Primary and Secondary Education - Educator Professional Development - Course on Well-Being and Flourishing, the official text

WES MOORE, Governor                  Ch. 758

Chapter 758

                   (House Bill 546)

AN ACT concerning

Primary and Secondary Education – Educator Professional Development –
                            Course on Well–Being and Flourishing

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Department of Education to make available a
         continuing professional development course on educator well–being and flourishing
         to school personnel and administrators on or before a certain date; and generally
         relating to an educator professional development course on well–being and
         flourishing.

BY adding to
         Article – Education
         Section 6–132
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2025 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

6–132.

        (A) (1) ON SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, ON OR
BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE A CONTINUING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE ON EDUCATOR WELL–BEING AND
FLOURISHING.

                (2) THE COURSE SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL SCHOOL
PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATORS.

                (3) THE COURSE MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH SYNCHRONOUS
OR ASYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION.

                (4) TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE
DEPARTMENT MAY:

             (I) DEVELOP A COURSE;

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Ch. 758                              2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

              (II) ADAPT AN EXISTING COURSE DEVELOPED BY A THIRD

PARTY; OR

              (III) MAKE AVAILABLE AN EXISTING COURSE DEVELOPED BY A

THIRD PARTY.

        (B) THE DEPARTMENT IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A COURSE UNDER THIS

SECTION ONLY IF THE COURSE CAN BE PROVIDED AT NO COST OR AT A COMPARABLE

COST, AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT, TO THE COST THE DEPARTMENT PAYS
FOR PROVIDING A COMPARABLE COURSE.

        (C) THE COURSE A COURSE OFFERED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE

MADE AVAILABLE AT A COMPARABLE RATE TO CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT COURSES FOR LICENSED PERSONNEL THAT CONTAIN THE SAME

NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINTS.

(C) (D)       (1) THE COURSE A COURSE OFFERED MADE AVAILABLE BY THE

DEPARTMENT UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL CONSIST OF INSTRUCTION ON

UNDERSTANDING THE EIGHT DIMENSIONS OF WELL–BEING IDENTIFIED BY THE

FEDERAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

AND APPLYING THOSE LESSONS TO INCREASING THE EDUCATOR’S PERSONAL

WELL–BEING.

           (2) THE COURSE SHALL INCLUDE INSTRUCTION ON:

                         (I) SOCIAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF

DIFFERENT TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS AND A SENSE

OF BELONGING AND COMMUNITY;

              (II) ENVIRONMENTAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING:

                                 1.  THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONNECTION TO NATURE AND
THE OUTDOORS; AND

                                 2. THE IMPORTANCE OF FEELING SAFE TO AN
EDUCATOR’S OVERALL WELL–BEING;

                         (III) PHYSICAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF A
HEALTHY BODY TO OVERALL WELL–BEING;

                         (IV) EMOTIONAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE
OF BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS FEELINGS, ADJUST TO EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES, COPE
WITH LIFE’S STRESSORS, AND ENJOY LIFE;

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WES MOORE, Governor                                         Ch. 758

                         (V) SPIRITUAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF
A SENSE OF MEANING, PURPOSE, AND CHARACTER;

(VI) OCCUPATIONAL                        WELL–BEING,  INCLUDING  THE

IMPORTANCE OF WORK TO AN INDIVIDUAL’S PERSONAL WELL–BEING;

(VII) INTELLECTUAL                       WELL–BEING,  INCLUDING  THE

IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO KEEP AN ACTIVE BRAIN, CULTIVATE PERSONAL

INTERESTS, AND PURSUE LIFELONG LEARNING; AND

                         (VIII) FINANCIAL WELL–BEING, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL PROCESSES AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES.

         SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 5 years and, at the end of June 30, 2031,
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and
of no further force and effect.

Approved by the Governor, May 26, 2026.

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