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Bill

SB 462

relative to the right of therapeutic cannabis patients to purchase, possess, and transfer firearms in accordance with state law.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Daryl Abbas and 4 co-sponsors

Adds an early childhood development professional to the State Board of Education to bring child care operations and curriculum expertise to Board decisions.

Refer to Interim Study, MA, VV; 03/26/2026; SJ 7
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Bill Summary · SB 462

Summary — SB 462: State Board of Education — Membership — Early Childhood Development Professional

Status: Hearing Feb 21, 2025 (committee)
Introduced: (session filing) — Act effective date in text: July 1, 2025

Main purpose

SB 462 adds an early childhood development professional to the Maryland State Board of Education (SBE). The change is intended to bring direct early‑care and early‑learning operational and curricular expertise to the Board’s membership.

Key provisions

  • Changes SBE composition from 13 regular members to 14 regular members (plus 1 student member). The new regular member is specified as:
    • An "early childhood development professional" with extensive experience in the operations of a child care business and in early childhood curriculum and development, as determined by the Office of Child Care Advisory Council (OCCAC).
  • Appointment process:
    • OCCAC submits a list of three qualified individuals to the Governor.
    • The Governor appoints the member from that list with the advice and consent of the Senate.
  • Notice requirement:
    • The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) must provide notice of the initial vacancy and any subsequent vacancy to all licensed child care providers in the State.
  • Executive session participation:
    • The early childhood development member may attend and participate in SBE executive sessions (paralleling the teacher and parent member provisions).
  • Statutory placement:
    • The bill amends Article — Education, §2‑202 (SBE membership and appointment provisions).
  • Effective date:
    • The act takes effect July 1, 2025.

Who is affected

  • State Board of Education: increases membership and adds an explicit early childhood perspective in Board deliberations.
  • Office of Child Care Advisory Council: tasked with vetting and submitting three qualified nominees.
  • Governor and Maryland Senate: involved in appointment and confirmation.
  • Maryland State Department of Education and licensed child care providers: MSDE must distribute vacancy notices to providers.
  • General public: benefits indirectly from Board-level advice informed by early childhood operational and curriculum experience.

Fiscal and administrative impact

  • Fiscal note (Maryland Legislative Services): General Fund expenditures increase by approximately $5,000 annually beginning in FY 2027 to cover travel/expense reimbursements for the additional Board member.
  • Local governments, small businesses: no fiscal effect indicated.

Context / Rationale (from bill findings)

The bill reflects a policy judgment that early childhood operational and curricular expertise will strengthen Board-level decisions affecting early care and education, aligning Board composition with priorities to support young children and child care systems.

If you’d like, I can: (a) extract the exact amended statutory text for §2‑202, (b) draft the nomination/appointment flow as an administrative checklist, or (c) compare this change to SBE compositions in other states.

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

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