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.
*hb1127*
HOUSE BILL 1127
F1 5lr2802
By: Delegates Toles, Boafo, Boyce, Fennell, Harris, Holmes, D. Jones, Lehman,
Pena–Melnyk, Taveras, Wells, and Wilkins Wilkins, Buckel, Ebersole, Fair,
Griffith, Hornberger, Miller, Mireku–North, Patterson, Roberson, Roberts,
Wims, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2025
CHAPTER ______
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; requiring that the 7
instructional content be offered to students in certain grade bands; and generally 8
relating to water safety and swimming and county boards of education instruction. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Education 11
Section 7–452 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Education 17
7–452. 18 2 HOUSE BILL 1127
(A) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, EACH COUNTY BOARD SH ALL DEVELOP 1
INSTRUCTIONAL CONTEN T ON WATER SAFETY AND SWIMMING THAT IS: 2
(1) INTEGRATED INTO THE H EALTH AND OR PHYSICAL EDUCATION 3
CURRICULUM FOR EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY; AND 4
(2) AGE–APPROPRIATE FOR STUD ENTS IN ELEMENTARY , MIDDLE, 5
AND HIGH SCHOOL . 6
(B) THE INSTRUCTIONAL CON TENT DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF 7
THIS SECTION SHALL I NCLUDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WITH DI SABILITIES, 8
IF PRACTICABLE . 9
(C) BEGINNING IN THE 2026–2027 SCHOOL YEAR , EACH COUNTY BOARD 10
SHALL IMPLEMENT THE INSTRUCTIONAL CONTEN T DEVELOPED UNDER 11
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION BY OFFERING THE INST RUCTIONAL CONTENT AS 12
PART OF THE HEALTH O R PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM AT LEAST ONCE IN 13
ELEMENTARY , MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL . 14
(D) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO REQU IRE A COUNTY BO ARD 15
TO PROVIDE IN–WATER TRAINING AT A SWIMMING POOL . 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 17
(a) (1) On or before December 1, 2025, each county board of education shall 18
develop a plan to ensure public school students in the county have access to swimming pools 19
for swimming and taking swimming and water safety courses. 20
(2) The plan required under this subsection shall: 21
(i) identify strategies to maximize public and private resources to 22
provide access to swimming pools and related facilities for public school students; 23
(ii) identify public and private entities in the local community that 24
could partner with schools to offer access to swimming pools and related facilities to public 25
school students during school operating hours; 26
(iii) identify methods to increase public school student access to 27
swimming pools and related facilities, including costs and transportation, while keeping 28
costs low; and 29
(iv) recommend any necessary changes to policy or law to implement 30
the plan required under paragraph (1) of this subsection and the requirements of § 7–452 31
of the Education Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act. 32 HOUSE BILL 1127 3
(b) On or before December 15, 2025, each county board shall submit a copy of the 1
plan developed under subsection (a) of this section to the State Department of Education. 2
(c) On or before January 1, 2026, the State Department of Education shall 3
compile the reports submitted under subsection (b) of this section and submit a report that 4
includes all the county boards’ plans to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 5
2–1257 of the State Government Article. 6
SECTION 3. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 7
July 1, 2025. Section 2 of this Act shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the 8
end of June 30, 2026, Section 2 of this Act, with no further action required by the General 9
Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.