Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB531 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0531
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 531
8	8	F2 5lr2119
9	9
10	10	By: Delegates Simmons, A. Johnson, and Taylor
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Appropriations
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Education – Remote Learning Accommodations – Established 2
19	19	(College Disability Education Act) 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of requiring all public institutions of higher education to establish remote 4
22	22	learning accommodations for certain students beginning in a certain academic year; 5
23	23	authorizing the Maryland Higher Education Commission to issue waivers from the 6
24	24	requirement to establish remote learning accommodations for certain students; 7
25	25	establishing a grant program to assist public institutions of higher education to meet 8
26	26	the remote learning accommodations requirement; providing for certain review 9
27	27	procedures and penalties for noncompliance; and generally relating to remote 10
28	28	learning accommodations at public institutions of higher education. 11
29	29
30	30	BY adding to 12
31	31	Article – Education 13
32	32	Section 15–140 14
33	33	Annotated Code of Maryland 15
34	34	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
35	35
36	36	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
37	37	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
38	38
39	39	Article – Education 19
40	40
41	41	15–140. 20
42	42
43	43	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 21
44	44	INDICATED. 22
45	45
46	46	(2) (I) “DISABILITY” MEANS A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL CONDITION 23
47	47	THAT IMPEDES REGULAR , IN–PERSON ATTENDANCE . 24 2 HOUSE BILL 531
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	(II) “DISABILITY” INCLUDES: 1
52	52
53	53	1. CHRONIC ILLNESS ; AND 2
54	54
55	55	2. AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS . 3
56	56
57	57	(3) “ELIGIBLE STUDENT ” MEANS A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY WHO 4
58	58	HAS DOCUMENTATION FR OM A LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER THAT T HE 5
59	59	STUDENT NEEDS ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE DISABILI TY. 6
60	60
61	61	(4) “REMOTE LEARNING ” MEANS EDUCATIONAL IN STRUCTION THAT 7
62	62	IS DELIVERED ONLINE OR THROUGH DIGITAL M ETHODS THAT ALLOW A STUDENT TO 8
63	63	ACCESS COURSES FROM AN OFF–CAMPUS LOCATION . 9
64	64
65	65	(B) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, 10
66	66	BEGINNING IN THE 2026–2027 ACADEMIC YEAR , ALL PUBLIC INSTITUTIO NS OF 11
67	67	HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE SHALL ESTABLISH REMOTE LEARNING 12
68	68	ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENT S IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION. 13
69	69
70	70	(2) REMOTE LEARNING ACCOM MODATIONS INCLUDE : 14
71	71
72	72	(I) LIVESTREAMED CLASSES ; 15
73	73
74	74	(II) RECORDED CLASSES ; 16
75	75
76	76	(III) VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS ; AND 17
77	77
78	78	(IV) REMOTE ACCESS TO ACAD EMIC RESOURCES . 18
79	79
80	80	(3) PUBLIC INSTITUTION S OF HIGHER EDUCATION HAVE DISCRETION 19
81	81	AS TO THE SPECIFIC S OFTWARE PLATFORMS US ED TO PROVIDE REMOTE LEARNING 20
82	82	ACCOMMODATIONS . 21
83	83
84	84	(4) EACH YEAR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS O F HIGHER EDUCATION S HALL 22
85	85	SURVEY ELIGIBLE STUD ENTS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REMOTE LEARNING 23
86	86	ACCOMMODATIONS AND W HETHER THE ELIGIBLE STUDENT S ARE SATISFIED. 24
87	87
88	88	(C) (1) ON APPLICATION FROM A PUBLIC INSTITUTION O F HIGHER 25
89	89	EDUCATION, THE COMMISSION MAY ISSUE A WAIVER FROM THE RE QUIREMENTS OF 26
90	90	THIS SECTION IN THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTAN CES: 27
91	91	HOUSE BILL 531 3
92	92
93	93
94	94	(I) FINANCIAL HARD SHIP AS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF 1
95	95	THIS SUBSECTION ; 2
96	96
97	97	(II) A PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT IS 3
98	98	LOCATED IN A RURAL A REA AS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION ; 4
99	99	AND 5
100	100
101	101	(III) A PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THA T IS 6
102	102	NEWLY ESTABLISHED AS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRA PH (4) OF THIS SUBSECTION . 7
103	103
104	104	(2) A PUBLIC INSTITUTION O F HIGHER EDUCATION W ITH AN ANNUAL 8
105	105	OPERATING BUDGET UND ER $5,000,000 MAY APPLY FOR A WAIV ER IF THE 9
106	106	REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION WILL IMPOSE A FINANCIAL STRAIN ON THE 10
107	107	INSTITUTION. 11
108	108
109	109	(3) A PUBLIC INSTITUTION O F HIGHER EDUCATION T HAT IS LOCATED 12
110	110	IN A RURAL AREA WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO RELIABLE HIGH–SPEED INTERNET MAY 13
