EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDE D TO EXISTING 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.
*hb0821*
HOUSE BILL 821
F3 4lr1099
CF SB 654
By: Prince George’s County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2024
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Prince George’s County – Student Support – Specialist Networks and Success 2
Action Plans 3
(Student Supports and Success Act) 4
PG 502–24 5
FOR the purpose of establishing a Student Support Specialist Network consisting of certain 6
school–based personnel at each public high school in Prince George’s County; 7
requiring the Prince George’s County Board of Education to develop a certain 8
template using certain guidelines; requiring each Student Support Specialist 9
Network in the county to develop, approve, and implement a certain plan subject to 10
review and approval by the Prince George’s County Board of Education ; and 11
generally relating to Student Support Specialist Networks and Student Support 12
Success Action Plans in Prince George’s County. 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Education 15
Section 7–452 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Education 21 2 HOUSE BILL 821
7–452. 1
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 2
INDICATED. 3
(2) “NETWORK” MEANS A STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST 4
NETWORK. 5
(3) “PLAN” MEANS A STUDENT SUPPORT SUCCESS ACTION PLAN. 6
(4) “TEMPLATE” MEANS THE TEMPLATE DEVELOPED B Y THE PRINCE 7
GEORGE’S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION USED BY A STUDENT SUPPORT 8
SPECIALIST NETWORK. 9
(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY. 10
(C) THERE IS A STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST NETWORK IN EACH PUBLIC 11
HIGH SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY. 12
(D) EACH NETWORK SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING MEMBER S, IF 13
APPLICABLE: 14
(1) THE VICE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCH OOL; 15
(2) PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL –BASED COUNSELORS ; 16
(3) SCHOOL–BASED PSYCHOLOGISTS ; 17
(4) SCHOOL–BASED NURSES ; 18
(5) LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK ERS; 19
(6) CRISIS INTERVENTION RESOURCE TEACHERS; 20
(7) CAREER COACHES; 21
(8) COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATORS ; 22
(9) SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS ; AND 23
(10) SCHOOL SECURITY EMPLOYEES . 24
HOUSE BILL 821 3
(E) (1) ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 31, 2024, THE PRINCE GEORGE’S 1
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL DEVEL OP, APPROVE, AND DISSEMINATE A 2
TEMPLATE FOR A STUDENT SUPPORT SUCCESS ACTION PLAN TO BE USED BY EACH 3
NETWORK. 4
(2) THE TEMPLATE FOR A PLAN DEVELOPED UNDER THIS 5
SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE METRICS TO MEASURE A ND CONCRETE STEPS TO 6
ACHIEVE IMPROVEMENTS IN: 7
(I) THE NUMBER OF STUDENT S WHO HAVE ACCESS TO 8
BEHAVIORAL AND MENTA L HEALTH SUPPORTS ; 9
(II) THE RATIO OF LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL W ORKERS, 10
LICENSED PROFESSIONA L COUNSELORS , CRISIS INTERVENTION RESOURCE 11
TEACHERS, AND CLINICAL THERAPI STS TO STUDENTS ; 12
(III) REFERRALS OF STUDENTS TO MENTA L HEALTH SERVICES , 13
NURSES, CAREER COUNSELING , AND FOOD PANTRIES ; 14
(IV) COMMUNITY SCHOOL ASSE SSMENT RESULTS; 15
(V) THE USE OF RESTORATIV E APPROACHES IN ADDR ESSING 16
STUDENT MISCONDUCT ; 17
(VI) THE USE OF TRAUMA –INFORMED APPROACHES TO A 18
STUDENT IN DISTRESS ; 19
(VII) THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL –BASED ARRESTS ; 20
(VIII) THE NUMBER OF STUDENT DISCIPLINARY REFERRALS 21
ISSUED; 22
(IX) THE NUMBER OF SUSPENS IONS; 23
(X) REFERRALS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE 24
SERVICES; AND 25
(XI) THE NUMBER OF EXPULSI ONS FOR NONVIOLENT B EHAVIOR. 26
(3) IN ADDITION TO THE ME TRICS REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) 27
OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE TEMPLATE FOR A PL AN DEVELOPED UNDER T HIS 28
SUBSECTION SHALL ALSO ADDRESS: 29
4 HOUSE BILL 821
(I) STRENGTHENING SCHOOL CULTURE, CLIMATE, AND 1
COMMUNITY ; 2
(II) FOSTERING COOPERATION AND COORDINATION BET WEEN 3
NETWORKS; 4
(III) ENSURING STUDENTS IN CRISIS ARE SUPPORTED ; 5
(IV) REDUCING OUT –OF–SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS A ND 6
EXPULSIONS; 7
(V) INCREASING ACCESS TO AND KNOWLEDGE OF BEH AVIORAL 8
HEALTH SUPPORTS ; 9
(VI) REDUCING IN –SCHOOL VIOLENCE , GANG–RELATED 10
ACTIVITY, AND SUBSTANCE ABU SE; 11
(VII) CULTIVATING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS OF 12
UNDERSTANDING BETWEE N SCHOOL PERSONNEL , SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFI CERS, 13
SECURITY PERSONNEL , AND STUDENTS ; AND 14
(VIII) STRENGTHENING THE NET WORK OF SERVICES FOR 15
STUDENTS AND STAFF WHO ARE IN CRISIS. 16
(F) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (G) OF THIS SECTION, EACH NETWORK SHALL 17
COLLECTIVELY DEVELOP, COMPLETE, AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN UTILIZING THE 18
APPROVED COUNTY BOARD TEMPLATE . 19
(G) (1) BEFORE IMPLEMENTING A PLAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH 20
SUBSECTION (F) OF THIS SECTION , EACH NETWORK SHALL SUBMIT THE PLAN TO 21
THE COUNTY BOARD FOR APPROVAL . 22
(2) THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE 23
COUNTY BOARD . 24
(H) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2025, AND ON OR BEFORE EACH JULY 1 25
THEREAFTER , EACH NETWORK SHALL REPORT THE RESULTS OF THE 26
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NETWORK’S PLAN TO THE COUNTY BOARD . 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 28
1, 2024. 29