WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 147

County Boards of Education - Student Technology Use Policy - Requirements

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Adrian Boafo and 6 co-sponsors

Maryland requires school boards to adopt comprehensive student technology use policies covering safety, privacy, and access with stakeholder input.

House Conference Committee Appointed (Delegates Ebersole, Vogel and Hornberger)
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 147

Legislative bill overview

HB 147 requires Maryland county boards of education to establish comprehensive policies governing student technology use in schools, including guidelines for device access, internet safety, data privacy, and appropriate usage standards. The bill mandates that these policies be developed with input from stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, and technology professionals, and be made publicly available.

Why is this important

As schools increasingly integrate technology into education, clear usage policies protect students' digital safety, privacy, and wellbeing while reducing liability for districts. Well-crafted policies also ensure equitable access to technology and establish consistent behavioral expectations across school systems, which affects millions of Maryland students and their families.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation burden: Smaller counties with limited IT staff may struggle to develop and enforce comprehensive technology policies while managing existing resources
  • Parental control vs. school authority: Disagreement over who bears primary responsibility for monitoring student online behavior—parents or schools—particularly regarding personal devices
  • Data privacy specificity: Unclear standards for what student data collection is acceptable and how district-collected information is protected, stored, and shared with third-party vendors

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

Sign in to ask a question.