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.
*sb0951*
SENATE BILL 951
F1, F2 2lr3123
CF HB 515
By: Senator Hettleman Senators Hettleman, Carozza, Ellis, Hester, Kagan, Lam,
Patterson, Pinsky, Reilly, and Washington
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2022
Assigned to: Rules
Re–referred to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs, February 21, 2022
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 8, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Student Athletes – Uniform Modifications for Modesty 2
(Inclusive Athletic Attire Act) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring county boards of education, the Maryland Public Secondary 4
Schools Athletic Association, governing bodies of public institutions of higher 5
education, and boards of community college trustees to allow student athletes to 6
modify an athletic or team uniform to make the attire more modest to conform to the 7
requirements or preferences of the student athlete’s religion or culture or the student 8
athlete’s own preferences for modesty; and generally relating to modifying athletic 9
or team uniforms of student athletes. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 7–129, 15–134, and 16–110 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
7–129. 19 2 SENATE BILL 951
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “STUDENT ATHLETE ” MEANS A STUDENT ENRO LLED 1
IN A HIGH SCHOOL WHO PARTICIPATES IN A HI GH SCHOOL ATHLETIC P ROGRAM 2
THAT IS A MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS ATHLETIC 3
ASSOCIATION. 4
(B) (1) A COUNTY BOARD AND THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SECONDARY 5
SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION SHALL ALL OW A STUDENT ATHLETE TO MODIFY 6
THE ATHLETIC OR TEAM UNIFORM OF THE STUDE NT ATHLETE IN A MANN ER THAT 7
MAKES THE STUDENT AT HLETE’S ATTIRE MORE MODES T TO CONFORM TO THE: 8
(I) THE REQUIREMENTS OR PREF ERENCES OF THE STUDE NT 9
ATHLETE’S RELIGION OR CULTUR E; OR 10
(II) THE STUDENT ATHLETE ’S OWN PREFERENCES FO R 11
MODESTY. 12
(2) A STUDENT ATHLETE MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO R ECEIVE 13
APPROVAL FROM A COAC H, A TEACHER, A SCHOOL ADMINISTRAT OR, OR THE 14
COUNTY BOARD BEFORE MAKING THE UNIFORM M ODIFICATION. 15
(C) (1) A MODIFICATION TO AN A THLETIC OR TEAM UNIF ORM MAY 16
INCLUDE THE WEARING OF: 17
(I) A HEAD COVERING WORN F OR RELIGIOUS REASONS , 18
INCLUDING A MUSLIM HIJAB, JEWISH KIPPAH, OR SIKH DASTAR; 19
(II) AN UNDERSHIRT ; OR 20
(III) LEGGINGS. 21
(2) A MODIFICATION TO AN A THLETIC OR TEAM UNIF ORM MAY NOT : 22
(I) INTERFERE WITH THE MO VEMENT OF THE STUDEN T 23
ATHLETE; OR 24
(II) POSE A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE STUDENT ATHLE TE, OTHER 25
STUDENT ATHLETES , OR OTHERS. 26
(3) A STUDENT ATHLETE MAY MODIFY THE UNIFORM H EADGEAR IF 27
