Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB526 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 EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0526
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 526
8	8	L1 5lr2097
9	9	SB 200/24 – EEE CF 5lr2131
10	10	By: Senators Ellis and Lewis Young
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Counties – Construction of Sidewalks and Crosswalks – Safe Alternative Routes 2
19	19	to Public Schools 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of requiring a county board of education each year to prepare and post in 4
22	22	a certain manner a report that identifies pathways that public school students may 5
23	23	use to travel to school using only safe alternative routes under certain circumstances; 6
24	24	requiring the governing body of a county each year to review a certain report and 7
25	25	construct any sidewalks and crosswalks necessary to create safe alternative routes 8
26	26	for public school students under certain circumstances; requiring the governing body 9
27	27	of a county to develop a certain plan with a certain governmental entity or person 10
28	28	and make certain efforts to execute the plan under certain circumstances; and 11
29	29	generally relating to safe alternative routes to public schools. 12
30	30
31	31	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
32	32	Article – Education 14
33	33	Section 7–801(b)(1) 15
34	34	Annotated Code of Maryland 16
35	35	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
36	36
37	37	BY adding to 18
38	38	Article – Education 19
39	39	Section 7–801(e) 20
40	40	Annotated Code of Maryland 21
41	41	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 22
42	42
43	43	BY adding to 23
44	44	Article – Local Government 24
45	45	Section 12–506.1 25
46	46	Annotated Code of Maryland 26
47	47	(2013 Volume and 2024 Supplement) 27
48	48	2 SENATE BILL 526
49	49
50	50
51	51	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
52	52	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
53	53
54	54	Article – Education 3
55	55
56	56	7–801. 4
57	57
58	58	(b) (1) At its own expense, a county governing body may provide 5
59	59	transportation for public school students in addition to the transportation provided by the 6
60	60	State. 7
61	61
62	62	(E) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION , “SAFE ALTERNATIVE ROU TE” INCLUDES: 8
63	63
64	64	(I) A ROAD WITH SIDEWALKS AND, AT INTERSECTIONS , 9
65	65	CROSSWALKS ; 10
66	66
67	67	(II) A FOOT PATH; AND 11
68	68
69	69	(III) A BIKE PATH. 12
70	70
71	71	(2) EACH YEAR, A COUNTY BOARD SHALL PREPARE A REPORT THA T 13
72	72	IDENTIFIES: 14
73	73
74	74	(I) FOR EACH PUBLIC SCHOO L IN THE COUNTY , THOSE AREAS 15
75	75	OF THE COUNTY WHERE A STUDENT WHO IS REG ULARLY ASSIGNED TO T HE SCHOOL 16
76	76	WOULD BE INELIGIBLE FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVI CES BASED ON THE DIS TANCE 17
77	77	BETWEEN A RESIDENCE AND THE SCHOOL ; AND 18
78	78
79	79	(II) PATHWAYS THAT A STUDE NT RESIDING IN AN AR EA 19
80	80	IDENTIFIED UNDER ITE M (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH MA Y USE TO TRAVEL BETW EEN 20
81	81	THE STUDENT ’S RESIDENCE AND REGU LARLY ASSIGNED SCHOOL USING ONLY A 21
82	82	SAFE ALTERNATIVE ROU TE OR A CONTIGUOUS S ERIES OF SAFE ALTERN ATIVE 22
83	83	ROUTES. 23
84	84
85	85	(3) THE COUNTY BOARD SHAL L POST TO THE COUNTY ’S WEBSITE 24
86	86	EACH REPORT PREPARED UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION . 25
87	87
88	88	Article – Local Government 26
89	89
90	90	12–506.1. 27
91	91
92	92	(A) IN THIS SECTION , “SAFE ALTERNATIVE ROU TE” HAS THE MEANING 28
93	93	STATED IN § 7–801 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE. 29
94	94	SENATE BILL 526 3
95	95
96	96
97	97	(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO ALL COUNTIES . 1
98	98
99	99	(C) EACH YEAR, THE GOVERNING BODY O F A COUNTY SHALL : 2
100	100
101	101	(1) REVIEW THE REPORT RE QUIRED UNDER § 7–801(E)(2) OF THE 3
102	102	EDUCATION ARTICLE; AND 4
103	103
104	104	(2) CONSTRUCT ANY SIDEWA LKS AND CROSSWALKS N ECESSARY TO 5
105	105	CREATE SAFE ALTERNAT IVE ROUTES FOR STUDE NTS AS IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT. 6
106	106
107	107	(D) IF THE GOVERNING BODY OF A COUNTY MUST ALT ER A ROAD THAT IS 7
108	108	NOT SUBJECT TO T HE JURISDICTION OF T HE COUNTY IN ORDER T O MEET THE 8
109	109	REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION, THE GOVERNING BODY S HALL: 9
110	110
111	111	(1) DEVELOP A PLAN WITH THE GOVERNMENTAL ENT ITY OR PERSON 10
112	112	THAT HAS CONTROL OF THE ROAD; AND 11
113	113
114	114	(2) MAKE REASONABLE EFFO RTS TO EXECUTE THE P LAN IN AN 12
115	115	EXPEDITIOUS MANNER . 13
116	116
117	117	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
118	118	1, 2025. 15
119	119