SB 960

SENATE BILL 960
     F1  6lr1517
  CF HB 1430
     By: Senator Rosapepe Senators Rosapepe and Ready
     Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
     Assigned to: Rules
     Re–referred to: Budget and Taxation, March 5, 2026
     Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
     Senate action: Adopted with floor amendments
     Read second time: March 22, 2026
  CHAPTER ______
1 AN ACT concerning
2Maryland Public Charter School Program – School Facilities – Funding
3 FOR the purpose of requiring the Interagency Commission on School Construction to
4      distribute certain funds to public charter schools for the maintenance and operation
5      of capital improvements to public charter school facilities, debt service, or rent or
6      lease payments; requiring certain public charter schools to report to the Interagency
7      Commission on School Construction on the status of certain projects; and generally
8      relating to the funding of public charter school facilities in the Maryland Public
9      Charter School Program.
10 BY adding to
11      Article – Education
12      Section 9–109(c)
13      Annotated Code of Maryland
14      (2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
15SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
16 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
17Article – Education
18 9–109.
     EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
  [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
  Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
  Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
  amendment.
  *sb0960*
2SENATE BILL 960
1      (C)   (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION, “PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES”
2 MEANS PREMISES THAT ARE:
3(I)    OWNED OR LEASED BY A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL; OR
4(II)   OCCUPIED AND UTILIZED BY A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
5 TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM OF PRIMARY OR SECONDARY EDUCATION TO ITS
6 STUDENTS.
7(2)   (I)    THE   INTERAGENCY       COMMISSIONON    SCHOOL
8 CONSTRUCTION SHALL DISTRIBUTE FUNDS TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR THE
9 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBSECTION FOR
10 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES, DEBT SERVICE,
11 OR RENT OR LEASE PAYMENTS.
12(II)   FUNDS DISBURSED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS
13 PARAGRAPH SHALL BE PAID DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL AND MAY
14 NOT BE PAID TO A LOCAL GOVERNING BODY OR COUNTY BOARD.
15(3) IF A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IS LOCATED IN A BUILDING OWNED
16 BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE INTERAGENCY COMMISSION ON SCHOOL
17 CONSTRUCTION MAY NOT DISTRIBUTE FUNDS TO THE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
18 FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SCHOOL FACILITY, DEBT SERVICE, OR RENT
19 OR LEASE PAYMENTS UNDER THIS SUBSECTION IN FISCAL YEARS DURING WHICH
20 THE SCHOOL FACILITY IS UNDERGOING A PROJECT THAT IS RECEIVING STATE
21 FUNDING THROUGH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
22(4)   IF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
23 PROGRAM IN A FISCAL YEAR IS LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT IN THE PRIOR
24 FISCAL YEAR, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS DISTRIBUTED TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS
25 UNDER THIS SUBSECTION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR SHALL BE PROPORTIONATELY
26 REDUCED.
27(5)   THE INTERAGENCY COMMISSION ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION
28 MAY NOT USE FUNDS DISTRIBUTED TO A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL UNDER THIS
29 SUBSECTION AS JUSTIFICATION TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT PROVIDED TO A LOCAL
30 SCHOOL SYSTEM THROUGH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
31(6) A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL THAT RECEIVES FUNDS UNDER THIS
32 SUBSECTION DURING A FISCAL YEAR SHALL REPORT TO THE INTERAGENCY
33 COMMISSION ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION ON THE STATUS OF ANY PROJECT FOR
34 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES, DEBT SERVICE,
35 OR RENT OR LEASE PAYMENTS BEFORE THE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL MAY
36 RECEIVE FUNDS FOR THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR.
  SENATE BILL 960  3
1(3) (7)   FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR
2 THEREAFTER, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN
3 APPROPRIATION FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF CAPITAL
4 IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES, DEBT SERVICE, OR RENT
5 OR LEASE PAYMENTS THAT IS EQUAL TO THE TOTAL AGGREGATE STUDENT
6 ENROLLMENT IN THE MARYLAND PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR THE
7 PRIOR FISCAL YEAR MULTIPLIED BY $1,600 $200.
8(4) (8)    (I)    THE   INTERAGENCY      COMMISSION
  ON SCHOOL
9 CONSTRUCTION SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THIS SUBSECTION.
10(II) IN THE REGULATIONS ADOPTED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I)
11 OF THIS PARAGRAPH, THE INTERAGENCY COMMISSION ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION
12 SHALL INCLUDE REGULATIONS THAT:
131.     ESTABLISH THE PROCEDURES TO COMPLY WITH
14 PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION IF A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SUBMITS A
15 MID–YEAR CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDING REQUEST; AND
162.     ENSURE A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL RECEIVES
17 FUNDS UNDER THIS SUBSECTION IF THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM RESCINDS A
18 CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDING REQUEST AND THE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IS
19 SUBSEQUENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING UNDER THIS SUBSECTION.
20SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
21 1, 2026.
     Approved:
     ________________________________________________________________________________
  Governor.
     ________________________________________________________________________________
  President of the Senate.
     ________________________________________________________________________________
  Speaker of the House of Delegates.