EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1127*
HOUSE BILL 1127
F1 5lr2802
By: Delegates Toles, Boafo, Boyce, Fennell, Harris, Holmes, D. Jones, Lehman,
Pena–Melnyk, Taveras, Wells, and Wilkins
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Schools – Water Safety and Swimming – Instructional Content, Plan, and 2
Reporting 3
FOR the purpose of requiring each county board of education to develop certain 4
instructional content on water safety and swimming for public school students in the 5
county; requiring each county board to develop a certain plan regarding access to 6
swimming pools and related facilities for a certain purpose; and generally relating to 7
water safety and swimming and county boards of education. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–452 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Education 16
7–452. 17
(A) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, EACH COUNTY BOARD SH ALL DEVELOP 18
INSTRUCTIONAL CONTEN T ON WATER SAFETY AND SWIMMING THAT IS: 19
(1) INTEGRATED INTO THE H EALTH AND PHYSICAL E DUCATION 20
CURRICULUM FOR EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY; AND 21
2 HOUSE BILL 1127
(2) AGE–APPROPRIATE FOR STUD ENTS IN ELEMENTARY , MIDDLE, 1
AND HIGH SCHOOL . 2
(B) THE INSTRUCTIONAL CON TENT DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF 3
THIS SECTION SHALL INCLUDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WITH DI SABILITIES, 4
IF PRACTICABLE . 5
(C) BEGINNING IN THE 2026–2027 SCHOOL YEAR , EACH COUNTY BOARD 6
SHALL IMPLEMENT THE INSTRUCTIONAL CONTEN T DEVELOPED UNDER 7
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 9
(a) (1) On or before December 1, 2025, each county board of education shall 10
develop a plan to ensure public school students in the county have access to swimming pools 11
for swimming and taking swimming and water safety courses. 12
(2) The plan required under this subsection shall: 13
(i) identify strategies to maximize public and private resources to 14
provide access to swimming pools and related facilities for public school students; 15
(ii) identify public and private entities in the local community that 16
could partner with schools to offer access to swimming pools and related facilities to public 17
school students during school operating hours; 18
(iii) identify methods to increase public school student access to 19
swimming pools and related facilities, including costs and transportation, while keeping 20
costs low; and 21
(iv) recommend any necessary changes to policy or law to implement 22
the plan required under paragraph (1) of this subsection and the requirements of § 7–452 23
of the Education Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act. 24
(b) On or before December 15, 2025, each county board shall submit a copy of the 25
plan developed under subsection (a) of this section to the State Department of Education. 26
(c) On or before January 1, 2026, the State Department of Education shall 27
compile the reports submitted under subsection (b) of this section and submit a report that 28
includes all the county boards’ plans to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 29
2–1257 of the State Government Article. 30
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 31
1, 2025. Section 2 of this Act shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of 32
June 30, 2026, Section 2 of this Act, with no further action required by the General 33
Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 34 HOUSE BILL 1127 3