EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0923*
SENATE BILL 923
F1, P2 5lr0926
CF 5lr0646
By: Senator Gile
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Schools – High School Sports Officiating Services – Procurement 2
Requirements 3
FOR the purpose of establishing requirements for local school systems that issue 4
invitations for bids for high school sports officiating services for boys’ and girls’ high 5
school sports; and generally relating to procurement requirements for high school 6
sports officiating services. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Education 9
Section 4–147 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Education 15
4–147. 16
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 17
INDICATED. 18
(2) “ASSIGNING FEES” MEANS THE FEES CHARG ED BY AN ASSIGNOR . 19
(3) “ASSIGNOR” MEANS AN OFFICIATING ASSOCIATION OR 20
ORGANIZATION OR AN I NDEPENDENT CONTRACTO R THAT: 21
2 SENATE BILL 923
(I) IS REGISTERED AND IN GOOD STANDING WITH T HE STATE 1
DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENTS AND TAXATION; AND 2
(II) PROVIDES, ASSIGNS, AND SCHEDULES THE OF FICIALS THAT 3
PROVIDE THE HIGH SCH OOL SPORTS OFFICIATI NG SERVICES FOR A HI GH SCHOOL 4
SPORTING EVENT . 5
(4) “HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OF FICIATING SERVICES ” MEANS THE 6
OFFICIATING SERVICES PROVIDED BY AN OFFICIAL, AN UMPIRE, A REFEREE, OR A 7
JUDGE AT A HIGH SCHO OL SPORTING EVENT . 8
(5) “SIMILAR BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ” MEANS HIGH 9
SCHOOL SPORTS THAT : 10
(I) OCCUR IN THE SAME SEA SON; 11
(II) HAVE COMPARABLE RULES ; 12
(III) HAVE A SIMILAR NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOO L SPORTS 13
OFFICIALS; AND 14
(IV) HAVE A SIMILAR TIME O F COMPETITION . 15
(B) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL ISSUE INVITATI ONS FOR BIDS OR 16
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSA LS FOR SIMILAR BOYS ’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 17
OFFICIATING SERVICES SIMULTANEOU SLY. 18
(C) (1) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY ISSUE AN INVITAT ION FOR BIDS OR 19
A REQUEST FOR PROPOS ALS THAT REQUIRES A PROSPECTIVE BIDDER O R OFFEROR 20
TO INCLUDE IN A BID OR AN OFFER BOTH BOY S’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 21
OFFICIATING SERVICES . 22
(2) IF A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM ISSUES SEPARATE INVITATIONS FOR 23
BIDS OR REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS FOR BOYS ’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 24
OFFICIATING SERVICES , THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM: 25
(I) MAY NOT SET SEPARATE DEADLINES FOR THE SU BMISSION 26
OF BIDS AND OFFERS F OR BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICI ATING SERVICES AND 27
GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS O FFICIATING SERVICES ; AND 28
(II) MAY REQUIRE THAT PROS PECTIVE BIDDERS OR O FFERORS 29
PARTNER TO ENSURE TH AT BIDS AND OFFERS F OR BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 30 SENATE BILL 923 3
OFFICIATING SERVICES ARE ACCOMPANIED BY BIDS AND OFFERS FOR GIRLS’ HIGH 1
SCHOOL SPORTS OFFICI ATING SERVICES . 2
(D) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL REJECT A BID O R PROPOSAL IF 3
ENTERING INTO A PROC UREMENT CONTRACT BAS ED ON THE BID OR PRO POSAL 4
WOULD RESULT , FOR SIMILAR BOYS ’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPOR TS, IN THE RATE 5
OF PAY OR ASSIGNING FEES RECEIVED BY IND IVIDUALS OFFICIATING GIRLS’ HIGH 6
SCHOOL SPORTS OR ASS IGNING GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS O FFICIALS BEING 7
DIFFERENT FROM THE R ATE OF PAY OR ASSIGN ING FEES FOR INDIVID UALS 8
OFFICIATING BOYS ’ HIGH SCHOOL SPO RTS OR ASSIGNING BOY S’ HIGH SCHOOL 9
SPORTS OFFICIALS . 10
(E) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROH IBIT THE PAYMENT OF 11
ASSIGNING FEES AS A BONUS THAT IS PAID O UTSIDE A PROCUREMENT CONTRACT. 12
(F) THE DEPARTMENT MAY DEVELO P GUIDELINES TO ASSI ST A LOCAL 13
SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE IM PLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS S ECTION, 14
INCLUDING ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR DETERMI NING WHICH HIGH SCHO OL 15
SPORTS QUALIFY AS SI MILAR BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS . 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 17
(a) A local school system that executed a procurement contract for high school 18
sports officiating services, as defined in § 4–147 of the Education Article, as enacted by 19
Section 1 of this Act, on or before July 1, 2025, may extend the term of the contract to align 20
the contract timelines for similar boys’ and girls’ high school sports. 21
(b) A local school system may not extend a contract under subsection (a) of this 22
section beyond July 1, 2029. 23
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, except for a contract for high 24
school sports officials extended by a local school system in accordance with Section 2 of this 25
Act, this Act shall be construed to apply only prospectively and may not be applied or 26
interpreted to have any effect on or application to any procurement contracts for high school 27
sports officiating services, as defined in § 4–147 of the Education Article, as enacted under 28
Section 1 of this Act, entered into before the effective date of this Act. 29
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 30
1, 2025. 31