Maryland 2025 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB298 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/09/2025

                     
 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
          *hb0298*  
  
HOUSE BILL 298 
F2   	5lr1016 
HB 463/24 – APP     
By: Delegate Kerr 
Introduced and read first time: January 9, 2025 
Assigned to: Appropriations 
 
A BILL ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Maryland Higher Education Commission – Demographic Data Collection  2 
– Parental Status  3 
 
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission to collect 4 
certain data regarding the parental status of students from each public institution 5 
of higher education in the State; requiring public institutions of higher education to 6 
collect and report certain demographic data from students; and generally relating to 7 
public institutions of higher education and demographic data collection. 8 
 
BY adding to 9 
 Article – Education 10 
Section 11–409 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 
 
11–409. 17 
 
 (A) (1) THE COMMISSION SHALL COLL ECT DATA FROM EACH P UBLIC 18 
INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION IN THE STATE ON THE PARENTAL STATUS OF 19 
STUDENTS ENROLLED IN EACH INSTITUTION . 20 
 
 (2) THE COMMISSION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE PUBLIC 21 
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHE R EDUCATION , SHALL DEVELOP QUESTI ONS THAT ALLOW 22 
EACH STUDENT TO IDEN TIFY: 23 
  2 	HOUSE BILL 298  
 
 
 (I) WHETHER THE STUDENT I S A PARENT , ACTING AS A 1 
PARENT, OR A LEGAL GUARDIAN ; 2 
 
 (II) THE AGE OF THE CHILDR EN FOR WHICH THE STU DENT HAS 3 
RESPONSIBILITY ; AND 4 
 
 (III) THE TYPE OF CAREGIVIN G RESPONSIBILITIES THE 5 
STUDENT PROVIDES , INCLUDING WHETHER TH E STUDENT: 6 
 
 1. IS A SINGLE PARENT ; OR 7 
 
 2. SHARES PARENTAL RESPO	NSIBILITIES WITH 8 
SOMEONE IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD OR A DIFFE RENT HOUSEHOLD . 9 
 
 (B) (1) EACH PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION SHALL PL ACE 10 
THE QUESTIONS DEVELO PED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION ON O NE OR 11 
MORE FORMS THAT ARE USED BY THE INSTITUT ION TO COLLECT DEMOG RAPHIC 12 
DATA FROM STUDENTS . 13 
 
 (2) EACH PUBLIC INSTITUTI ON OF HIGHER EDUCATI ON SHALL MAKE 14 
THE DATA COLLECTED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION A VAILABLE TO 15 
THE COMMISSION IN ACCORDA NCE WITH THE FORMAT DETERMINED BY THE 16 
COMMISSION UNDER SUBS ECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 17 
 
 (C) THE COMMISSION SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT THIS 18 
SECTION, INCLUDING: 19 
 
 (1) ESTABLISHING A COMMON FORMAT AND TIME FRAM E FOR THE 20 
COLLECTION AND REPOR TING OF THE DATA REQ UIRED UNDER THIS SEC TION; AND 21 
 
 (2) A REQUIREMENT THAT THE COLLECTION OF PARENT AL STATUS 22 
DATA BE INCLUDED WIT H THE COLLECTION OF OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC DATA . 23 
 
 (D) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2026, AND EACH SEPTEMBER 1 24 
THEREAFTER , THE COMMISSION SHALL SUBM IT A REPORT TO THE SENATE BUDGET 25 
AND TAXATION COMMITTEE, THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, ENERGY, 26 
AND THE ENVIRONMENT , AND THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, IN 27 
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THAT 28 
SUMMARIZES THE DATA COLLECTED BY THE COMMISSION UNDER THIS SECTION. 29 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 30 
1, 2025. 31