EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1352*
HOUSE BILL 1352
J1, F2 5lr2101
By: Delegates Patterson, Addison, Alston, Bartlett, Boafo, Boyce, Cardin,
Ebersole, Harrison, Hill, Holmes, Ivey, Kaiser, J. Long, McCaskill,
McComas, Mireku–North, Pasteur, Phillips, Roberson, Ruff, Taylor, Toles,
Turner, Wells, White Holland, Wims, and Woods
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Sickle Cell Disease – Institutions of Higher Education – Policies, Procedures, 2
and Educational Campaigns 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting an institution of higher education from denying access or 4
services to a student based on the student’s diagnosis of sickle cell disease; requiring 5
an institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations for 6
students with sickle cell disease; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to 7
develop an education and awareness campaign for institutions of higher education 8
in the State regarding students with sickle cell disease; requiring the Department, 9
in consultation with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, to develop 10
uniform procedures for institutions of higher education in the State to follow in 11
assessing, supporting, and treating students with sickle cell disease; requiring the 12
Department to develop or compile materials to provide a comprehensive education 13
on sickle cell disease to certain faculty and staff at institutions of higher education 14
in the State; and generally relating to sickle cell disease and institutions of higher 15
education. 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Education 18
Section 15–140 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21
BY adding to 22
Article – Health – General 23
Section 18–510 through 18–512 24
Annotated Code of Maryland 25
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 26 2 HOUSE BILL 1352
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Education 3
15–140. 4
(A) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION : 5
(1) SHALL PROVIDE REASONA BLE ACCOMMODATIONS T O A STUDENT 6
WITH SICKLE CELL DIS EASE; AND 7
(2) MAY NOT DENY ACCESS TO FACILITIES OR SER VICES TO A 8
STUDENT BASED ON THE STUDENT’S DIAGNOSIS OF SICKL E CELL DISEASE. 9
(B) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION SHALL ESTABLISH A 10
PROCEDURE THROUGH WH ICH A PERSON MAY REPORT AN ALLEGED VI OLATION OF 11
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 12
(C) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION SHALL PUBLICIZE IN A 13
MANNER THAT IS CLEAR AND ACCESSIBLE TO ST UDENTS: 14
(1) THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND 15
(2) THE REPORTING PROCEDU RE ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION 16
(B) OF THIS SECTION. 17
Article – Health – General 18
18–510. 19
(A) THE DEPARTMENT , IN CONSULTATION WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE 20
TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATIONS , SHALL 21
DEVELOP A N EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR INSTITUTIONS OF 22
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE REGARDING STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL 23
DISEASE. 24
(B) THE PROGRAM DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 25
SHALL: 26
(1) DESCRIBE CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG ADULTS LIVING WITH 27
SICKLE CELL DISEASE , WITH AN EMPHASIS ON CHALLENGES FACED DUR ING HEALTH 28
CRISES RELATED TO SI CKLE CELL DISEASE ; AND 29 HOUSE BILL 1352 3
(2) PROVIDE INFORMATION O N ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORT 1
THAT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION CAN PROVIDE TO STUDE NTS WITH 2
SICKLE CELL DISEASE TO ENABLE THE STUDEN TS TO SUCCEED ACADEM ICALLY 3
WHILE MANAGING SICKL E CELL DISEASE. 4
18–511. 5
(A) THE DEPARTMENT , IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MARYLAND HIGHER 6
EDUCATION COMMISSION, SHALL DEVELOP UNIFOR M PROCEDU RES FOR 7
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER EDUCATION IN THE STATE TO FOLLOW IN ASSESSI NG, 8
SUPPORTING , AND TREATING STUDENT S WITH SICKLE CELL D ISEASE. 9
(B) THE DEPARTMENT AND THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION 10
COMMISSION JOINTLY SHALL: 11
(1) BEGINNING DECEMBER 1, 2025, PROVIDE TECHNICAL 12
ASSISTANCE TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER EDUCATION TO: 13
(I) IMPLEMENT THE PROCEDU RES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS 14
SECTION; AND 15
(II) INSTRUCT PERSONNEL OF INSTITUTIONS OF H IGHER 16
EDUCATION REGARDING THE PROCED URES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SECTION ; AND 17
(2) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2025, DEVELOP A PROCESS TO 18
MONITOR THE IMPLEMEN TATION OF THE PROCED URES BY INSTITUTIONS OF 19
HIGHER EDUCATION . 20
18–512. 21
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVE LOP OR COMPILE MATERIALS TO 22
PROVIDE HEALTH PERSONNEL, FACULTY, AND ADMINISTRATIVE S TAFF EMPLOYED 23
AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE WITH A COMPREHENSIVE 24
EDUCATION ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 25
(B) THE MATERIALS DEVELOP ED OR COMPILED UNDER THIS SECTION 26
SHALL FOCUS ON ENHAN CING UNDERSTAN DING OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE, 27
REDUCING STIGMA S, AND FOSTERING A SUPP ORTIVE LEARNING ENVI RONMENT FOR 28
STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 29
4 HOUSE BILL 1352
(C) EACH INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IS ENCOURA GED TO CONDUCT 1
AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS AND EDUCATIONAL SESS IONS BASED ON T HE MATERIALS 2
DEVELOPED OR COMPILED UNDER THIS SECTION A S FINANCIAL RESOURCE S ALLOW. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 4
October 1, 2025. 5