HB 1418

HOUSE BILL 1418
      F1  6lr1928
     By: Delegates Arikan, Griffith, A. Johnson, S. Johnson, McComas, and Reilly
     Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
     Assigned to: Ways and Means
  A BILL ENTITLED
1 AN ACT concerning
2  Public and Nonpublic Schools – Employing Individuals Charged With Crimes –
3Prohibition
4 FOR the purpose of prohibiting a nonpublic school and a county board of education from
5      hiring or retaining a certain employee who the school or county board knows has
6      been charged with a certain crime; requiring a nonpublic school or local school
7      system contract to provide that a contractor or subcontractor for the nonpublic school
8      or local school system may not knowingly assign an employee to work on school
9      premises with certain access to children if the employee has been charged with a
10      certain crime; prohibiting a nonpublic school or local school system from rehiring an
11      employee if the employee fails to provide certain notice as required; and generally
12      relating to prohibiting employment in public and nonpublic schools for individuals
13      charged with crimes.
14 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
15Article – Education
16Section 2–206.1 and 6–113
17Annotated Code of Maryland
18(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
19SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
20 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
21Article – Education
22 2–206.1.
23(a)   A nonpublic school that is subject to the requirements of this title may not hire
24 or retain any employee who works with or has access to students and who the school knows
25 HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH OR has been convicted of a crime involving:
     EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
  [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
  *hb1418*
2HOUSE BILL 1418
1(1)   An offense under § 3–307 or § 3–308 of the Criminal Law Article or an
2 offense under the laws of another state that would constitute a violation of § 3–307 or §
3 3–308 of the Criminal Law Article if committed in the State;
4(2)   Child sexual abuse under § 3–602 of the Criminal Law Article, or an
5 offense under the laws of another state that would constitute child sexual abuse under §
6 3–602 of the Criminal Law Article if committed in this State; [or]
7(3)   A crime of violence as defined in § 14–101 of the Criminal Law Article,
8 or an offense under the laws of another state that would be a violation of § 14–101 of the
9 Criminal Law Article if committed in this State;
10(4)    A CRIME OF MORAL TURPITUDE, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE
11 LAWS OF ANOTHER STATE THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A CRIME OF MORAL
12 TURPITUDE IF COMMITTED IN THIS STATE;
13(5) A DISTRIBUTION CRIME UNDER THE MARYLAND CONTROLLED
14 DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ACT, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE LAWS OF ANOTHER
15 STATE THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A DISTRIBUTION CRIME IN THIS STATE UNDER
16 THE MARYLAND CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ACT;
17(6)
  A FEDERAL CRIME INVOLVING THE TARGETING OF A SCHOOL,
18 INCLUDING SCHOOL STUDENTS, PERSONNEL, PROPERTY, OR OPERATIONS; OR
19(7)
  ANY FELONY NOT COVERED UNDER ITEMS (1) THROUGH (6) OF
20 THIS SUBSECTION, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE LAWS OF ANOTHER STATE OR THE
21 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A FELONY IN THIS STATE.
22(b)   A nonpublic school contract shall provide that a contractor or subcontractor
23 for the school may not knowingly assign an employee to work on school premises with
24 direct, unsupervised, and uncontrolled access to children, if the employee HAS BEEN
25 CHARGED WITH OR has been convicted of a crime identified under subsection (a) of this
26 section.
27(c)    The State Board:
28(1)    Shall revoke the certificate of approval or letter of tentative approval of
29 a nonpublic school that violates subsection (a) of this section; and
30(2)    May revoke the certificate of approval or letter of tentative approval of
31 a nonpublic school that violates subsection (b) of this section.
