Bill > SB48

This bill modifies existing laws regarding public school construction and renovations in Maryland, primarily by adjusting approval thresholds and reporting requirements. It clarifies that the State Superintendent of Schools must approve proposals for purchasing or selling grounds, school sites, or buildings intended for student education, and revises the cost threshold for plans and specifications for additions or renovations to school facilities that affect student-occupied spaces, increasing it from $1,000,000 to $1,250,000. Similarly, the threshold for change orders on additions, renovations, or construction of student-occupied spaces or grounds is raised from $200,000 to $350,000. The bill also mandates that county boards of education must obtain approval from the State Superintendent before acquiring land, school sites, or buildings for educational purposes, or before renting, repairing, improving, or building school facilities, or adding to or renovating them if the cost exceeds $1,250,000 and affects student-occupied spaces. Furthermore, it allows the Interagency Commission on School Construction (ICSC), which oversees state funding for school projects, to set its own requirements for eligibility for state funding, removing a previous mandate for the ICSC to approve 75% of preliminary school construction allocations by a specific date and instead requiring them to provide recommendations for 90% of the allocation by March 1st and approve 100% of the enacted capital budget allocation after May 1st, while also establishing an appeal process for local jurisdictions. The bill also updates reporting deadlines for the ICSC regarding fund balances and introduces new reporting requirements for the ICSC to provide local education agencies and governing bodies with information on the status and estimated state awards for requested school construction projects. Finally, it revises the scope of projects requiring ICSC review to include those costing over $1,250,000 and affecting student-occupied spaces, or those involving non-like-for-like replacements or changes to heating, ventilation, or air-conditioning systems, and adjusts the frequency of cost threshold reviews for these projects to at least every four years.

Budget and Finance

Budget and Taxation (Senate)

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0048?ys=2026RS