Bill
HB 1341
HB 1341 restricts school security from aiding immigration enforcement, strengthens privacy protections for students/staff, and establishes annual AG-guided policies for sensitive l
Title: Immigration Enforcement - Expanding Sensitive Locations, Notification, and Guidance (Maryland Values Act of 2026)
Jurisdiction: Maryland
Status: Introduced February 12, 2026; assigned to Judiciary and Ways and Means; later reflected as Favorable with Amendments in committee reports (as of April 13, 2026)
Purpose and core objective
- To limit the involvement of public school security personnel in federal immigration investigation and enforcement activities.
- To protect student and staff privacy by restricting the production or sharing of certain information for immigration enforcement.
- To strengthen notification and guidance around immigration enforcement at sensitive locations, with particular emphasis on public schools.
Key provisions and changes
1) Public school security personnel restrictions
- Prohibits public school security personnel from:
- Engaging in federal immigration investigation or enforcement functions at public schools (including 287(g)-type activities).
- Producing or sharing student educational records, employee personnel records, or other information about students or staff (or their families) for immigration enforcement purposes, with limited exceptions.
- Allows exceptions only when a judicial warrant, subpoena, or legal order for production is presented (and only to the extent specified in the subsection).
- Requires immediate notification to the county superintendent and legal counsel if such an order is presented.
2) Expanded definitions and scope
- Expands the definition of “public school security personnel” to include:
- School resource officers (SROs)
- School security employees (non-SRO)
- Certain law enforcement officers who are not directly assigned to a public school, have not completed required McSS training, but provide adequate coverage under an agreement with the local school system.
- Adds explicit definition of sensitive locations and expands the contexts in which those protections apply.
3) Privacy and privacy-law alignment
- Provisions must be construed consistently with applicable federal and state privacy laws.
- Addresses privacy considerations regarding personal records and geolocation data, with emphasis on avoiding misuse or over-collection in immigration contexts.
4) Notification and guidance framework
- Requires the Attorney General to update guidance on sensitive locations and immigration enforcement by October 1 each year, beginning in 2026.
- If guidance is updated, Courthouses, public schools, public libraries, and units of state/local government must implement policies consistent with the updated guidance.
5) Related administrative and policy requirements
- Requires public schools, libraries, and government units that operate sensitive locations to implement policies aligned with Attorney General guidance.
- By July 1, 2026, requires development of privacy protections related to personal records and geolocation data:
- Procedures addressing restrictions on sale or redisclosure of such data
- Considerations of privacy risks, data brokers, and potential secondary use
- Submission of procedures to the General Assembly
6) Definitions and cross-references
- Reclassifies or clarifies terms such as “federal law enforcement officer” and defines “sensitive location” in a broader manner (including school bus stops and locations distributing food to those in need).
- Aligns with prior Maryland law on “Immigration Enforcement” prohibitions and guidance (e.g., Maryland Safe to Learn Act framework).
Effective date
- Takes effect July 1, 2026.
Who is affected
- Public school systems and their security personnel (including SROs and designated non-SRO security staff)
- Public school students, employees, and their families (in terms of privacy protections)
- Local and state government entities operating sensitive locations (courthouses, libraries, health facilities, etc.)
- Private entities that operate at sensitive locations (encouraged to align with Attorney General guidance)
Fiscal and practical impact
- The fiscal note indicates no material impact on state or local government finances anticipated.
- Administrative changes include training, policy updates, and annual guidance refreshes, with potential short-term compliance costs for entities to revise procedures and reporting.
Bottom-line
HB 1341 tightens restrictions on immigration enforcement activities within Maryland public schools, strengthens privacy protections for students and staff, enhances required notification to school officials, and creates a structured, annual guidance and policy-update framework led by the Attorney General. It also expands the set of locations deemed sensitive and subject to protective policies, and it requires privacy-protective procedures for handling personal data held by governmental entities.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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