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SB 852

An Act amending the act of January 17, 1968 (P.L.11, No.5), known as The Minimum Wage Act of 1968, further providing for definitions, for minimum wages and for preemption.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jay Costa and 9 co-sponsors

SB 852 narrows Blueprint for Maryland’s Future requirements by adjusting career-ladder rules, pre-K eligibility, funding/reporting, and ordering two state studies.

Referred to Labor & Industry
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Bill Summary · SB 852

SB 852 — "Blueprint for Maryland’s Future" — Alterations

Status: Enacted (Chapter 331, 2025); Approved by Governor 10/03/2025; Effective July 1, 2025

Purpose

SB 852 makes targeted changes to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future law—altering educator career‑ladder rules, prekindergarten eligibility, certain program funding and reporting requirements, and directing studies on teacher certification and special education funding. The bill narrows some State program requirements, shifts certain local reporting/funding responsibilities, and requires two State studies.

Key provisions

  • Career ladder / educators

    • Removes assistant principals and principals from the educator career ladder; clarifies that “teacher” (for career‑ladder salary provisions) excludes principals and assistant principals.
    • Repeals the administrator track on level four of the career ladder. A teacher may move into administration only with the principal’s approval.
    • Limits the share of teachers who may be “professor distinguished teachers” to at most 1% of all teachers.
    • Reduces maximum State maintenance payments for National Board Certification (NBC) maintenance years (first and second reduced to $4,000; third to $3,000 — per Fiscal Note).
    • Declares that collective‑bargaining terms and conditions remain governed by bargaining unless specifically enumerated as part of the career ladder; limits AIB authority over matters covered by collective bargaining.

  • Prekindergarten eligibility

    • Expands the definition of “Tier I child” for full‑day pre‑K to include 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds who (regardless of family income) have a disability or come from a household where English is not the primary language. (This affects prioritization and funding calculations.)

  • Program funding and reporting

    • Repeals the Career Counseling Program for middle and high school students and eliminates the related distributions to local workforce development boards (LWDBs).
    • County boards must report certain Blueprint program funding on a per‑school basis; however, small schools (350 or fewer students) may request a waiver from the minimum‑per‑school funding requirement and some special‑education funding reporting may be aggregated at the school level.
    • Authorizes local boards to set family income eligibility and cost‑sharing procedures for the competitive entry college and career readiness (CCR) pathway, except that students eligible for free/reduced‑price meals cannot be charged.

  • Required studies and reports

    • Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) must study the effect of NBC on student achievement (including demographics of NBC recipients and feasibility of comparable recognition) and report to Governor and General Assembly by Jan 1, 2026.
    • Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) must study adequacy of Maryland’s special education funding (MSDE may contract externally) and report by Dec 1, 2027.

Who is affected

  • Local school systems: changes to per‑school reporting, waiver availability for small schools, and funding flows (notably elimination of LWDB distributions).
  • Educators and school leaders: career‑ladder eligibility, salary/recognition rules, and NBC maintenance payment caps.
  • Prekindergarten programs and families: altered Tier I eligibility may change slot prioritization.
  • State agencies: AIB and MSDE required to conduct and report specified studies.

Fiscal and implementation notes

  • Fiscal Note (Maryland DLS): General fund increases of approximately $400,000 (FY2026) and $250,000 (FY2027) to support the required studies. State and local education aid will be altered beginning FY2027 in ways that vary by jurisdiction; local boards are relieved of approximately $54.5 million in distributions to LWDBs in FY2026.
  • Effective date: July 1, 2025.
  • Some amendments are explicitly prospective and do not apply to collective‑bargaining agreements executed before the bill’s effective date.

Process and timeline

  • Introduced: January 28, 2025 (Sen. Lewis Young).
  • Committee referrals, amendments, and concurrence actions occurred during 2025.
  • Enacted and chaptered as Chapter 331, Statutes of 2025; Governor approved October 3, 2025.

For implementation, local boards and MSDE/AIB should review the new reporting, waiver, and study timelines and adjust FY2026–FY2027 budgets and administrative practices accordingly.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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