SB 1004

SENATE BILL 1004
      F3  6lr0974
  CF HB 1174
     By: Howard County Senators
     Introduced and read first time: February 24, 2026
     Assigned to: Rules
  A BILL ENTITLED
1 AN ACT concerning
2Howard County – Board of Education – Mandatory School Holidays
3Ho. Co. 11–26
4 FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education to close public schools
5      in the county to students to observe certain holidays beginning in a certain school
6      year; and generally relating to the Howard County Board of Education and
7      mandatory school holidays.
8 BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
9Article – Education
10Section 7–103(a)
11Annotated Code of Maryland
12(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
13 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
14Article – Education
15Section 7–103(c)
16Annotated Code of Maryland
17(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
18SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
19 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
20Article – Education
21 7–103.
22(a)   Except as provided in subsections (b), (e), (f), and (g) of this section, each public
23 school under the jurisdiction of a county board:
     EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
  [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
  *sb1004*
2SENATE BILL 1004
1(1)  (i)    Shall be open for pupil attendance for at least 180 actual school
2 days and a minimum of 1,080 school hours during a 10–month period in each school year;
3 or
4(ii)   If normal school attendance is prevented because of conditions
5 described in subsection (b) of this section, shall be open for at least 1,080 hours during a
6 10–month period;
7(2)      Shall be open for pupil attendance a minimum of 3 hours during each
8 school day; and
9(3)    May not be open on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays in order to meet
10 the 180–day or 1,080–hour requirement of this subsection.
11(c)       (1)   The following days are public school holidays:
12(i)     Thanksgiving Day and the day after;
13(ii)    Christmas Eve and from then through January 1;
14(iii)   Martin Luther King, Jr. Day;
15(iv)    Presidents’ Day;
16(v)     The Friday before Easter and from then through the Monday
17 after Easter;
18(vi)    Memorial Day; and
19(vii)   Primary and general election days.
20(2)    If the federal and State observances of a holiday are on different days,
21 the board of education of each county shall determine which date shall be the date of
22 observance for the public schools within the county.
23(3)   The public schools shall devote a part of at least one day to appropriate
24 exercises for each of the following:
25(i)     Washington’s Birthday;
26(ii)    Lincoln’s Birthday;
27(iii)   Veterans’ Day;
28(iv)    Columbus Day;
29(v)     Arbor Day;
  SENATE BILL 1004  3
1(vi) Black History Month, with an emphasis on Harriet Tubman and
2 Frederick Douglass and the contributions they made in the fight against slavery; and
3(vii)   Any other day of national significance.
4(4)   Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, the public schools,
5 in the following counties, may remain open and in session on primary and general election
6 days:
7(i)     Calvert;
8(ii)    Caroline;
9(iii)   Dorchester;
10(iv)    Kent;
11(v)     Talbot; and
12(vi)    Worcester.
13(5)    (I)     THIS PARAGRAPH APPLIES ONLY IN HOWARD COUNTY.
14(II) BEGINNING IN THE 2027–2028 SCHOOL YEAR, THE
15 HOWARD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL CLOSE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE
16 COUNTY FOR  STUDENT       ATTENDANCE     ONLY    TO OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING
17 HOLIDAYS:
181.      THE FIRST DAY ONLY OF:
19A.      DIWALI;
20B.      EID AL–ADHA;
21C.      EID AL–FITR;
22D.      LUNAR NEW YEAR; AND
23E.      ROSH HASHANAH;
242.      YOM KIPPUR; AND
253.      JUNETEENTH.
4SENATE BILL 1004
1SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
2 1, 2026.