Bill > HB6

This bill requires Maryland's public higher education institutions, excluding the University of Maryland Global Campus, to collect and report data on students' parental status, including whether they are parents or legal guardians, the ages of their children, and the nature of their caregiving responsibilities. This information will be gathered through existing demographic data collection forms. The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) will then collect this student-level data from each institution, establish a standardized format for reporting, and develop regulations to oversee the process. Additionally, community colleges must adopt a plan to support pregnant and parenting students, which includes referrals to various government assistance programs, adoption services, and healthcare providers, and this plan must be posted on their websites. Finally, MHEC is mandated to submit a comprehensive report to legislative committees by September 1, 2027, summarizing the collected data on student parental status.