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.
*hb1483*
HOUSE BILL 1483
F1, P2 5lr0646
CF SB 923
By: Delegates D. Jones, Bagnall, Bartlett, Behler, Foley, Forbes, Fraser–Hidalgo,
Guzzone, Palakovich Carr, White Holland, and Wolek Wolek, Miller,
Roberts, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means and Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 22, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Schools – High School Sports Officiating Services – Procurement 2
Requirements Officials – Payment and Fees 3
FOR the purpose of establishing requirements for local school systems that issue 4
invitations for bids for high school sports officiating services for boys’ and girls’ high 5
school sports; and generally relating to procurement requirements for high school 6
sports officiating services requiring the State Department of Education, in 7
consultation with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association to 8
develop and periodically update a list of similar high school sports that are 9
categorized together; requiring a county board of education to ensure that certain 10
high school sports officials for certain high school sports are provided equal pay; 11
requiring a county board to conduct invitations for bids for high school sports 12
officiating services in a certain manner; and generally relating to compensation for 13
high school sports officials. 14
BY adding to 15
Article – Education 16
Section 4–147 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21 2 HOUSE BILL 1483
Article – Education 1
4–147. 2
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 3
INDICATED. 4
(2) “ASSIGNING FEES” MEANS THE FEES CHARG ED BY AN ASSIGNOR . 5
(3) “ASSIGNOR” MEANS AN OFFICIATING ASSOCIATION OR 6
ORGANIZATION OR AN I NDEPENDENT CONTRACTO R THAT: 7
(I) IS REGISTERED AND IN GOOD STANDING WITH T HE STATE 8
DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENTS AND TAXATION; AND 9
(II) PROVIDES, ASSIGNS, AND SCHEDULES THE OF FICIALS THAT 10
PROVIDE THE HIGH SCH OOL SPORTS OFFICIATI NG SERVICES FOR A HIGH S CHOOL 11
SPORTING EVENT . 12
(2) “HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OF FICIAL” MEANS AN OFFICIAL , AN 13
UMPIRE, A REFEREE, OR A JUDGE WHO PRESI DES OVER A SPORTING EVENT TO 14
GUARANTEE THAT THE R ULES OF THE EVENT AR E ENFORCED. 15
(3) “HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICIATING ROLE ” MEANS AN 16
OFFICIATING ASSIGNME NT FOR A HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICIAL THAT REQUIRES 17
PERFORMANCE OF A DEF INED SET OF HIGH SCH OOL SPORTS OFFICIATI NG 18
SERVICES. 19
(4) “HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OF FICIATING SERVICES ” MEANS THE 20
OFFICIATING SERVICES PROV IDED BY AN OFFICIAL, AN UMPIRE, A REFEREE, OR A 21
JUDGE AT A HIGH SCHO OL SPORTING EVENT A HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICIAL 22
WHEN OVERSEEING A HI GH SCHOOL SPORT . 23
(5) “SIMILAR BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ” MEANS HIGH 24
SCHOOL SPORTS THAT : 25
(I) OCCUR IN THE SAME SEASON ; 26
(II) HAVE COMPARABLE RULES ; 27
(III) HAVE A SIMILAR NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOL SPORT S 28
OFFICIALS; AND 29
(IV) HAVE A SIMILAR TIME O F COMPETITION . 30 HOUSE BILL 1483 3
(B) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL ISSUE INVITATI ONS FOR BIDS OR 1
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSA LS FOR SIMILAR BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 2
OFFICIATING SERVICES SIMULTANEOUSLY . 3
(C) (1) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY ISSUE AN INVITAT ION FOR BIDS OR 4
A REQUEST FOR PROPOS ALS THAT REQUIRES A PROSPECTIVE BIDDER O R OFFEROR 5
TO INCLUDE IN A BID OR AN OFFER BOTH BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 6
OFFICIATING SERVICES . 7
(2) IF A LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM ISSUES SEPARATE INVITATIONS FOR 8
BIDS OR REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS FOR BOYS ’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 9
OFFICIATING SERVICES , THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM: 10
(I) MAY NOT SET SEPARATE DEADLIN ES FOR THE SUBMISSIO N 11
OF BIDS AND OFFERS F OR BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS O FFICIATING SERVICES AND 12
GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS O FFICIATING SERVICES ; AND 13
(II) MAY REQUIRE THAT PROS PECTIVE BIDDERS OR O FFERORS 14
PARTNER TO ENSURE TH AT BIDS AND OFFERS FOR BOYS ’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 15
OFFICIATING SERVICES ARE ACCOMPANIED BY B IDS AND OFFERS FOR G IRLS’ HIGH 16
SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICI ATING SERVICES . 17
(D) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL REJECT A BID O R PROPOSAL IF 18
ENTERING INTO A PROC UREMENT CONTRACT BAS ED ON THE BID OR PROPOSAL 19
WOULD RESULT , FOR SIMILAR BOYS ’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS , IN THE RATE 20
OF PAY OR ASSIGNING FEES RECEIVED BY IND IVIDUALS OFFICIATING GIRLS’ HIGH 21