32(D)SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION, THIS SECTION DOES
33 NOT PRECLUDE A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL FROM HIRING OR REHIRING, OR A
  HOUSE BILL 1418  3
1 CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR FROM ASSIGNING TO A SCHOOL, AN INDIVIDUAL
2 WHOSE CHARGE DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION IS DISPOSED
3 OF BY AN ACQUITTAL, A DISMISSAL, OR A NOLLE PROSEQUI.
4(E)   (1)AN EMPLOYEE OF A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL WHO IS CHARGED WITH
5 A CRIME DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOTIFY THE
6 SCHOOL WITHIN 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE INDIVIDUAL HAS NOTICE OF THE
7 CHARGE.
8(2)  AN EMPLOYEE WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH PARAGRAPH (1) OF
9 THIS SUBSECTION MAY NOT BE REHIRED BY THE NONPUBLIC SCHOOL FOR 5 YEARS,
10 BEGINNING WITH THE DATE THE CHARGE IS DISPOSED OF BY AN ACQUITTAL, A
11 DISMISSAL, OR A NOLLE PROSEQUI.
12 6–113.
13(a)A county board may not knowingly hire or retain any individual who HAS
14 BEEN CHARGED WITH OR has been convicted of a crime involving:
15(1)   An offense under § 3–307 or § 3–308 of the Criminal Law Article or an
16 offense under the laws of another state that would constitute a violation of § 3–307 or §
17 3–308 of the Criminal Law Article if committed in the State;
18(2)   Child sexual abuse under § 3–602 of the Criminal Law Article, or an
19 offense under the laws of another state that would constitute child sexual abuse under §
20 3–602 of the Criminal Law Article if committed in this State; [or]
21(3)   A crime of violence as defined in § 14–101 of the Criminal Law Article,
22 or an offense under the laws of another state that would be a violation of § 14–101 of the
23 Criminal Law Article if committed in this State;
24(4)    A CRIME OF MORAL TURPITUDE, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE
25 LAWS OF ANOTHER STATE THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A CRIME OF MORAL
26 TURPITUDE IF COMMITTED IN THIS STATE;
27(5) A DISTRIBUTION CRIME UNDER THE MARYLAND CONTROLLED
28 DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ACT, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE LAWS OF ANOTHER
29 STATE THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A DISTRIBUTION CRIME IN THIS STATE UNDER
30 THE MARYLAND CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ACT;
31(6)
  A FEDERAL CRIME INVOLVING THE TARGETING OF A SCHOOL,
32 INCLUDING SCHOOL STUDENTS, PERSONNEL, PROPERTY, OR OPERATIONS; OR
4HOUSE BILL 1418
1(7)
  ANY FELONY NOT COVERED UNDER ITEMS (1) THROUGH (6) OF
2 THIS SUBSECTION, OR AN OFFENSE UNDER THE LAWS OF ANOTHER STATE OR THE
3 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A FELONY IN THIS STATE.
4(b)    A local school system contract shall provide that a contractor or subcontractor
5 for the local school system may not knowingly assign an employee to work on school
6 premises with direct, unsupervised, and uncontrolled access to children, if the employee
7 HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH OR has been convicted of a crime identified under subsection
8 (a) of this section.
9(C)  SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION, THIS SECTION DOES
10 NOT PRECLUDE A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM HIRING OR REHIRING, OR A
11 CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR FROM ASSIGNING TO A SCHOOL, AN INDIVIDUAL
12 WHOSE CHARGE DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION IS DISPOSED
13 OF BY AN ACQUITTAL, A DISMISSAL, OR A NOLLE PROSEQUI.
14(D)    (1)
  AN EMPLOYEE OF A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM WHO IS CHARGED
15 WITH A CRIME DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOTIFY
16 THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM WITHIN 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE EMPLOYEE HAS
17 NOTICE OF THE CHARGE.
18(2) AN EMPLOYEE WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH PARAGRAPH (1) OF
19 THIS SUBSECTION MAY NOT BE REHIRED BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR 5
20 YEARS, BEGINNING WITH THE DATE THE CHARGE IS DISPOSED OF BY AN ACQUITTAL,
21 A DISMISSAL, OR A NOLLE PROSEQUI.
22SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
23 1, 2026.