Bill > HB1385

This bill requires each county board of education in Maryland to develop and implement a comprehensive policy to enhance parental involvement in students' education. The policy must include provisions for increasing parent participation in schools, improving parent-teacher cooperation, and establishing detailed rights for parents regarding their children's educational experience. Specifically, parents would be granted the right to review all curricula and instructional materials, be informed about school clubs and extracurricular activities, object to and withdraw their child from specific activities or instruction, and provide consent for gender pronoun usage. The bill also mandates that schools provide advance notice of family life and sexuality instruction, give parents access to all student records, and prohibit school personnel from withholding information from parents. Additionally, the bill creates a formal complaint and appeals process, allowing parents to file written complaints with the county superintendent, who must investigate and respond within 14 days. If parents are unsatisfied with the response, they can appeal to the county board, which will appoint a committee to review the complaint. As a final recourse, parents may bring legal action against the county board for continuing policy violations, but only after exhausting all administrative remedies. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Budget and Finance

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB1385?ys=2025RS