SCHOOL SPORTS OR ASS IGNING GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS O FFICIALS BEING 22
DIFFERENT FROM THE R ATE OF PAY OR ASSIGNIN G FEES FOR INDIVIDUA LS 23
OFFICIATING BOYS ’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS O R ASSIGNING BOYS ’ HIGH SCHOOL 24
SPORTS OFFICIALS . 25
(E) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROH IBIT THE PAYMENT OF 26
ASSIGNING FEES AS A BONUS THAT IS PAID O UTSIDE A PROCUREMENT CONTRACT. 27
(F) THE DEPARTMENT MAY DEVELO P GUIDELINES TO ASSI ST A LOCAL 28
SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, 29
INCLUDING ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR DETERMI NING WHICH HIGH SCHO OL 30
SPORTS QUALIFY AS SI MILAR BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS . 31
(B) (1) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2025, THE DEPARTMENT , IN 32
CONSULTATION WITH TH E MARYLAND PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS ATHLETIC 33
ASSOCIATION SHALL DEV ELOP A LIST OF SIMIL AR HIGH SCHOOL SPORT S FOR BOYS 34
AND GIRLS. 35 4 HOUSE BILL 1483
(2) IN CATEGORIZING BOYS ’ AND GIRLS’ SPORTS AS SIMILAR , THE 1
DEPARTMENT SHALL CONS IDER WHETHER EACH SP ORT: 2
(I) OCCURS IN THE SAME SE ASON; 3
(II) HAS COMPARABLE RULES ; 4
(III) REQUIRES A SIMILAR NU MBER OF HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 5
OFFICIALS; 6
(IV) REQUIRES SIMILAR HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICIATING 7
SERVICES; AND 8
(V) FEATURES COMPETITION OF COMPARABLE LENGTH S OF 9
TIME. 10
(3) THE DEPARTMENT , IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MARYLAND 11
PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, SHALL UPDATE THE LIS T 12
EVERY 3 YEARS. 13
(C) (1) THIS SUBSECTION APPLI ES TO A HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICIAL 14
WHO: 15
(I) IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM ; OR 16
(II) IS EMPLOYED BY AN IND EPENDENT CONTRACTOR OR 17
OFFICIATING ASSOCIAT ION OR ORGANIZATION , WITH WHICH THE COUNT Y BOARD 18
CONTRACTS. 19
(2) A COUNTY BOARD SHALL E NSURE THAT HIGH SCHO OL SPORTS 20
OFFICIALS RECEIVE TH E SAME PAY IF THE OFFICIALS: 21
(I) ARE IN SIMILAR HIGH S CHOOL SPORTS OFFICIA TING 22
ROLES; AND 23
(II) ARE PROVIDING OFFICIA TING SERVICES FOR SP ORTS 24
CATEGORIZED AS SIMIL AR UNDER SUBSE CTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 25
(D) (1) A COUNTY BOARD SHALL R EJECT A BID OR PROPO SAL FOR A 26
PROCUREMENT CONTRACT THAT WOULD RESULT IN DIFFERENT PAY OR FEE S FOR 27
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS O FFICIALS IN A SIMILA R HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICIATING 28
ROLE FOR SPORTS CATE GORIZED AS SIMILAR UNDER S UBSECTION (B) OF THIS 29
SECTION. 30 HOUSE BILL 1483 5
(2) WHEN SOLICITING INVIT ATIONS FOR A BID OR A REQUEST FOR A 1
PROPOSAL FOR HIGH SC HOOL SPORTS OFFICIAT ING SERVICES, A COUNTY BOARD 2
SHALL SOLICIT BIDS O R REQUESTS FOR A PRO POSAL FOR EACH SPORT WITHIN A 3
REASONABLE TIME OF THE SOLICITATION OF BIDS OR REQUESTS FOR PROP OSALS 4
FOR ALL SPORTS CATEG ORIZED AS SIMILAR UN DER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS 5
SECTION. 6
(E) (1) THIS SECTION MAY ONLY BE CONSTRUED TO REQU IRE PARITY 7
BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICIALS PER FORMING S IMILAR ROLES IN 8
SIMILAR SPORTS WITHI N A COUNTY AND MAY N OT BE CONSTRUED TO R EQUIRE 9
PARITY IN HIGH SCHOO L SPORTS OFFICIALS B ETWEEN COUNTIES . 10
(2) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO HAVE ANY EFFECT ON 11
THE GROUPING OF SPOR TS TOGETHER FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN T HE 12
PAYMENT OF HIGH SCHO OL SPORTS OFFICIALS OR FEES ASSIGNED TO CONTRACTS 13
FOR HIGH SCHOOL SPOR TS OFFICIALS. 14
(3) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROHIBIT FEES 15
OUTSIDE OF A PROCURE MENT CONTRACT AS A B ONUS TO HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 16
OFFICIALS. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 18
(a) A local school system that executed a procurement contract for high school 19
sports officiating services, as defined in § 4–147 of the Education Article, as enacted by 20
Section 1 of this Act, on or before July 1, 2025, may extend the term of the contract to align 21
the contract timelines for similar boys’ and girls’ high school sports. 22
(b) A local school system may not extend a contract under subsection (a) of this 23
section beyond July 1, 2029. 24
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, except for a contrac t for high 25
school sports officials extended by a local school system in accordance with Section 2 of this 26
Act, this Act shall be construed to apply only prospectively and may not be applied or 27
interpreted to have any effect on or application to any procurement contracts for high school 28
sports officiating services, as defined in § 4–147 of the Education Article, as enacted under 29
Section 1 of this Act, entered into before the effective date of this Act. 30
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act sh all take effect July 31
1, 2025. 32