Bill
SB 847
Maryland public colleges must adopt comprehensive antihate and antidiscrimination policies, report incidents annually, and fund a campus grant program to improve prevention and res
(Maryland Campus Accountability and Modernization to Protect University Students Act)
Summary
SB 847 requires Maryland public institutions of higher education to adopt, implement, and report on comprehensive antihate and antidiscrimination policies addressing racial, ethnic, and religious violence, harassment, and intimidation. It also establishes a time/place/manner framework for expressive activities, creates a grant program administered by the University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor, and convenes a short-term workgroup to develop model policies and recommendations.
Purpose and intent
- Strengthen campus protections against racially, ethnically, and religiously motivated violence, harassment, and intimidation.
- Improve institutional response, prevention, reporting, and communication.
- Promote coordination between campus security and law enforcement for threatened student organizations.
- Produce model policies and best practices via a state-convened workgroup.
Key provisions
- Required policies (Art. — Subtitle 20, §§ 11–2001–11–2006):
- Each institution must adopt, enforce, and submit to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) a policy covering rights/responsibilities, training, complaint intake/investigation/adjudication, anonymous reporting options, disciplinary measures, and required communications at case conclusion.
- Institutions must publish a time, place, and manner policy for expressive activities, including procedures for responding to disruptions and notifying the campus community; campus security must collaborate with local law enforcement and the Maryland State Police when student organizations face threats.
- Annual designation of a senior administrator to meet with approved student organizations (including religiously affiliated groups) to review policies, incidents, and concerns.
- Diversity office requirement: incorporate the five demographic groups most affected by hate bias incidents (per the Maryland Hate Bias Report) into diversity and inclusion programming; statute clarifies it must be consistent with constitutional protections (First Amendment).
- Reporting:
- By December 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, institutions must report to MHEC all allegations/complaints and documented incidents of racial/ethnic/religious violence, harassment, or intimidation. Reports must be disaggregated by targeted demographic subcategory, location, incident type, investigation status (including substantiation), and resulting policy changes; reports must include prior-year data and trend analysis.
- MHEC must submit an annual summary to the General Assembly (first due December 31, 2025).
- Campus Community Grant Program:
- USM Chancellor to establish a grant program to support intergroup/interfaith outreach and cultural competency among approved student organizations. The bill includes a mandated appropriation of $500,000 for the program in FY 2027.
- Workgroup:
- Secretary of Higher Education to convene a Workgroup on Combating Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of racial/ethnic/religious violence and intimidation; tasked with developing model policies, guidance, and recommendations.
- Workgroup report due January 1, 2026; workgroup terminates June 30, 2026.
Who is affected
- Public four‑year institutions, community colleges (including Baltimore City Community College), their students, faculty, staff, approved student organizations, campus security departments, MHEC, USM, and the Secretary of Higher Education.
- Local law enforcement partners when coordination is required.
- Institutions may face increased costs for training, security, compliance, coordination, and reporting.
Fiscal and timeline highlights
- Effective date: July 1, 2025.
- Reporting deadlines: first institutional report due December 1, 2025; MHEC summary due December 31, 2025; annual thereafter.
- Workgroup report due January 1, 2026; workgroup ends June 30, 2026.
- Fiscal estimates (Department of Legislative Services): General fund costs of ~$53,800 in FY 2026 to staff the workgroup and a mandated $500,000 appropriation in FY 2027 for the grant program. Institutions and local community colleges may incur additional, indeterminate costs to comply.
Legislative status (selected)
- Introduced: January 28, 2025 (Sen. Hettleman).
- Enacted: Approved by Governor October 13, 2025; Chapter 790, Statutes of 2025.
Notes
- The statute includes an explicit provision preserving First Amendment and other constitutional protections while implementing the policies.
- Institutions must retain and analyze prior-year data to identify trends and policy impacts.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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