MABE's 2025 Legislative Session Highlights
The 2025 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 and adjourned at midnight on Monday, April 7, 2025. Below you can find a PDF summary highlighting aspects of important education legislation in Maryland and some notable bills that did not pass this year. Additionally, the Maryland Department of Legislative Services provides an in-depth 90 Day Report covering all major policy areas from the 2025 session.
MABE offers the below 2025 Leglsiatlve Session highlights, detailing key education legislation and policy develoments from the Maryland General Assembly: the education bills this year that passed, and some legislation that did not ultimately become law.
2024 Archives
2023 Archives
MABE's 2023 Legislative Positions and Priorities focused on advocacy for local board governance and adequate and equitable state and local funding. MABE has adopted position statements on other major policy issues such as student health, school safety, special education, school facilities, collective bargaining, and vouchers.
In 2023, MABE's Legislative Committee was led by Karen Yoho, Chair (Frederick Co.), and Brenda Wolff, Vice-Chair (Montgomery Co.).During the 2023 session, MABE leadership and staff provided written and oral testimony to the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates reflecting these positions and actions taken by the Legislative Committee.
- The 2023 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 and adjourned “sine die” 90 days later at midnight on Monday, April 10, 2023.
- MABE's 2023 Session Summary Presentation (as of 6/13/23).
- MABE Bill Status Report (April 14, 2023)
- MABE Bill Testimony in the 2023 Session
2022 Archives
MABE's 2022 Session Positions and Priorities
The 2022 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 12, 2022. The 90-day session adjourned “sine die” at midnight on Monday, April 11, 2022.
MABE’s Legislative Committee adopted 2022 Legislative Priorities and Positions, which focused on local board governance and funding priorities and provide background on MABE's positions on major policy areas. The Legislative Committee is led by Karen Yoho, Chair (Frederick Co.), and Brenda Wolff, Vice-Chair (Montgomery Co.), includes members from all 24 local boards, and meets regularly throughout the year to discuss and deliberated on legislative and policy matters before the legislature and State Board of Education.
Importantly, MABE’s legislative platform for 2022 reflected the association’s recognition of the devastating health, economic, and educational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the commitment to education funding and policy actions that advance equity and excellence for each of Maryland’s nearly 1 million public school students.
MABE monitored over 400 bills and provided testimony on nearly 90 house bills and 40 senate bills.
- 2022 MABE Session Summary Presentation (pdf)
- 2022 Session Summary Report (updated 8/1/22)
- MABE Testimony from 2022
2021 Archives
The 2021 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, and adjourned “sine die” at midnight on Monday, April 12, 2021. MABE is celebrating an extraordinarily successful session including the passage of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Act and Built to Learn Act, and the immediate and long-term investments in public education made through the State operating and capital budgets to support the strongest educational recovery possible from the COVID-19 pandemic.
MABE's 2021 Legislative Session Summary presents all of the education-related funding and policy bills enacted in 2021, and highlights several bills that failed to pass or were vetoed. The General Assembly's 90-Day Report is an excellent comprehensive summary of all bills passed and detailed budget analysis.
Archived MABE Testimony from 2021
2020 Archives
The 2020 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, and adjourned “sine die” at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. This early adjournment was due to the public health concerns caused by the pandemic outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Read MABE’s updated 2020 Legislative Session Summary Report (as of August 14, 2020) for an in-depth analysis of priority education bills, and the funding and policy issues passed & failed in 2020.
Archived MABE Testimony from 2020
2019 Archives
The 2019 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 9, 2019 and adjourns “sine die” at midnight on Monday, April 8, 2019.
Read MABE’s updated 2019 Legislative Session Summary Report and Education Highlights Presentation for an in-depth analysis of priority education bills, and the funding and policy issues passed & failed in 2019.
Highlight – On May 15, Governor Hogan announced his decision to release the full $255 million for the FY 2020 allocations of State funding for prekindergarten, teacher salary grants, special education, and other programs contained in Senate Bill 1030, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
2018 Archives
The 2018 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly was convened on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 and adjourned “sine die” at midnight on Monday April 9, 2018. The session saw the introduction of 1,846 House bills and 1,280 Senate bills. Of these 3,126 bills and resolutions, MABE tracked more than 400 bills, and provided testimony and advocated on nearly 80 House bills and more than 60 Senate Bills.
2017 Archives
The 2017 legislative session saw the introduction of 1,672 House bills and 1,208 Senate bills. Of these 2,880 bills and resolutions, MABE tracked more than 400 bills. We provided testimony for and advocated on more than 60 House bills and more than 40 Senate Bills. The Legislative Summary Report and Presentation highlight the major education-related bills enacted and rejected, as well as the State operating and capital budgets enacted for the 2017-2018 school year:
MABE 2017 Legislative Session Summary Report
Summary Presentation – PDF and PowerPoint
2016 Archive
The 2016 legislative session saw the introduction of 1,173 Senate bills and 1,644 House bills, with more than 380 relating to the funding, operation, or governance of local school systems. MABE monitored all of these bills, and submitted written or oral testimony on more than 120 bills. MABE’s legislative priorities focused on preserving local board governance authority, securing adequate operating and capital funding for FY 2017 and the 2016-2017 school year, and opposing legislative encroachment into the education policy and regulatory arena reserved to local boards of education in conjunction with the State Board.
The General Assembly enacted significant legislation in the education policy areas of student health, student free speech, student assessments, after school programs, and operating and capital funding. Bills debated, but ultimately rejected, would have significantly impacted school board authority regarding employee relations in the areas of discipline and collective bargaining; procurement; and school calendar.
MABE 2016 Legislative Summary Report