Text of MD SB 293 (2025)

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. *sb0293* SENATE BILL 293 F1 5lr1921 CF HB 324 By: Senator Feldman Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2025 Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment A BILL ENTITLED AN ACT concerning 1 County Boards of Education – Antibias Training for Members – Requirement 2 (County Board Member Antibias Training Act) 3 FOR the purpose of requiring each member of a county board of education to complete 4 certain antibias training at least once during the member’s term; and generally 5 relating to antibias training for members of county boards of education. 6 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7 Article – Education 8 Section 6–129 9 Annotated Code of Maryland 10 (2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13 Article – Education 14 6–129. 15 (a) (1) The Department shall develop guidelines for an antibias training 16 program for school employees. 17 (2) The guidelines developed under this subsection shall: 18 (i) Be inclusive; 19 (ii) Incorporate lessons in cultural awareness; 20 (iii) Aim to reduce implicit bias; 21 2 SENATE BILL 293 (iv) Be culturally responsive to the needs of educators and students; 1 (v) Raise awareness of biases, prejudices, intolerances, and 2 discrimination faced by African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and 3 Pacific Islanders, Hispanic Americans, and other historically marginalized racial and 4 ethnic minorities; 5 (vi) Combat prejudices faced by historically marginalized religious 6 minorities, including antisemitism and Islamophobia; 7 (vii) Seek to achieve schools that are more inclusive and tolerant of 8 students, faculty, and staff regardless of an individual’s race, national origin, marital 9 status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry, physical attributes, 10 socioeconomic status, familial status, or disability; and 11 (viii) Be evidence–based. 12 (3) In developing the guidelines, the Department shall incorporate lessons 13 learned from real life incidents of discriminatory bullying, harassment, or intimidation 14 reported in accordance with § 7–424 of this article. 15 (4) The Department periodically shall update the guidelines required 16 under this subsection. 17 (b) (1) Each county board shall, in consultation with teachers and other public 18 school employees, develop an antibias training based on the guidelines developed under 19 subsection (a) of this section. 20 (2) If the county board has an antibias training in place before the 21 Department issues its guidelines, the county board shall, in consultation with teachers and 22 other public school employees, update its training to incorporate the practices identified in 23 the guidelines. 24 (c) (1) Every other year, each county board shall train each public school 25 employee whose job duties include frequent interaction with students using its antibias 26 training. 27 (2) Antibias training shall be job–embedded, paid professional 28 development training that is provided during nonteaching time. 29 (3) To the extent practicable, the training shall: 30 (i) Be offered in a peer–to–peer setting; 31 (ii) Take a half day or less to complete; and 32 SENATE BILL 293 3 (iii) Incorporate lessons learned from incidents of bullying, 1 harassment, or intimidation in the county, reported in accordance with § 7–424 of this 2 article. 3 (D) (1) AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE MEMBER’S TERM, EACH MEMBER OF 4 A COUNTY BOARD SHALL COMPLETE THE ANTIBIAS TRAINING DEVELOPED UNDER 5 SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 6 (2) THE TRAINING SHALL BE CONDUCTED SEPARATELY FROM THE 7 PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE TRAINING REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS 8 SECTION. 9 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10 1, 2025. 11

WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 302 – 1 – Chapter 302 (Senate Bill 293) AN ACT concerning County Boards of Education – Antibias Training for Members – Requirement (County Board Member Antibias Training Act) FOR the purpose of requiring each member of a county board of education to complete certain antibias training at least once during the member’s term; and generally relating to antibias training for members of county boards of education. BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article – Education Section 6–129 Annotated Code of Maryland (2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: Article – Education 6–129. (a) (1) The Department shall develop guidelines for an antibias training program for school employees. (2) The guidelines developed under this subsection shall: (i) Be inclusive; (ii) Incorporate lessons in cultural awareness; (iii) Aim to reduce implicit bias; (iv) Be culturally responsive to the needs of educators and students; (v) Raise awareness of biases, prejudices, intolerances, and discrimination faced by African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanic Americans, and other historically marginalized racial and ethnic minorities; (vi) Combat prejudices faced by historically marginalized religious minorities, including antisemitism and Islamophobia; Ch. 302 2025 LAWS OF MARYLAND – 2 – (vii) Seek to achieve schools that are more inclusive and tolerant of students, faculty, and staff regardless of an individual’s race, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry, physical attributes, socioeconomic status, familial status, or disability; and (viii) Be evidence–based. (3) In developing the guidelines, the Department shall incorporate lessons learned from real life incidents of discriminatory bullying, harassment, or intimidation reported in accordance with § 7–424 of this article. (4) The Department periodically shall update the guidelines required under this subsection. (b) (1) Each county board shall, in consultation with teachers and other public school employees, develop an antibias training based on the guidelines developed under subsection (a) of this section. (2) If the county board has an antibias training in place before the Department issues its guidelines, the county board shall, in consultation with teachers and other public school employees, update its training to incorporate the practices identified in the guidelines. (c) (1) Every other year, each county board shall train each public school employee whose job duties include frequent interaction with students using its antibias training. (2) Antibias training shall be job–embedded, paid professional development training that is provided during nonteaching time. (3) To the extent practicable, the training shall: (i) Be offered in a peer–to–peer setting; (ii) Take a half day or less to complete; and (iii) Incorporate lessons learned from incidents of bullying, harassment, or intimidation in the county, reported in accordance with § 7–424 of this article. (D) (1) AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE MEMBER’S TERM, EACH MEMBER OF A COUNTY BOARD SHALL COMPLETE THE ANTIBIAS TRAINING DEVELOPED UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 302 – 3 – (2) THE TRAINING SHALL BE CONDUCTED SEPARATELY FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE TRAINING REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1, 2025. Approved by the Governor, May 6, 2025.