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HB 748

Publicly Funded Prekindergarten - Early Childhood Educator Career Ladder for Private Providers - New Pathways

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Bernice Mireku-North and 1 co-sponsor

Maryland bill makes permanent the publicly funded pre-K program for private early childhood educators by removing temporary sunset provisions, increasing long-term state commitment and costs.

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Bill Summary · HB 748

Legislative bill overview

HB 748 repeals sunset deadlines associated with Maryland's publicly funded prekindergarten program for early childhood educators working in private providers. The bill removes time-limited provisions that were originally set to expire, effectively making the program's provisions permanent rather than temporary.

Why is this important

Early childhood education funding and workforce development directly affect access to quality pre-K programs for working families and the stability of the childcare workforce. Removing deadlines signals long-term state commitment to the program, which can influence hiring, training investments, and program planning by private providers who participate in public funding.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost implications: Permanent programs require ongoing budget allocation; opponents may argue this creates unfunded liabilities or limits flexibility for future budget adjustments
  • Private provider concerns: Questions about whether public funding creates competitive disadvantages for non-participating private providers or represents overreach into private sector operations
  • Program effectiveness data: Without evidence that current provisions are achieving intended outcomes, removing deadlines could lock in underperforming policies or delay needed reforms

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

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