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Bill

HB 1168

State Department of Education - Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Model Response Policy - Requirements

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Heather Bagnall Tudball

Maryland requires school districts to establish sexual misconduct response policies and conduct after-action reviews to identify system failures and improve student safety protocols.

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Bill Summary · HB 1168

Legislative bill overview

HB 1168 requires Maryland local school systems to establish comprehensive policies for responding to sexual abuse and sexual misconduct allegations involving students and staff. The bill mandates after-action reviews following reported incidents to identify systemic gaps and improve prevention measures. These requirements aim to create standardized, transparent protocols across all school districts in the state.

Why is this important

Sexual abuse and misconduct in schools represent serious threats to student safety and institutional accountability. Inconsistent or inadequate response policies across districts can allow perpetrators to evade consequences and leave victims without proper support. Mandatory after-action reviews create opportunities to strengthen institutional safeguards and identify patterns of failure before additional harm occurs.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation burden and costs: School districts may argue that developing and maintaining comprehensive review processes requires significant funding, staff training, and administrative resources that strain already tight budgets
  • Privacy and transparency balance: Defining what information from after-action reviews becomes public versus confidential could pit accountability goals against student privacy protections and potential legal liability concerns
  • Investigative authority scope: Unclear boundaries between school district reviews, law enforcement investigations, and internal personnel disciplinary processes could create overlapping jurisdiction and procedural conflicts

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

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