THE MODIFIED HEADGEA R: 28
(I) IS BLACK, WHITE, THE PREDOMINANT COLO R OF THE 29
UNIFORM, OR THE SAME COLOR AS THAT WORN BY ALL PLA YERS ON THE TEAM ; 30 SENATE BILL 951 3
(II) DOES NOT COVER ANY PA RT OF THE FACE , UNLESS 1
REQUIRED FOR THE SAF ETY OF THE WEARER ; 2
(III) IS NOT DANGEROUS TO T HE STUDENT ATHLETE , OTHER 3
STUDENT AT HLETES, OR OTHERS; 4
(IV) DOES NOT HAVE OPENING OR CLOSING ELEMENTS AROUND 5
THE FACE OR NECK ; AND 6
(V) DOES NOT HAVE PARTS P ROTRUDING FROM ITS S URFACE. 7
(D) (1) A STUDENT ATHLETE IS R ESPONSIBLE FOR ALL C OSTS 8
ASSOCIATED WITH THE MODIFICATION OF THE STUDENT ATHLETE ’S ATHLETIC OR 9
TEAM UNIFORM UNDER T HIS SECTION. 10
(2) THIS SUBSECTION MAY N OT BE CONSTRUED TO P ROHIBIT A 11
PUBLIC SCHOOL FROM P ROVIDING THE UNIFORM MODIFICATION TO THE STUDENT. 12
15–134. 13
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “STUDENT ATHLETE ” MEANS A STUDENT E NROLLED 14
AT A PUBLIC INSTITUT ION OF HIGHER EDUCAT ION WHO PARTICIPATES IN AN 15
INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHL ETIC PROGRAM AT THE INSTITUTION. 16
(B) (1) THE GOVERNING BODY OF A PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER 17
EDUCATION SHALL ALLO W A STUDENT ATHLETE TO MODIFY THE ATHLET IC OR TEAM 18
UNIFORM OF THE STUDE NT ATHLETE IN A MANN ER THAT MAKES THE ST UDENT 19
ATHLETE’S ATTIRE MORE MODEST TO CONFORM TO THE: 20
(I) THE REQUIREMENTS OR PREF ERENCES OF THE STUDE NT 21
ATHLETE’S RELIGION OR CULTUR E; OR 22
(II) THE STUDENT ATHLETE ’S OWN PREFERENCES FOR 23
MODESTY. 24
(2) A STUDENT ATHLETE MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO R ECEIVE 25
APPROVAL FROM A COAC H, AN ADMINISTRATOR , OR THE GOVERNING BOD Y OF THE 26
PUBLIC INSTITUTION O F HIGHER EDUCATION B EFORE MAKING THE UNI FORM 27
MODIFICATION . 28
(C) (1) A MODIFICATION TO AN ATHLETIC OR TEAM UNI FORM MAY 29
INCLUDE THE WEARING OF: 30
4 SENATE BILL 951
(I) A HEAD COVERING WORN F OR RELIGIOUS REASONS , 1
INCLUDING A MUSLIM HIJAB, JEWISH KIPPAH, OR SIKH DASTAR; 2
(II) AN UNDERSHIRT ; OR 3
(III) LEGGINGS. 4
(2) A MODIFICATION TO AN A THLETIC OR TEAM UNIFORM MAY NOT : 5
(I) INTERFERE WITH THE MO VEMENT OF THE STUDEN T 6
ATHLETE; OR 7
(II) POSE A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE STUDENT ATHLE TE, OTHER 8
STUDENT ATHLETES , OR OTHERS. 9
(3) A STUDENT ATHLETE MAY MODIFY THE UNIFORM H EADGEAR IF 10
THE MODIFIED HEADGEA R: 11
(I) IS BLACK, WHITE, THE PREDOMINANT COLO R OF THE 12
UNIFORM, OR THE SAME COLOR AS THAT WORN BY ALL PLA YERS ON THE TEAM ; 13
(II) DOES NOT COVER ANY PA RT OF THE FACE , UNLESS 14
REQUIRED FOR THE SAF ETY OF THE WEARER ; 15
(III) IS NOT DANGEROUS TO T HE STUDENT A THLETE, OTHER 16
STUDENT ATHLETES , OR OTHERS; 17
(IV) DOES NOT HAVE OPENING OR CLOSING ELEMENTS AROUND 18
THE FACE OR NECK ; AND 19
(V) DOES NOT HAVE PARTS P ROTRUDING FROM ITS S URFACE. 20
