Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB688 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 LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0688
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 688
8	8	F1 5lr2291
9	9	HB 96/21 – W&M CF SB 552
10	10	By: Delegate Solomon
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Ways and Means
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Education – High School Graduation Requirements – Financial Aid Application 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of requiring each public high school student, beginning in a certain school 3
21	21	year, to complete and submit a certain financial aid form to the U.S. Department of 4
22	22	Education, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, or a county board of 5
23	23	education as a requirement for graduation; and generally relating to graduation 6
24	24	requirements for public high school students. 7
25	25
26	26	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
27	27	Article – Education 9
28	28	Section 7–205.1(b) 10
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
30	30	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
31	31
32	32	BY adding to 13
33	33	Article – Education 14
34	34	Section 7–205.1(m) 15
35	35	Annotated Code of Maryland 16
36	36	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
37	37
38	38	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
39	39	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
40	40
41	41	Article – Education 20
42	42
43	43	7–205.1. 21
44	44
45	45	(b) (1) The State Board shall establish high school curriculum, college and 22
46	46	career readiness standards, and graduation requirements for all public schools in 23
47	47	accordance with this section. 24
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 688
49	49
50	50
51	51	(2) The State Board shall coordinate and consult with the Maryland Higher 1
52	52	Education Commission, the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, the Maryland 2
53	53	Association of Community Colleges, and the Accountability and Implementation Board in 3
54	54	performing its duties under this subsection. 4
55	55
56	56	(M) (1) BEGINNING IN THE 2026–2027 SCHOOL YEAR , AND EXCEPT AS 5
57	57	PROVIDED IN PARAGRAP HS (2) AND (3) OF THIS SUBSE CTION, EACH STUDENT , AS A 6
58	58	REQUIREMENT FOR GRAD UATION, SHALL COMPLETE AND S UBMIT: 7
59	59
60	60	(I) THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID 8
61	61	(FAFSA) TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; OR 9
62	62
63	63	(II) THE MARYLAND STATE FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION 10
64	64	(MSFAA) TO THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION. 11
65	65
66	66	(2) A STUDENT OR THE PAREN T OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF A MINOR 12
67	67	STUDENT MAY SUBMIT T O THE COUNTY BOARD A FORM SIGNED BY THE S TUDENT OR 13
68	68	THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF THE MINO R STUDENT STATING TH AT THE 14
69	69	STUDENT UNDERSTANDS THE FAFSA OR MSFAA AND DECLINES TO COMP LETE 15
70	70	AND SUBMIT THE FAFSA OR MSFAA. 16
71	71
72	72	(3) A COUNTY BOARD SHALL W AIVE THE REQUIREMENT IN 17
73	73	PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION I F: 18
74	74
75	75	(I) 1. A STUDENT COMPLETES AL L OTHER REQUIREMENTS 19
76	76	FOR GRADUATION IN TH IS SECTION; AND 20
77	77
78	78	2. THE STUDENT ’S PRINCIPAL ATTESTS THAT THE 21
79	79	STUDENT HAS MADE A G OOD FAITH EFFORT TO COMPLETE THE FAFSA OR MSFAA; 22
80	80	OR 23
81	81
82	82	(II) A PARENT OR LEGAL GUAR DIAN OF A STUDENT RE QUESTS A 24
83	83	WAIVER DUE TO EXTENU ATING CIRCUMSTANCES . 25
84	84
85	85	(4) (I) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL AD OPT REGULATIONS TO 26
86	86	IMPLEMENT THE REQUIR EMENTS OF THIS SUBSE CTION. 27
87	87
88	88	(II) THE REGULATIONS ADOPT ED UNDER THIS PARAGR APH 28
89	89	SHALL INCLUDE GUIDEL INES TO ENSURE THAT EACH STUDENT RECEIVE S 29
90	90	ADEQUATE SUPPORT IN COMPLETING AND SUBMI TTING THE FAFSA OR MSFAA. 30
91	91
92	92	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before July 1 each year, 31
93	93	beginning in 2027 and ending in 2032, each county board shall report to the Senate 32
94	94	Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment and the House Committee on Ways 33 HOUSE BILL 688 3
95	95
96	96
97	97	and Means, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on: 1
98	98
99	99	(1) the number of students who completed and submitted the Free 2
100	100	Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Maryland State Financial Aid 3
101	101	Application (MSFAA) in the immediately preceding school year; 4
102	102
103	103	(2) the number of students who declined to complete and submit the 5
104	104	FAFSA or the MSFAA in the immediately preceding school year; and 6
105	105
106	106	(3) the number of students who received a waiver under this Act in the 7
107	107	immediately preceding school year. 8
108	108
109	109	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
110	110	October 1, 2025. 10
111	111