HB 1636

HOUSE BILL 1636
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     By: Delegate Acevero
     Introduced and read first time: February 25, 2026
     Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
  A BILL ENTITLED
1 AN ACT concerning
2   Primary and Secondary Schools – Discipline–Related Data – Collection and
3Publication
4 FOR the purpose of requiring the State Department of Education to make public certain
5      discipline–related data in a usable format for the Department’s website; requiring
6      the Department to maintain and use a certain risk ratio and State comparison
7      threshold to identify a school’s disproportional disciplinary practices; requiring
8      certain schools to create an action plan; and generally relating to school
9      discipline–related data collection and publication.
10 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
11Article – Education
12Section 7–306(a), (e), and (f)
13Annotated Code of Maryland
14(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
15 BY adding to
16      Article – Education
17      Section 7–306(f) and (g)
18      Annotated Code of Maryland
19      (2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
20SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
21 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
22Article – Education
23 7–306.
24(a)     (1)     In this section[, “restorative] THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE
     EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
  [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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1 MEANINGS INDICATED.
2(2)    (I)     “RESTORATIVE practices” means a communally and culturally
3 responsive, relationship–focused student discipline model that:
4[(i)]   1.    Is preventive and proactive;
5[(ii)] 2.    Emphasizes building strong relationships and setting
6 clear behavioral expectations that contribute to the well–being of the school community;
7[(iii)] 3.  In response to behavior that violates the clear behavioral
8 expectations that contribute to the well–being of the school community, focuses on
9 accountability for any harm done by the problem behavior; and
10[(iv)] 4.    Addresses ways to repair the relationships affected by the
11 problem behavior with the voluntary participation of an individual who was harmed.
12[(2)] (II)     “Restorative practices” may include:
13[(i)]   1.    Conflict resolution;
14[(ii)] 2.     Mediation;
15[(iii)] 3.    Peer mediation;
16[(iv)] 4.     Circle processes;
17[(v)] 5.      Restorative conferences;
18[(vi)] 6.     Social emotional learning;
19[(vii)] 7.    Trauma–informed care;
20[(viii)]8.    Positive behavioral intervention supports; and
21[(ix)] 9.     Personal accountability.
22(3)    “SUBGROUP” MEANS A GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO ARE OF THE
23 SAME:
24(I)     RACE;
25(II)    ETHNICITY;
26(III) GENDER;
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1(IV)
  DISABILITY STATUS, INCLUDING WHETHER THE STUDENT
2 HAS AN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM OR SECTION 504 PLAN;
3(V)
  SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AS DETERMINED BY ELIGIBILITY
4 FOR FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS OR AN EQUIVALENT MEASURE;
5(VI)    GRADE LEVEL; OR
6(VII) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY.
7(e)   (1)    On or before October 1 each year, the Department shall submit to the
8 Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General
9 Assembly, a student discipline data report that includes a description of the uses of
10 restorative practices in the State and a review of disciplinary practices and policies in the
11 State.
12(2)     The Department shall disaggregate the information in any student
13 discipline data report prepared by the Department by [race, ethnicity, gender, disability
14 status, eligibility for free or reduced price meals or an equivalent measure of socioeconomic
15 status, English language proficiency,] SUBGROUP and type of discipline for:
16(i)     The State;
17(ii)    Each local school system; [and]
18(iii)   Each public AND NONPUBLIC school, INCLUDING CHARTER
19 SCHOOLS;
20(IV)    THE MARYLAND SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND;
21(V)     THE MARYLAND SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF;
22(VI)    THE SEED SCHOOL OF MARYLAND; AND
23(VII) THE JUVENILE SERVICES EDUCATION PROGRAM.
24(3)    Special education–related data in any report prepared under this
25 subsection shall be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender.
