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.
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SENATE BILL 271
F1 3lr1319
By: Senator Ready
Introduced and read first time: January 26, 2023
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 5, 2023
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Maryland Civic Engagement Excellence Program – Established 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Civic Engagement Excellence Program as a 3
voluntary program in which local school systems may participate to recognize 4
students and public schools that promote the civic readiness and civic engagement 5
of students in public schools in the State; and generally relating to the establishment 6
of the Maryland Civic Engagement Excellence Program. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Education 9
Section 4–142 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Education 15
4–142. 16
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND CIVIC 17
ENGAGEMENT EXCELLENCE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED U NDER THIS SECTION . 18
2 SENATE BILL 271
(B) (1) THERE IS A MARYLAND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EXCELLENCE 1
PROGRAM. 2
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO RECOGNI ZE STUDENTS 3
AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS T HAT PROMOTE THE CIVI C READINESS AND CIVI C 4
ENGAGEMENT OF STUDEN TS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. 5
(C) THE PROVISIONS OF THI S SECTION APPLY ONLY TO A LOCAL SCHOOL 6
SYSTEM THAT CHOOSES TO PARTICIPATE I N AND ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 7
(D) EACH BEGINNING WITH THE 2024–2025 SCHOOL YEAR , EACH 8
PARTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL : 9
(1) AWARD A STUDENT A SEAL OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EXCELLENCE 10
IF THE STUDENT APPLI ES AND MEETS THE CRI TERIA ESTABLISHED BY THE LOCAL 11
SCHOOL SYSTEM UNDER SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION; AND 12
(2) DESIGNATE A PUBLIC SC HOOL AS A CENTER OF CIVIC 13
ENGAGEMENT EXCELLENCE IF THE SCHOOL APPLIE S AND MEETS THE CRIT ERIA 14
ADOPTED BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM UNDER SUBSECTION (F) OF THIS SECTION. 15
(E) (1) AT MINIMUM , A PARTICIPATING LOCA L SCHOOL SYSTEM ’S 16
CRITERIA FOR A SEAL OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EXCELLENCE SHALL REQUIRE A 17
STUDENT TO OBTAIN FO UR TOTAL POINTS UNDE R THE PROGRAM BY EARNING AT 18
LEAST ONE POINT FROM AT LEAST FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES : 19
(I) CIVICS–BASED ASSESSMENTS ; 20
(II) SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES ; 21
(III) STUDENT SERVICE ; 22
(IV) VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES ; 23
(V) SCHOOL–BASED EXTRACURRICULA R ACTIVITIES; 24
(VI) NONSCHOOL–RELATED EXTRACURRICU LAR ACTIVITIES ; 25
AND 26
(VII) VOTER REGISTRATION . 27
(2) A STUDENT MAY EARN CIV IC ENGAGEMENT POINTS UNDER THE 28
PROGRAM AS FOLLOWS : 29
SENATE BILL 271 3
(I) ONE POINT FOR EARNING A SCORE OF FOUR OR F IVE ON 1
ONE OR MORE OF THE F OLLOWING CIVICS –BASED ASSESSMENTS : 2
1. THE STATE ASSESSMENT ON AMERICAN 3
GOVERNMEN T; OR 4
2. THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT: 5
A. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 6
EXAMINATION ; 7
B. UNITED STATES HISTORY EXAMINATION ; OR 8
C. COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 9
EXAMINATION ; 10
(II) ONE POINT FOR EARNING A GRADE OF A OR B IN EACH OF 11
THE FOLLOWING HIGH S CHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES : 12
1. UNITED STATES HISTORY; 13
2. MODERN WORLD HISTORY; AND 14
3. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT ; 15