111	111	APPLY FOR A WAIVER . 14
112	112
113	113	(4) A PUBLIC INSTITUTION O F HIGHER EDUCATION T HAT IS NEWLY 15
114	114	ESTABLISHED OR IS IN THE PROCESS OF TRANS ITIONING TO A REMOTE–FRIENDLY 16
115	115	INFRASTRUCTURE MAY A PPLY FOR A WAIVER . 17
116	116
117	117	(5) (I) THE COMMISSION MAY ESTABL ISH ANY NECESSARY 18
118	118	PROCEDURES AND DEADL INES FOR THE SUBMISSION, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL 19
119	119	OF WAIVER REQUESTS . 20
120	120
121	121	(II) THE COMMISSION MAY APPROV E A WAIVER REQUEST I N 21
122	122	WHOLE OR IN PART . 22
123	123
124	124	(III) A WAIVER REQUEST UNDER PARAGRAPH (4) OF THIS 23
125	125	SUBSECTION MAY BE AP PROVED FOR UP TO 2 YEARS SUBJECT TO PERIODIC 24
126	126	PROGRESS REVIEW BY THE COMMISSION. 25
127	127
128	128	(D) (1) A GRANT IS AVAILABLE T O A PUBLIC INSTITUTI ON OF HIGHER 26
129	129	EDUCATION TO ASSIST THE INSTITUTION TO C OMPLY WITH THE REQUI REMENTS OF 27
130	130	THIS SECTION. 28
131	131
132	132	(2) (I) TO RECEIVE A GRANT , A PUBLIC INSTITUTION O F HIGHER 29
133	133	EDUCATION SHALL APPL Y TO THE COMMISSION. 30
134	134
135	135	(II) THE APPLICATION SHALL BE ON A FORM MADE AV AILABLE 31
136	136	BY THE COMMISSION AND SHALL INCLUDE: 32 4 HOUSE BILL 531
137	137
138	138
139	139
140	140	1. DETAILED PLANS FOR IM PLEMENTING THE 1
141	141	REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION; 2
142	142
143	143	2. AN ITEM IZATION OF PROJECT ED COSTS FOR 3
144	144	IMPLEMENTATION , INCLUDING THE PURCHASE OF TECHNOLO GY, TRAINING, AND 4
145	145	ANY OTHER INFRASTRUC TURE COSTS; 5
146	146
147	147	3. THE MEASURES THAT WIL L BE USED TO ENSURE 6
148	148	QUALITY AND ACCESSIB ILITY FOR EACH ELIGI BLE STUDENT; AND 7
149	149
150	150	4. DETAILED PLANS FOR ENSURING THA T MOST DEGREE 8
151	151	PROGRAMS CAN BE COMP LETED REMOTELY . 9
152	152
153	153	(3) THE COMMISSION MAY ESTABL ISH ANY NECESSARY PROCED URES 10
154	154	AND DEADLINES FOR TH E SUBMISSION, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF GRAN T 11
155	155	APPLICATIONS. 12
156	156
157	157	(4) GRANTS MAY BE USED ONLY FOR THE FOLLOWING EXPENSES : 13
158	158
159	159	(I) THE PURCHASE OF TECHN OLOGY AND DIGITAL RE SOURCES 14
160	160	FOR REMOTE INSTRUCTI ON, INCLUDING THE PURCHASE OF NECESSARY UPGRADES ; 15
161	161	AND 16
162	162
163	163	(II) THE TRAINING OF FACULTY A ND STAFF TO DELIVER 17
164	164	HIGH–QUALITY REMOTE LEARN ING ACCOMMODATIONS . 18
165	165
166	166	(5) ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 1, 2027, AND EACH AUGUST 1 19
167	167	THEREAFTER , GRANT RECIPIENTS SHAL L SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE COMMISSION 20
168	168	THAT PROVIDES D ETAILED INFORMATION ON THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS 21
169	169	RECEIVED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION. 22
170	170
171	171	(E) (1) EVERY 6 MONTHS, THE COMMISSION SHALL REVIEW THE 23
172	172	PROGRESS MADE BY PUB LIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN BECOMING 24
173	173	COMPLIANT WITH THIS SECTION TO ENSURE THAT THE M AJORITY OF ACADEMIC 25
174	174	MAJORS AND DEGREES P ROVIDE REMOTE LEARNI NG ACCOMMODATIONS TO ALL 26
175	175	ELIGIBLE STUDENTS BY AUGUST 1, 2029. 27
176	176
177	177	(2) IF A PUBLIC INSTITUTI ON OF HIGHER EDUCATI ON IS NOT 28
178	178	PROVIDING REMOTE LEA RNING ACCOMMODATIONS TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUD ENTS BY 29
179	179	AUGUST 1, 2029, THE COMMISSION MAY DEEM T HE INSTITUTION AS 30
180	180	NONCOMPLIANT . 31
181	181	HOUSE BILL 531 5
182	182
183	183
184	184	(3) FOR A NONCOMPLIANT PU BLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER 1
185	185	EDUCATION, THE COMMISSION MAY REDUCE THE APPROPRIATION OF STATE FUNDS 2
186	186	TO THAT INSTITUTION . 3
187	187
188	188	(4) THE COMMISSION SHALL ESTA BLISH AN APPEAL PROC ESS FOR 4
189	189	PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO APPEAL THE DETERMINATION OF 5
190	190	NONCOMPLIANCE UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION . 6
191	191
192	192	(F) (1) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER , A 7
193	193	PUBLIC INSTITUTION O F HIGHER EDUCATION T HAT WAS NOT ISSUED A WAIVER 8
194	194	UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE 9
195	195	COMMISSION. 10
196	196
197	197	(2) THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE : 11
198	198
199	199	(I) EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANC E WITH THE REQUIREME NTS OF 12
200	200	THIS SECTION; 13
201	201
202	202	(II) THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBL E STUDENTS SERVED ; 14
203	203
204	204	(III) THE TYPES OF REMOTE L EARNING ACCOMMODATIO NS 15
205	205	PROVIDED; AND 16
206	206
207	207	(IV) EFFORTS MADE TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBI LITY AND 17
208	208	OUTCOMES FOR ELIGIBL E STUDENTS. 18
209	209
210	210	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 19
211	211	1, 2025. 20