26(F)    (1)    IN THIS SUBSECTION, “HIGH–SUSPENDING” INCLUDES:
27(I)
  AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT SUSPENDS 10% OR MORE
28 OF ITS STUDENTS IN EACH SUBGROUP; AND
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1(II)
  A SECONDARY SCHOOL THAT SUSPENDS 25% OR MORE OF
2 ITS STUDENTS IN EACH SUBGROUP.
3(2)THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE PUBLIC IN A USABLE FORMAT ON
4 THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE ALL DISCIPLINE–RELATED DATA SEARCHABLE BY
5 THE STATE LEVEL, LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM LEVEL, AND SCHOOL LEVEL.
6(3) THE DATA INCLUDED ON THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE UNDER
7 PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION MAY INCLUDE:
8(I)    ANY
  DISCIPLINARY PRACTICES OF A SCHOOL OR
9 INSTITUTION LISTED IN SUBSECTION (E)(2) OF THIS SECTION THAT ARE
10 DISPROPORTIONAL TO SIMILAR SCHOOLS WITH A SIMILAR COMPOSITION OF
11 SUBGROUPS;
12(II)   THE    NUMBER   AND      PERCENTAGES   OF   STUDENTS
13 SUSPENDED;
14(III) EACH SCHOOL OR INSTITUTION’S OVERALL SUSPENSION
15 RATE; AND
16(IV)   DATA ON HIGH–SUSPENDING SCHOOLS.
17      (G)    (1)   (I)    IN THIS SUBSECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE
18 MEANINGS INDICATED.
19(II)   “RISK RATIO” MEANS THE RATIO OF STUDENTS IN A
20 SUBGROUP THAT ARE REMOVED FROM A SCHOOL TO ALL OTHER STUDENTS
21 ENROLLED AT THE SAME SCHOOL.
22(III) “STATE COMPARISON THRESHOLD” MEANS A RATIO OF THE
23 REMOVAL RATE OF STUDENTS IN A SUBGROUP TO THE REMOVAL RATE:
241.    OF ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN
25 THE STATE; OR
262.    ACROSS THE SAME SCHOOL LEVELS.
27(2)   (I)    THE DEPARTMENT SHALL:
281.    MAINTAIN A RISK RATIO AND STATE COMPARISON
29 THRESHOLD OF 2.0;
302.    USE THE RISK RATIO AND STATE COMPARISON
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1 THRESHOLD TO IDENTIFY A SCHOOL’S DISCIPLINE PROCESS AS HAVING A
2 DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON STUDENTS IN A SUBGROUP; AND
33.    PROVIDE SCHOOLS AND LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS
4 WITH SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO REDUCE DISPARITIES IN DISCIPLINE TO BELOW
5 THE 2.0 RISK RATIO AND STATE COMPARISON THRESHOLD, AND REDUCE
6 EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE OVERALL TO BELOW THE HIGH–SUSPENDING
7 THRESHOLD IDENTIFIED UNDER SUBSECTION (F) OF THIS SECTION.
8(II)   IF
  THE DEPARTMENT IDENTIFIES A SCHOOL AS
9 HIGH–SUSPENDING OR HAVING A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT, THE SCHOOL OR
10 LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL SUBMIT A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN TO THE STATE
11 BOARD THAT DETAILS SPECIFIC ACTIONS THE SCHOOL OR LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM
12 WILL TAKE TO:
131.    REDUCE
  THE     HIGH–SUSPENDING     OR
14 DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT WITHIN 1 YEAR AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH THE
15 DEPARTMENT IDENTIFIES THE SCHOOL AS HIGH–SUSPENDING OR HAVING A
16 DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT; AND
172.
  ELIMINATE   THE     HIGH–SUSPENDING    OR
18 DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT WITHIN 3 YEARS AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH THE
19 DEPARTMENT IDENTIFIES THE SCHOOL AS HIGH–SUSPENDING OR HAVING A
20 DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT.
21(III) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2028, AND EACH OCTOBER 1
22 THEREAFTER, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE THE
23 CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN AND INCLUDE:
241.
  THE LEVELS OF SUSPENSION FOR ANY SCHOOL
25 IDENTIFIED AS HIGH–SUSPENDING; AND
262.
  THE DISPROPORTIONALITY DATA FOR ANY SCHOOL
27 IDENTIFIED AS HAVING A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT.
28[(f)] (H)    (1)   In this subsection, “alternative school discipline practice” means
29 a discipline practice used in a public school that is not an in–school suspension or an
30 out–of–school suspension.
31(2)    The Department shall collect data on alternative school discipline
32 practices in public schools for each local school system, including:
33(i)   The types of alternative school discipline practices that are used
34 in a local school system; and
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1(ii)   The type of misconduct for which an alternative discipline
2 practice is used.
3SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
4 1, 2026.