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.
*sb0656*
SENATE BILL 656
F3 5lr1588
CF HB 1529
By: Senators Sydnor, Brooks, Hettleman, and M. Washington
Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 21, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Baltimore County Board of Education – Alterations of Elected Member Districts 2
and Establishment of Redistricting Process 3
FOR the purpose of requiring certain members of the Baltimore County Board of Education 4
to be elected in a certain manner from certain districts in certain elections; 5
establishing the process for how certain school board districts are reapportioned after 6
each decennial census of the United States; and generally relating to elected member 7
districts for the Baltimore County Board of Education. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Education 10
Section 3–2B–01 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Education 15
Section 3–2B–11 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Education 21 2 SENATE BILL 656
3–2B–01. 1
(a) The Baltimore County Board of Education consists of: 2
(1) Seven nonpartisan elected members; 3
(2) Four appointed members; and 4
(3) One student member. 5
(b) (1) Of the 11 elected and appointed members of the county board: 6
(i) 1. [One] BEFORE THE 2034 GENERAL ELECTION , ONE 7
member shall be elected from each of the seven councilmanic districts in the county, 8
established by the County Council of Baltimore County IN EXISTENCE ON OCTOBER 1, 9
2024, by the voters of that district; and 10
2. BEGINNING WITH THE 2034 GENERAL ELECTION , ONE 11
MEMBER SHALL BE ELEC TED FROM EACH OF THE SEVEN SCHOOL BOARD D ISTRICTS 12
ESTABLISHED BY THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS DESCRIBED IN § 3–2B–11 OF THIS 13
SUBTITLE, BY THE VOTERS OF THA T DISTRICT; AND 14
(ii) Four members shall be appointed by the Governor from the 15
county at large. 16
(2) (i) The seven elected members shall be elected at a general election 17
in gubernatorial election years in accordance with § 3–2B–02 of this subtitle. 18
(ii) The four appointed members shall be appointed by the Governor 19
in presidential election years from a list of nominees submitted by the Baltimore County 20
School Board Nominating Commission as provided in § 3–2B–03 of this subtitle: 21
1. On the expiration of the term of an incumbent appointed 22
member within 30 days after the general election; or 23
2. Within the 30–day period otherwise required under this 24
subtitle. 25
(3) (i) A member from a school board district shall be at least 21 years 26
old, a resident of that district for at least 2 years, and a registered voter of the county before 27
the election. 28
(ii) A member from a district who does not maintain residency in 29
that district may not continue as a member of the county board and the office shall be 30
deemed vacant. 31 SENATE BILL 656 3
(iii) If the boundary line of a district is changed, the term of an 1
incumbent member of the county board who no longer resides in the district because of the 2
change is not affected during this term. 3
(4) (i) A member may not be elected or appointed to serve on the county 4
board for more than three consecutive terms. 5
(ii) A member who has served three consecutive 4–year terms may 6
not be elected or appointed to the county board until at least 4 years have elapsed since the 7
end of the member’s last term on the county board. 8
(5) During an election year: 9
(i) The Governor may not appoint as a member of the county board 10
an individual who files a certificate of candidacy for election to the county board; and 11
(ii) An individual who files a certificate of candidacy for election to 12
the county board may not seek appointment to the county board by the Governor through 13
nomination by the Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission. 14
3–2B–11. 15
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “SCHOOL BOARD DISTRIC T” MEANS THE GEOGRAPHIC 16
AREA OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FROM WHICH AN ELECTED MEM BER OF THE 17
BALTIMORE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION IS ELECTED . 18
(B) (1) BEGINNING AFTER THE 2030 U. S. CENSUS, THE SCHOOL BOARD 19
DISTRICTS SHALL BE: 20
1. REAPPORTIONED AFTER E ACH DECENNIAL CENSU S OF THE 21
UNITED STATES; AND 22
2. EFFECTIVE FOR EACH GENERAL ELECTION WHE RE A 23
MEMBER WILL BE ELECT ED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DECENNIAL CENSUS. 24
(2) THE REAPPORTIONED SCHOOL BOARD DISTRIC TS UNDER THIS 25
SECTION SHALL BE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN POPULATION . 26
(C) (1) AFTER EACH DECENNIAL CENSUS, THE COUNTY BOARD SHALL 27
SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO THE BALTIMORE COUNTY DELEGATION TO THE GENERAL 28
ASSEMBLY ON REAPPORTIONING THE SCHOOL BOARD DIS TRICTS. 29
4 SENATE BILL 656
(2) THE COUNTY BOARD SHALL SUBMIT THE PRO POSAL IN 1
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 OF THE 2
CALENDAR YEAR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWIN G THE CENSUS. 3
(D) (1) THE BALTIMORE COUNTY DELEGATION TO THE GENERAL 4
ASSEMBLY SHALL: 5
(I) CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL SUBMITTED UNDER SUBSECTION 6
(C) OF THIS SECTION; AND 7
(II) INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO REAPPORTION THE S CHOOL 8
BOARD DISTRICTS IN THE SESSION IMMED IATELY FOLLOWING THE DATE THAT THE 9
PROPOSAL WAS SUBMITT ED. 10
(2) LEGISLATION INTRODUCE D UNDER THIS SUBSECT ION MAY 11
DIFFER FROM THE PROPOSAL SU BMITTED UNDER SUBSEC TION (C) OF THIS 12
SECTION. 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
1, 2025. 15
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.