Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Maryland General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 648
Chapter 648
(House Bill 326)
AN ACT concerning
Education – Maryland Center for School Safety – Anonymous Reporting System
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Center for School Safety to develop and
administer an anonymous reporting system; requiring the Center to develop
operational guidelines and procedures for the anonymous reporting system and to
provide certain training; requiring each local school system to participate in the
anonymous reporting system, subject to a certain exception; requiring a certain
custodian of records to deny inspection of information and materials related to the
anonymous reporting system; and generally relating to the school safety anonymous
reporting system.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Education
Section 7–1502(g)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
BY adding to
Article – Education
Section 7–1514
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – General Provisions
Section 4–314.1(a)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – Education
7–1502.
(g) The Center shall perform the following functions and duties:
(1) Provide technical assistance and consultation to local school systems,
State and local government, and community organizations on best practices for safe schools
and violence prevention;
–1–
Ch. 648 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
(2) Develop a website containing a searchable database of definitive
research, books, videos, white papers, speakers, websites, and other school safety resources;
(3) Develop criteria that may be applied consistently and uniformly in local
school systems for coding unsafe incidents and serious or violent offenses;
(4) Research and recommend the use of common assessment tools to be
used to identify specific problems and needs of schools and neighborhoods to facilitate
intervention before assessed findings become problematic;
(5) Assist local school systems to conduct a thorough assessment of their
school safety data, school building layouts, and use of human resources for monitoring
purposes to determine the need for:
(i) Surveillance and other security technology; and
(ii) Innovations to maximize the use of human resources to monitor
activity and influence positive relationship building;
(6) Maintain and maximize relationships with emergency responders, law
enforcement personnel, parents, and other emergency preparedness stakeholders to ensure
seamless execution in an emergency event, including:
(i) Consolidate resources among stakeholders to maximize support
and secure necessary skills to ensure emergency plan implementation;
(ii) Conduct collaborative training and preparation exercises; and
(iii) Identify improvements and ensure nonduplication of effort in
emergency response procedures;
(7) Provide safety information on traveling to and from school to parents
and students twice a year that includes data related to bus and pedestrian safety, strategies
for ensuring personal safety, efforts of the local school system or school to improve safety,
and information on the available options for reporting incidents or concerns;
(8) Utilize and update an existing clearinghouse of law enforcement
resources that are available to support school safety to ensure that it includes information
regarding the purpose and process for accessing available funding;
(9) Assist local school systems to improve and monitor traffic control
measures in the immediate vicinity of schools to reduce the potential for pedestrian and
vehicle accidents;
–2–
WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 648
(10) Assist the Department to evaluate and update current data systems to
ensure they are best suited for providing useful information on school safety issues;
(11) Assist local school systems to monitor local school system and
individual school behavior data to ensure fairness in the application of consequences for
student misbehavior;
(12) Assist the Department and local school systems:
(i) To prepare an annual report that combines multiple school safety
data systems into one format for public review; and
(ii) To incorporate new data points into existing data collection
systems;
(13) Assist in the development of safety and security criteria for the design
and operation of school facilities;
(14) Assist local school systems to identify resources and implement training
for students and parents about relationship violence, identifying the signs of unhealthy
relationships, and preventing relationship violence;
(15) Provide technical assistance to local school systems in the review of
safety and security audits and the implementation of improvements in school facilities;
(16) Analyze data on school resource officers and develop guidelines and
training for local school systems as required under § 7–1508 of this subtitle;
(17) Certify school safety coordinators as required under § 7–1508 of this
subtitle;
(18) Submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a summary of
reports on school resource officer and local law enforcement agency coverage in public
schools as required under § 7–1508 of this subtitle;
(19) Consult with local school systems on safety evaluations developed
under § 7–1510 of this subtitle;
(20) Review and comment on school emergency plans developed under §
7–1510 of this subtitle;
(21) Report to the General Assembly and the Governor on life–threatening
incidents as required under § 7–1510 of this subtitle;
(22) Collaborate with an institution of higher education or a designated
federal or national research entity to study the effectiveness and psychological impact of
–3–
Ch. 648 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
active shooter safety drills or trainings by researching and analyzing the data collected
from local school systems in accordance with § 7–1509(f) of this subtitle;
(23) On or before October 1, 2024, identify best practices for active shooter
safety drills or trainings, and periodically update those identifications using the data
collected from local school systems in accordance with § 7–1509(f) of this subtitle; [and]
(24) Administer the Secure Schools Emergency Response Grant Program
under § 7–1513 of this subtitle; AND
(25) DEVELOP AND ADMINISTER THE ANONYMOUS REPORTING
SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 7–1514 OF THIS SUBTITLE.
7–1514.
(A) (1) THE CENTER SHALL DEVELOP AND ADMINISTER AN ANONYMOUS
REPORTING SYSTEM.
(2) THE ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM SHALL:
(I) COORDINATE THE RECEIPT OF INFORMATION RELATING TO
A SCHOOL OR STUDENT SAFETY CONCERN IN A MANNER THAT MAINTAINS THE
ANONYMITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL REPORTING THE INFORMATION; AND
(II) PROVIDE A MECHANISM FOR ANY REPORTED INFORMATION
TO BE FORWARDED TO SCHOOL OFFICIALS OR OTHER APPROPRIATE RESPONSE
PERSONNEL.
(3) THE CENTER SHALL:
(I) DEVELOP OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES
FOR THE ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM; AND
(II) PROVIDE TRAINING SESSIONS FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL ON
NAVIGATING THE ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM.
(B) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION,
BEGINNING JULY 1, 2027, EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL PARTICIPATE IN THE
ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SECTION.
(2) (I) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY CHOOSE NOT TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM ONLY IF THE LOCAL SCHOOL
SYSTEM, ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, OPERATES AND MAKES AVAILABLE TO THE
–4–
WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 648
PUBLIC A REPORTING SYSTEM THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THE
ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SECTION.
(II) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT CHOOSES NOT TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM SHALL PROVIDE WRITTEN
NOTICE TO THE CENTER ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2026.
Article – General Provisions
4–314.1.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a custodian shall deny
inspection of any record disclosing:
(1) a safety evaluation or school emergency plan developed under § 7–1510
of the Education Article;
(2) an emergency response policy developed under § 7–1509 of the
Education Article and § 3–520 of the Public Safety Article;
(3) guidelines for school resource officers and supplemental coverage by
local law enforcement agencies developed by the Maryland Center for School Safety under
§ 7–1508 of the Education Article;
(4) a plan to implement the Maryland Center for School Safety’s guidelines
adopted by a local school system under § 7–1508 of the Education Article; [or]
(5) any school mapping data produced under the School Mapping Data
Program in accordance with § 7–1510.1 of the Education Article; OR
(6) INFORMATION AND MATERIALS RELATED TO THE ANONYMOUS
REPORTING SYSTEM DEVELOPED UNDER § 7–1514 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2026.
Approved by the Governor, May 26, 2026.
–5–Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.