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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
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SENATE BILL 252
F5 (5lr0079)
ENROLLED BILL
— Education, Energy, and the Environment/Ways and Means —
Introduced by Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee (By
Request – Departmental – Education)
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Child Care Centers – Certificated Staff Ratio Requirement – Repeal Alteration 2
FOR the purpose of repealing altering a requirement that certain child care centers have 3
in 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 2 SENATE BILL 252
Article – Education 1
Section 9.5–404(b) 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 4
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 5
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 6
Article – Education 7
9.5–404. 8
(a) The State Board shall adopt rules and regulations for licensing and operating 9
child care centers. 10
(b) These rules and regulations shall: 11
(1) Ensure safe and sanitary conditions in child care centers; 12
(2) Ensure proper care, protection, and supervision of children in child care 13
centers; 14
(3) Ensure the health of children in child care centers by: 15
(i) Monitoring children for signs and symptoms of child abuse; 16
(ii) Instructing licensees and staff concerning child abuse detection 17
and reporting; 18
(iii) Monitoring health practices to help prevent the spread of disease; 19
(iv) Monitoring the care of infants and children with special needs; 20
and 21
(v) Prohibiting the administration of corporal punishment to 22
discipline a child; 23
(4) Promote the sound growth and development of children in child care 24
centers; 25
(5) Promote proper nutrition and developmentally appropriate practices 26
by: 27
(i) Establishing training and policies promoting breast–feeding; 28
(ii) 1. Requiring compliance with the United States Department 29
of Agriculture Child and Adult Care Food Program standards for beverages served to 30 SENATE BILL 252 3
children, except that milk that is not nonfat or low fat may be ordered by a health care 1
practitioner or requested by a parent or guardian; and 2
2. Prohibiting beverages other than infant formula that 3
contain added sweetener or caffeine; and 4
(iii) Setting limits on screen time; 5
(6) Carry out otherwise the purposes and requirements of this subtitle, 6
including imposition of intermediate sanctions to ensure compliance; 7
(7) Prohibit a child from remaining at a child care center for more than 14 8
hours in 1 day unless the Department issues an exception for that child based on guidelines 9
set by the State Superintendent; 10
(8) [(i)] Require that a child care center have in attendance at all times 11
at least 1 individual who is responsible for supervision of children, including children on 12
field trips, and who holds a current certificate indicating successful completion of approved: 13
[1.] (I) Basic first aid training through the American Red Cross 14
or through a program with equivalent standards; and 15
[2.] (II) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training through 16
the American Heart Association or through a program with equivalent standards 17
appropriate for the ages of children for whom care is provided in the child care center; [and 18
(ii) Require that a child care center serving more than 20 children 19
have in attendance certificate holders described in item (i) of this item in a ratio of at least 20
1 certificate holder for every 20 children CERTIFICATE HOLDERS TO CHILDREN SET BY 21
THE DEPARTMENT ;] 22
(9) Require that the minimum age of a child care teacher in a child care 23
center be at least 18 years old and an individual may not be precluded from being a child 24
care teacher solely for being 18 years old; 25
(10) (i) Require that a child care center that receives notice of a 26
contaminated drinking water supply from the child care center’s supplier of water, in 27
accordance with § 9–410 of the Environment Article or otherwise, send notice of the 28
drinking water contamination to the parent or legal guardian of each child attending the 29
child care center; and 30
(ii) Require that the notice sent by the child care center shall: 31
1. Be sent within 10 business days after receipt of the notice 32
of contamination from the child care center’s water supplier; 33
4 SENATE BILL 252
2. Be in writing; 1
3. Identify the contaminants and their levels in the center’s 2
water supply; and 3
4. Describe the child care center’s plan for dealing with the 4
water contamination problem until the child care center’s water is determined by the 5
appropriate authority to be safe for consumption; 6
(11) (i) Require a child care center to have a written emergency 7
preparedness plan for emergency situations that require evacuation, sheltering in place, or 8
other protection of children, such as in the event of fire, natural disaster, or other 9
threatening situation that may pose a health or safety hazard to the children in the child 10
care center; 11
(ii) Require the plan under item (i) of this item to include: 12
1. A designated relocation site and evacuation route; 13
2. Procedures for notifying parents or other adults 14
responsible for the child of the relocation; 15
3. Procedures to address the needs of individual children, 16
including children with special needs; 17
4. Procedures for the reassignment of staff duties during an 18
emergency, as appropriate; and 19
5. Procedures for communicating with local emergency 20
management officials or other appropriate State or local authorities; and 21
(iii) Require a child care center to train staff and ensure that staff are 22
familiar with the plan; 23
(12) Require a child care center to have window coverings in accordance with 24
§ 5–505 of the Family Law Article; and 25
(13) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, establish probationary 26
employment qualifications for an individual who is applying for the first time to be a child 27
care teacher in a child care center in the State that serves preschool or school–age children 28
who are at least 3 years old. 29
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take e ffect July 30
1, 2025. 31