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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 682
Chapter 682
(Senate Bill 292)
AN ACT concerning
County Boards of Education – Student Transportation – Sunset Repeal and
Study
FOR the purpose of repealing the termination date of certain provisions of law that
authorize a county board of education to provide transportation to and from school
for certain students using a vehicle other than a certain type of school vehicle under
certain circumstances; authorizing a county board to contract with a certain
transportation network company if the transportation network operator meets
certain requirements; requiring the State Department of Education, in consultation
with county boards and the Motor Vehicle Administration, to study the current
regulations for vehicles other than a certain type of school vehicle; and generally
relating to vehicles for student transportation and county boards of education.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Chapter 197 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2021
Section 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Chapter 198 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2021
Section 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Education
Section 7–801
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:
Chapter 197 of the Acts of 2021
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2021. [It shall remain effective for a period of 5 years and, at the end of June 30, 2026,
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and
of no further force and effect.]
Chapter 198 of the Acts of 2021
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Ch. 682 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2021. [It shall remain effective for a period of 5 years and, at the end of June 30, 2026,
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and
of no further force and effect.]
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read
as follows:
Article – Education
7–801.
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
(2) (i) “Nonpublic school” means an elementary or secondary school in
the State that is not part of the public elementary and secondary education system of this
State.
(ii) “Nonpublic school” includes an elementary or secondary school
in Calvert County that does not receive State aid.
(3) “Public school bus” includes any other conveyance used to transport
students to a public school.
(b) (1) At its own expense, a county governing body may provide
transportation for public school students in addition to the transportation provided by the
State.
(2) In Montgomery County, a fee may not be charged for transporting
public school students to school from their designated bus stop locations or from school to
their designated bus stop locations.
(c) (1) A county board may provide transportation to and from school using a
vehicle other than a Type I or Type II school vehicle, as defined in § 11–154 of the
Transportation Article, when a school vehicle cannot reasonably be provided for the
following public school students:
(i) Preschool–age students;
(ii) Students with disabilities;
(iii) Homeless youth;
(iv) Children in foster care;
(v) Students without access to school buses;
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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 682
(vi) Students in a nonpublic school placement; or
(vii) Students in dual enrollment programs, work programs, or other
educational programs based off the school campus.
(2) A county board may provide transportation in accordance with this
subsection to a particular student group that is not listed under paragraph (1) of this
subsection through a written determination by the county board.
(3) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (4) OF THIS
SUBSECTION, THE Department, in consultation with county boards and the Motor Vehicle
Administration, shall adopt regulations establishing minimum vehicle and driver safety
standards for transportation provided in accordance with this subsection.
(4) A COUNTY BOARD MAY CONTRACT WITH A TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK COMPANY THAT DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE
DEPARTMENT UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION, TO TRANSPORT NOT
MORE THAN TWO STUDENTS SIMULTANEOUSLY, IF THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
OPERATOR:
(I) MEETS THE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE PUBLIC
SERVICE COMMISSION FOR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY OPERATORS;
(II) SUBMITS TO:
1. A BACKGROUND CHECK UNDER § 6–113.1 OF THIS
ARTICLE; AND
2. A FINGERPRINT–BASED STATE AND NATIONAL
CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS CHECK;
(III) USES A VEHICLE DESIGNED TO SEAT NOT MORE THAN 10
INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING THE DRIVER; AND
(IV) MEETS ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE
COUNTY BOARD CONTRACTING WITH THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY.
(d) (1) Subject to the requirements of paragraph (2) of this subsection, in
Calvert County the county board may provide transportation to and from school on a public
school bus for a student who attends a nonpublic school.
(2) Transportation offered by the Calvert County Board under this section
shall be offered to a student attending a nonpublic school:
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Ch. 682 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
(i) If there is sufficient capacity on the school bus;
(ii) If the student resides on, along, or near a public highway in the
county on which a public school bus or conveyance operates;
(iii) If the student resides in the public school transportation district
served by the public school bus;
(iv) Only on the routes, school days, and hours of transportation that
coincide with the routes, school days, and hours of transportation for students attending
public schools in the county; and
(v) In the case of a student who attends a nonpublic school that is
not on the public school bus route, only to the public school on the route which is nearest to
the nonpublic school.
(3) The Calvert County Board is not responsible for the safety of any
nonpublic school student who is transported on a public school bus under this subsection
after the student is discharged from the public school bus, and the board may not be held
liable in any civil action arising from an act or omission that occurs after the student is
discharged from the public school bus.
SECTION 3. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That:
(a) The State Department of Education, in consultation with county boards of
education and the Motor Vehicle Administration, shall review the regulations adopted
under § 7–801(c) of the Education Article, as enacted by Chapters 197 and 198 of the Acts
of the General Assembly of 2021, authorizing vehicles other than Type I and Type II school
vehicles to transport public school students.
(b) In reviewing the regulations, the Department shall examine:
(1) the requirements for vehicles other than Type I and Type II school
vehicles, including whether they arbitrarily distinguish between different operators of a
vehicle, different types of vehicles, and the number of passengers transported;
(2) the requirements for the drivers of vehicles other than Type I and Type
II school vehicles, including whether they adequately ensure drivers are prepared for
transporting public school students; and
(3) the regulations adopted by the Public Service Commission for
transportation network operators and whether the regulations adopted by the Department
can be brought into alignment with those regulations without sacrificing student safety.
(c) On or before January 1, 2027, the State Department of Education shall report
on the results of its review to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment
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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 682
Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the
State Government Article.
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That:
(a) If the State Department of Education adopts regulations regarding student
transportation after the review of the regulations adopted under § 7–801(c) of the Education
Article, as enacted by Chapters 197 and 198 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2021,
authorizing vehicles other than Type I and Type II school vehicles to transport public school
students, Section 2 of this Act shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect.
(b) The State Department of Education shall notify the Department of Legislative
Services within 5 days after the effective date of the regulations adopted in accordance with
subsection (a) of this section.
SECTION 2. 5. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
June 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.