIONS TO WHIC H STUDENTS SEEK TO T RANSFER; AND 4
7. ALLOWS ACCESS THROUGH MOBILE DEVICES . 5
(4) EACH 4–YEAR INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION SHALL : 6
(I) HONOR ALL INFORMATION IN THE TRANSFER PLAT FORM, 7
INCLUDING TRANSFER I NFORMATION , UNLESS AN ACADEMIC P ROGRAM NO LONGER 8
EXISTS; 9
(II) UPDATE ALL COURSE INF ORMATION IN THE TRANSFER 10
PLATFORM WITHIN 60 DAYS OF RECEIPT OF A COURSE EVALUATION RE QUEST; 11
(III) COMPLETE ALL TRANSFER EVALUATIONS SUBMITTE D 12
THROUGH THE TRANSFER PLATFORM BEFORE REGI STERING A STUDENT FO R A 13
COURSE; AND 14
(IV) REMOVE ANY CREDITS , COURSES, OR INACCURA TE 15
INFORMATION IN THE T RANSFER PLATFORM BEF ORE EACH ACADEMIC YE AR AND 16
NOT MORE THAN 60 DAYS AFTER THE ADDIT ION OR TERMINATION O F AN ACADEMIC 17
PROGRAM. 18
(5) EACH RECEIVING INSTIT UTION SHALL REVIEW A LL COURSE 19
EVALUATIONS SUBMITTE D IN THE TRANSFER PL ATFORM B Y A SENDING 20
INSTITUTION AND PROV IDE DECISIONS TO THE SENDING INSTITUTION IN THE 21
TRANSFER PLATFORM . 22
(6) (I) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 23
THEREAFTER , THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN 24
APPROPRIATION OF $1,000,000 TO SUPPORT THE OPERATION OF THE TRANSFER 25
PLATFORM. 26
(II) THE COMMISSION MAY NOT CH ARGE COMMUNITY 27
COLLEGES OR 4–YEAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION A F EE TO PARTICIPATE 28
IN THE TRANSFER PLAT FORM. 29
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 30
1, 2022. 31