EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXIS TING 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.
*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, Metzgar, 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
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 1, 2025
CHAPTER ______
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 2 HOUSE BILL 1352
BY adding to 1
Article – Health – General 2
Section 18–510 through 18–512 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Education 8
15–140. 9
(A) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION : 10
(1) SHALL PROVIDE REASONA BLE ACCOMMODATIONS TO A STUDENT 11
WITH SICKLE CELL DIS EASE; AND 12
(2) MAY NOT DENY ACCESS TO FACILITIES OR SER VICES TO A 13
STUDENT BASED ON THE STUDENT’S DIAGNOSIS OF SICKL E CELL DISEASE. 14
(B) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION SHALL ESTABLISH A 15
PROCEDURE THROU GH WHICH A PERSON MA Y REPORT AN ALLEGED VI OLATION OF 16
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 17
(C) AN INSTITUTION OF HIG HER EDUCATION SHALL PUBLICIZE IN A 18
MANNER THAT IS CLEAR AND ACCESSIBLE TO ST UDENTS: 19
(1) THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND 20
(2) THE REPORTING PROCEDU RE ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION 21
(B) OF THIS SECTION. 22
Article – Health – General 23
18–510. 24
(A) THE DEPARTMENT , IN CONSULTATION WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE 25
TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATIONS , SHALL 26
DEVELOP A N EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR INSTITUTIONS OF 27
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE REGARDING STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL 28
DISEASE. 29
HOUSE BILL 1352 3
(B) THE PROGRAM DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 1
SHALL: 2
(1) DESCRIBE CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG ADULTS LIVING WITH 3
SICKLE CELL DISEASE , WITH AN EMPHASIS ON CHALLENGES FACED DUR ING HEALTH 4
CRISES RELATED TO SI CKLE CELL DISEASE ; AND 5
(2) PROVIDE INFORMATION O N ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORT 6
THAT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION CAN PROVIDE TO STUDE NTS WITH 7
SICKLE CELL DISEASE TO ENABLE THE STUDEN TS TO SUCCEED ACADEM ICALLY 8
WHILE MANAGING SICKL E CELL DISEASE. 9
18–511. 10
(A) THE DEPARTMENT , IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MARYLAND HIGHER 11
EDUCATION COMMISSION, SHALL DEVELOP UNIFOR M PROCEDU RES FOR 12
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER EDUCATION IN THE STATE TO FOLLOW IN ASSESSI NG, 13
SUPPORTING , AND TREATING STUDENT S WITH SICKLE CELL D ISEASE. 14
(B) THE DEPARTMENT AND THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION 15
COMMISSION JOINTLY SHALL: 16
(1) BEGINNING DECEMBER 1, 2025, PROVIDE TECHNICAL 17
ASSISTANCE TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER EDUCATION TO: 18
(I) IMPLEMENT THE PROCEDU RES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS 19
SECTION; AND 20
(II) INSTRUCT PERSONNEL OF INSTITUTIONS OF H IGHER 21
EDUCATION REGARDING THE PROCED URES DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SECTION ; AND 22
(2) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2025, DEVELOP A PROCESS TO 23
MONITOR THE IMPLEMEN TATION OF THE PROCED URES BY INSTITUTIONS OF 24
HIGHER EDUCATION . 25
18–512. 26
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVE LOP OR COMPILE MATERIALS TO 27
PROVIDE HEALTH PERSONNEL , FACULTY, AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF EMPLOYED 28
AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE WITH A COMPREHENSIVE 29
EDUCATION ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 30
4 HOUSE BILL 1352
(B) THE MATERIALS DEVELOP ED OR COMPILED UNDER THIS SECTION 1
SHALL FOCUS ON ENHAN CING UNDERSTANDING O F SICKLE CELL DISE ASE, 2
REDUCING STIGMA S, AND FOSTERING A SUPP ORTIVE LEARNING ENVI RONMENT FOR 3
STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE. 4
(C) EACH INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IS ENCOURA GED TO CONDUCT 5
AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS AND EDUCATIONAL SESS IONS BASED ON THE MA TERIALS 6
DEVELOPED OR COMPILED UNDER THIS SECTION A S FINANCIAL RESOURCE S ALLOW. 7
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 8
October 1, 2025. 9
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.