(D) (1) A STUDENT ATHLETE IS R ESPONSIBLE FOR ALL C OSTS 21
ASSOCIATED WITH THE MODIFICATION OF THE STUDENT ATHLETE ’S ATHLETIC OR 22
TEAM UNIFORM UNDER T HIS SECTION. 23
(2) THIS SUBSECTION MAY N OT BE CONSTRUED TO P ROHIBIT A 24
PUBLIC INSTITUTION O F HIGHER EDUCATION F ROM PROVIDING THE UN IFORM 25
MODIFICATION TO THE STUDENT. 26
16–110. 27
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “STUDENT ATHLETE ” MEANS A STUDENT ENRO LLED 28
AT A COMMUNITY COLLE GE WHO PARTICIPATES IN AN INTERCOLLEGIAT E ATHLETIC 29 SENATE BILL 951 5
PROGRAM AT THE COMMU NITY COLLEGE. 1
(B) (1) THE BOARD OF COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE TRUSTEES A T A 2
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SH ALL ALLOW A STUDENT ATHLETE TO MODIFY TH E 3
ATHLETIC OR TEAM UNI FORM OF THE STUDENT ATHLETE IN A MANNER THAT MAKES 4
THE STUDENT ATHLETE ’S ATTIRE MORE MODEST TO CONFORM TO THE: 5
(I) THE REQUIREMENTS OR PREF ERENCES OF THE STUDE NT 6
ATHLETE’S RELIGION OR CULTUR E; OR 7
(II) THE STUDENT ATHLETE ’S OWN PREFERENCES FO R 8
MODESTY. 9
(2) A STUDENT ATHLETE MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO R ECEIVE 10
APPROVAL FROM A COAC H, AN ADMINISTRATOR , OR THE BOARD OF COMM UNITY 11
COLLEGE TRUSTEES BEF ORE MAKING THE UNIFO RM MODIFICATION . 12
(C) (1) A MODIFICATION TO AN ATHLETIC OR TEAM UNIFORM MAY 13
INCLUDE THE WEARING OF: 14
(I) A HEAD COVERING WORN F OR RELIGIOUS REASONS , 15
INCLUDING A MUSLIM HIJAB, JEWISH KIPPAH, OR SIKH DASTAR; 16
(II) AN UNDERSHIRT ; OR 17
(III) LEGGINGS. 18
(2) A MODIFICATION TO AN A THLETIC OR TEAM UNIFORM MAY NOT : 19
(I) INTERFERE WITH THE MO VEMENT OF THE STUDEN T 20
ATHLETE; OR 21
(II) POSE A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE STUDENT ATHLE TE, OTHER 22
STUDENT ATHLETES , OR OTHERS. 23
(3) A STUDENT ATHLETE MAY MODIFY THE UNIFORM H EADGEAR IF 24
THE MODIFIED HEADGEAR: 25
(I) IS BLACK, WHITE, THE PREDOMINANT COLO R OF THE 26
UNIFORM, OR THE SAME COLOR AS THAT WORN BY ALL PLA YERS ON THE TEAM ; 27
(II) DOES NOT COVER ANY PA RT OF THE FACE , UNLESS 28
REQUIRED FOR THE SAF ETY OF THE WEARER ; 29
6 SENATE BILL 951
(III) IS NOT DANGEROUS TO T HE STUDENT ATHLETE , OTHER 1
STUDENT ATHLETES , OR OTHERS; 2
(IV) DOES NOT HAVE OPENING OR CLOSING ELEMENTS AROUND 3
THE FACE OR NECK ; AND 4
(V) DOES NOT HAVE PARTS P ROTRUDING FROM ITS S URFACE. 5
(D) (1) A STUDENT ATHLETE IS R ESPONSIBLE FOR ALL C OSTS 6
ASSOCIATED WITH THE MODIFICA TION OF THE STUDENT ATHLETE’S ATHLETIC OR 7
TEAM UNIFORM UNDER T HIS SECTION. 8
(2) THIS SUBSECTION MAY N OT BE CONSTRUED TO P ROHIBIT A 9
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FR OM PROVIDING THE UNI FORM MODIFICATION TO THE 10
STUDENT. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTH ER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2022. 13
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.