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.
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SENATE BILL 252
F5 5lr0079
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 150
By: Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee (By Request –
Departmental – Education)
Requested: October 7, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 11, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Child Care Centers – Certificated Staff Ratio Requirement – Repeal 2
FOR the purpose of repealing a requirement that certain child care centers have in 3
attendance a certain ratio of staff to children who hold a certificate in first aid and 4
cardiopulmonary resuscitation under certain circumstances; and generally relating 5
to child care centers and staffing requirements. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Education 8
Section 9.5–404(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 9.5–404(b) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
Article – Education 19 2 SENATE BILL 252
9.5–404. 1
(a) The State Board shall adopt rules and regulations for licensing and operating 2
child care centers. 3
(b) These rules and regulations shall: 4
(1) Ensure safe and sanitary conditions in child care centers; 5
(2) Ensure proper care, protection, and supervision of children in child care 6
centers; 7
(3) Ensure the health of children in child care centers by: 8
(i) Monitoring children for signs and symptoms of child abuse; 9
(ii) Instructing licensees and staff concerning child abuse detection 10
and reporting; 11
(iii) Monitoring health practices to help prevent the spread of disease; 12
(iv) Monitoring the care of infants and children with special needs; 13
and 14
(v) Prohibiting the administration of corporal punishment to 15
discipline a child; 16
(4) Promote the sound growth and development of children in child care 17
centers; 18
(5) Promote proper nutrition and developmentally appropriate practices 19
by: 20
(i) Establishing training and policies promoting breast–feeding; 21
(ii) 1. Requiring compliance with the United States Department 22
of Agriculture Child and Adult Care Food Program standards for beverages served to 23
children, except that milk that is not nonfat or low fat may be ordered by a health care 24
practitioner or requested by a parent or guardian; and 25
2. Prohibiting beverages other than infant formula that 26
contain added sweetener or caffeine; and 27
(iii) Setting limits on screen time; 28
SENATE BILL 252 3
(6) Carry out otherwise the purposes and requirements of this subtitle, 1
including imposition of intermediate sanctions to ensure compliance; 2
(7) Prohibit a child from remaining at a child care center for more than 14 3
hours in 1 day unless the Department issues an exception for that child based on guidelines 4
set by the State Superintendent; 5
(8) [(i)] Require that a child care center have in attendance at all times 6
at least 1 individual who is responsible for supervision of children, including children on 7
field trips, and who holds a current certificate indicating successful completion of approved: 8
[1.] (I) Basic first aid training through the American Red 9
Cross or through a program with equivalent standards; and 10
[2.] (II) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training 11
through the American Heart Association or through a program with equivalent standards 12
appropriate for the ages of children for whom care is provided in the child care center; [and 13
(ii) Require that a child care center serving more than 20 children 14
have in attendance certificate holders described in item (i) of this item in a ratio of at least 15
1 certificate holder for every 20 children;] 16
(9) Require that the minimum age of a child care teacher in a child care 17
center be at least 18 years old and an individual may not be precluded from being a child 18
care teacher solely for being 18 years old; 19
(10) (i) Require that a child care center that receives notice of a 20
contaminated drinking water supply from the child care center’s supplier of water, in 21
accordance with § 9–410 of the Environment Article or otherwise, send notice of the 22
drinking water contamination to the parent or legal guardian of each child attending the 23
child care center; and 24
(ii) Require that the notice sent by the child care center shall: 25
1. Be sent within 10 business days after receipt of the notice 26
of contamination from the child care center’s water supplier; 27
2. Be in writing; 28
3. Identify the contaminants and their levels in the center’s 29
water supply; and 30
4. Describe the child care center’s plan for dealing with the 31
water contamination problem until the child care center’s water is determined by the 32
appropriate authority to be safe for consumption; 33
4 SENATE BILL 252
(11) (i) Require a child care center to have a written emergency 1
preparedness plan for emergency situations that require evacuation, sheltering in place, or 2
other protection of children, such as in the event of fire, natural disaster, or other 3
threatening situation that may pose a health or safety hazard to the children in the child 4
care center; 5
(ii) Require the plan under item (i) of this item to include: 6
1. A designated relocation site and evacuation route; 7
2. Procedures for notifying parents or other adu lts 8
responsible for the child of the relocation; 9
3. Procedures to address the needs of individual children, 10
including children with special needs; 11
4. Procedures for the reassignment of staff duties during an 12
emergency, as appropriate; and 13
5. Procedures for communicating with local emergency 14
management officials or other appropriate State or local authorities; and 15
(iii) Require a child care center to train staff and ensure that staff are 16
familiar with the plan; 17
(12) Require a child care center to have window coverings in accordance with 18
§ 5–505 of the Family Law Article; and 19
(13) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, establish probationary 20
employment qualifications for an individual who is applying for the first time to be a child 21
care teacher in a child care center in the State that serves preschool or school–age children 22
who are at least 3 years old. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2025. 25