MABE’s Legislative Committee is scheduled to meet monthly through the 2012 legislative session. Major issues anticipated to come before the General Assembly include balancing the FY 2013 operating budget through revenue increases and/or cuts, including:
- proposals to shift teacher retirement costs to local governments
- restoring maintenance of effort as the local funding floor
- sustaining school construction funding at a high level
- the creation of a new tuition tax credit program within MSDE to finance student scholarships for private and parochial schools
In 2011, MABE monitored more than 350 bills pertaining to public education, which represents a significant portion of the more than 2,350 bills introduced. MABE advocates through written and oral testimony on many bills each session, vigorously promoting the interests of Maryland's 24 local boards of education and the 850,000 students we are educating to high standards of college and career readiness each day.
Through session, MABE will upload testimony as it is drafted in advance of bill hearings. In addition, we will post the up-to-date list of all bills we are tracking, provide our bill positions, and link to bill materials (bill text/fiscal note/bill status) and other pertinent documents and resources. The GreenSheet is MABE's online legislative newsletter and provides detailed synopses of many of the bills we are tracking and Calls to Action on priority legislation.
Click here for MABE's 2012 Bill Highlights (as of April 12, 2012) for an update on MABE's positions on key education bills pending in the 2012 session.
NEW – Session Summary & Special Session Update – MABE's 2012 Session Summary (as of May 12, 2012)
FY 2013 Education Budget Testimony & Correspondence
Special Session:
MABE Testimony – Supporting the restoration of GCEI funding in the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA) (May 14, 2012)
MABE Letter – Urging Governor O'Malley, President Miller and Speaker Busch to convene a special session to restore GCEI funding (May 4, 2012)
Regular Session:
SB 150/HB 85 - Budget Bill
SB 152/HB 87 - Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (SUPPORT WITH AMENDMENTS)
MABE Testimony - Senate - Education , Business and Administration Subcommittee of the Senate Buadget and Taxation Committee (February 17, 2012)
MABE Testimony – House - Education and Economic Development Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee (February 20, 2012)
Senate Bills
SB 178 – Education – Informal Kinship Care – Documention Supporting Affivadit Repeal (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 293 – Education – Core Content Areas – Accountability Program (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 307 – State Board of Education – Financial Literacy Curriculum – Graduation Requirement (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 312 – Education – School Vehicle – On-Board Attendant (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 329 - Education – Parent-Teacher Meetings – Unpaid Leave (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
SB 368 – Procurement – Prevailing Wage – Applicability (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 362 – Age for Compulsory Public School Attendance – Exemptions (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
SB 478 – Education – School Buses – Fire Safety Standards for Engine Components (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 557 – Education – Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association – Establishment (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 564 – Student Health and Fitness Act (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 605 – Education – Children in State-Supervised Care – Geographical Attendance Area (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 621 – Public Schools – Epinephrine Availability and Use – Policy Requirements (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 625 – Tobacco-Free Schools Act (SUPPORT WITH AMENDMENTS)
MABE Testimony
SB 712 – Procurement – Prevailing Wage – School Construction (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
SB 844 – Partnership for Student Education and Community Investment Tax Credit (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 848 – Education – Maintenance of Effort – Waivers (SUPPORT WITH AMENDMENTS)
MABE Testimony
SB 851 – Maintenance of Effort – Waiver of Penalties (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
SB 863 - Public Schools – Dating Violence – Kristen Marie Mitchell Law (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 867 – State Department of Education – Oral Health Education (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 881 – Receipt of State Funds – Local Employee Requirement (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
SB 948 – Ethics – Financial Disclosure by Local Elected Officials and County Boards of Education (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
SB 1090 – Public Schools – Provision of Supplemental Educational Services
MABE Testimony
House Bills
HB 9 – Education – Children and Youth – Reporting of Information Concerning Student Health, Well-Being, and Growth (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 191 – State Board of Education – Financial Literacy Curriculum – Graduation Requirement (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 196 – Student Health and Fitness Act (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 201 – Public Schools – Meal Menus – Nutrition Information (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 208 – Baltimore City Public School System Governance (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 308 – Tobacco Free Schools Act (SUPPORT WITH AMENDMENT)
MABE Testimony
HB 335 – Public Secondary Schools Near Boundary of Two Counties – (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 354 – Speed Monitoring Systems and School Bus Monitoring Cameras – Use of Fines – Public Education (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
HB 373 – Education – Age for Compulsory Public School Attendance – Exemptions (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
HB 497 – Public Schools – Epinephrine Availability and Use – Policy Requirement (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 542 – Public Schools – Student Attendnance – Preventing Chronic Absenteeism (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 567 – Education – Parent-Teacher meetings – Unpaid Leave (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
HB 617 – Education – Informal Kinship Care – Documentation Supporting Affidavit – Repeal (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 680 – Education – Development of Guidelines to Incorporate Sustainable Agricultural Education (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 867 – Education – Public School Construction Funding and Children's Indoor Environmental Health (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 980 – County Boards of Education – Children in Home instruction Programs (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1019 – County Boards of Education – Green Product Cleaning Supplies – Written Policiies (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1049 – Elementary and Secondary Education – County-Supervised Home Instruction – High Scohol Diploma (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB1092 – Prevailing Wage Rate – Contract Threshold Amount (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1106 – Public Safety – Innappropriate Search of Minor by Public Servant – Penalties (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB1110 – Public Schools – Dating Violence – Kristen marie Mitchell Law (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1177 – Ethics – Financial Disclosure by Local Elected Official (SUPPORT WITH AMENDMENTS)
MABE Testimony
HB 1216 – Partnership for Student Education and Community Investment Tax Credit (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1217 – Public Charter Schools – Chartering Authorities, Application Requirements, and Funding (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1218 – Public Charter Schools – Chartering Authorities, Application Requirements, Employees, and Facility Funding (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1241 – Education – Preschool for All – Establishment (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1401 – State Department of Education – Oral Health Education – Certification and Monitoring (OPPOSE)
MABE Testimony
HB 1412 – Education – Maintenance of Effort (SUPPORT)
MABE Testimony
HB 1447 – Education – School Attendance in Another County
MABE Testimony
HB 1450 – Public Schools – Provision of Supplemental Educational Services
MABE Testimony