(III) ONE POINT FOR COMPLET ING AT LEAST 120 HOURS OF 16
STUDENT SERVICE OF W HICH: 17
1. AT LEAST 50 HOURS MUST BE COMPLE TED DURING 18
HIGH SCHOOL ; AND 19
2. AT LEAST 20 HOURS MUST BE DEDICA TED TO A 20
CIVICS–FOCUSED PROJECT ; 21
(IV) ONE POINT FOR PARTICI PATING AS A VOLUNTEE R IN AN 22
ELECTION CAMPAIGN , A VOTER REGISTRATION ACTIVITY, OR A PEACEFUL 23
DEMONSTRATION : 24
1. THAT IS A NONSCHOOL –RELATED ACTIVITY ; 25
2. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME DETERMINED BY THE LO CAL 26
SCHOOL SYSTEM ; AND 27
3. WITH DOCUMENTATION OF PARTICIPATION ; 28
4 SENATE BILL 271
(V) UP TO THREE POINTS FO R PARTICIPATING IN A 1
SCHOOL–BASED EXTRACURRICULAR ACTI VITY, INCLUDING: 2
1. RHO KAPPA NATIONAL SOCIAL STUDIES HONOR 3
SOCIETY; 4
2. RESERVE OFFICERS TRAINING CORPS; 5
3. MOCK TRIAL; 6
4. A LAW ACADEMY PROGRAM ; 7
5. MODEL UNITED NATIONS; 8
6. A LOCAL, REGIONAL, STATE, OR NATIONAL HISTORY 9
DAY COMPETITION ; 10
7. NATIONAL HISTORY CLUB; 11
8. DEBATE CLUB; 12
9. WE THE PEOPLE COMPETITION; 13
10. STUDENT PAGE FOR THE MARYLAND GENERAL 14
ASSEMBLY; 15
11. ELECTED OFFICE OR CLA SS OFFICER IN STUDEN T 16
GOVERNMENT ; 17
12. SCHOOL NEWSPAPER ; OR 18
13. ANY CIVICS–RELATED ORGANIZATION , PROGRAM, OR 19
ACTIVITY APPROVED BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM; 20
(VI) UP TO TWO POINTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN A 21
NONSCHOOL –RELATED EXTRACURRICU LAR ACTIVITY, INCLUDING: 22
1. MARYLAND 4–H; 23
2. GIRL SCOUTS OF AMERICA (CIVICS–RELATED 24
ACTIVITIES); 25
3. BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA (CIVICS–RELATED 26
ACTIVITIES); 27
SENATE BILL 271 5
4. TAKING FLIGHT YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL; 1
5. MARYLAND YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL; 2
6. POLITICAL PARTY ORGAN IZATION CLUBS; 3
7. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY; OR 4
8. ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIO N, PROGRAM, OR ACTIVITY 5
APPROVED BY THE LOCA L SCHOOL SYSTEM ; AND 6
(VII) ONE POINT FOR REGISTE RING TO VOTE WHEN EL IGIBLE. 7
(F) AT MINIMUM, A PARTICIPATING LOCA L SCHOOL SYSTEM ’S CRITERIA 8
FOR A CENTER OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EXCELLENCE DESIGNATION SHALL 9
REQUIRE A PUBLIC SCH OOL TO HAVE AT LEAST 75% 50% OF THE STUDENTS IN I TS 10
GRADUATING CLASS WHO HAVE EARNED A SEAL OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 11
EXCELLENCE. 12
(G) (1) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT DETERMINES A ST UDENT HAS 13
FULFILLED THE CRITERIA UNDER T HE PROGRAM SHALL : 14
(I) AWARD THE STUDENT A SEAL OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 15
EXCELLENCE; 16
(II) RECORD THE AWARD ON T HE STUDENT ’S OFFICIAL HIGH 17
SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT ; AND 18
(III) RECOGNIZE THE AWARD B Y ATTACHING A CORD , MEDAL, OR 19
OTHER INSIGN IA ON THE STUDENT ’S HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOM A. 20
(2) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT DETERMINES THAT A PUBLIC 21
SCHOOL HAS FULFILLED THE CRITERIA UNDER T HE PROGRAM SHALL : 22
(I) DESIGNATE THE SCHOOL AS A CENTER OF CIVIC 23
ENGAGEMENT EXCELLENCE; AND 24
(II) RECOGNIZE THE DESIGNATION BY P ROVIDING ANY OF THE 25
FOLLOWING: 26
1. A BANNER; 27
2. A GOVERNOR’S CITATION; OR 28
3. A CITATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT . 29 6 SENATE BILL 271
(H) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2024, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER , EACH 1
PARTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT A 2
REPORT ON THE PROGRAM BASED ON THE MOST RECENTLY COMPLE TED SCHOOL 3
YEAR. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 5
1, 2023. 6
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.