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HB 620

Prohibit financing the purchase of a dog or cat

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Sean Brennan and 3 co-sponsors

Summary — HB 620: Primary and Secondary Education — Reportable Offense — AlterationBill number: HB 620 Title: Primary and Secondary Education — Reportable Offense — Alteration Sp

Referred to committee
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Bill Summary · HB 620

Summary — HB 620: Primary and Secondary Education — Reportable Offense — Alteration

Bill number: HB 620
Title: Primary and Secondary Education — Reportable Offense — Alteration
Sponsor: Delegate Atterbeary
Status: Passed 1st Reading (introduced Jan 23, 2025)
Effective date (as written): July 1, 2025

Purpose

HB 620 narrows the statutory definition of a “reportable offense” for K–12 students so that only arrests for offenses defined as “crimes of violence” under the Criminal Law Article (§ 14‑101) trigger the notification duties that currently apply when students are arrested off campus. The bill aims to limit school notification and subsequent school-based disciplinary processes to more serious violent offenses.

Key provisions and changes

  • Redefines “reportable offense” to mean only crimes of violence as defined in § 14‑101 of the Criminal Law Article. Examples of crimes of violence include arson, murder, rape, robbery, carjacking, sexual assault, and related attempted offenses.
  • Removes from the reportable‑offense list numerous non‑violent offenses that currently trigger notification (examples include burglary, drug possession/distribution, illegal firearm possession, motor vehicle theft, malicious destruction of property, and other weapons‑ or drug‑related offenses).
  • Continues existing notification requirements (under current law) that the law enforcement agency making the arrest must notify the local superintendent, the school principal, and, if appropriate, the school security officer — generally within 24 hours or as soon as practicable — but now only for arrests for crimes of violence.
  • Maintains confidentiality provisions: information about a student’s arrest remains confidential (except by court order for good cause), is not part of the student’s permanent educational record, may be transmitted as a confidential file to another local superintendent/nonpublic school when the student enrolls, and must be destroyed when the student graduates, leaves school, or turns 22.
  • Retains the State reporting requirement: the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) must continue to compile and report specified data (annual report to Governor/General Assembly) about reportable offenses received by local schools, consistent with state and federal privacy laws.

Who is affected

  • Primary impact on students arrested for offenses currently classified as reportable but not defined as crimes of violence (these arrests would no longer automatically trigger school notifications).
  • Local law enforcement agencies (reduced notification triggers), local superintendents, school principals, and school security officers (fewer mandatory notifications to receive and handle).
  • MSDE (reporting data will reflect the narrower definition).
  • Potentially State’s Attorneys, school discipline processes, and students subject to school removal/exclusion hearings.

Fiscal impact

  • The Department of Legislative Services fiscal note reports no material effect on State or local finances; small business effect: none.

Potential policy and equity impacts

  • The racial equity analysis accompanying the bill notes the change would significantly reduce the number of offenses that must be reported (the analysis estimates at least 11 offenses removed from the list and indicates a hypothetical 41% reduction in reported incidents for the 2022–2023 school year).
  • Because Black students are overrepresented among arrests reported under current law, narrowing the reporting requirement is likely to reduce the number of students subject to school discipline processes tied to these notifications and may reduce related disparate impacts. The analysis calls for additional data to fully assess the magnitude and public‑safety implications.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Bill takes effect July 1, 2025 (per fiscal note).
  • Under current statute, law enforcement must notify school officials promptly (24 hours or as soon as practicable) when the notification trigger is met; HB 620 changes only which arrests trigger that notice.

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

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