The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland expands higher education program objection rules and orders study on undergraduate duplication
Last action · March 26, 2026: Hearing 4/08 at 1:00 p.m.Sponsor: Cory McCray
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Maryland Senate Bill 983 removes the rule that restricted higher education program objections strictly to graduate programs, allowing state officials and colleges to object to any new proposed program. The measure also mandates a study by the Program Review Process Advisory Council regarding extending this objection process to new undergraduate programs, with findings due by December 31, 2026. This temporary law takes effect on July 1, 2026, and expires after one year on June 30, 2027.
Higher education institutions face broader potential challenges to introducing new courses of study, while state education authorities gain an expanded mandate to review proposed curricula for unnecessary duplication.
- The Maryland Higher Education Commission coordinates the growth and development of postsecondary education in the State. context
- Senate Bill 983 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the Maryland General Assembly. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Maryland Higher Education Commission
The Commission gains expanded authority to object to proposed academic programs and oversees the mandated advisory council study.
public institutions of higher education in the State
State institutions may file objections against proposed programs across a broader category and may be subject to review of new undergraduate offerings.
private nonprofit institutions of higher education
Private nonprofit colleges and universities may file objections to new programs and participate in the advisory council study framework.
Key Facts
- Repeals the requirement that a proposed new academic program must be a graduate program for an objection to be filed.
- Allows the Maryland Higher Education Commission or state institutions of higher education to file objections to proposed new programs based on mission inconsistency, regional needs, unreasonable duplication, or equal educational opportunity obligations.
- Requires the Program Review Process Advisory Council to study and recommend whether to extend the objection process to proposed new undergraduate programs.
- Directs the Program Review Process Advisory Council to consider relevant federal and State legal precedent regarding unnecessary program duplication.
Show all 7 facts
- Mandates a report of findings and recommendations to be submitted by December 31, 2026, to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.
- Establishes an effective date of July 1, 2026.
- Specifies that the Act remains effective for one year and automatically terminates on June 30, 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can file an objection to a proposed academic program under this bill?
What must the Program Review Process Advisory Council study?
When does the law expire?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
9 actions- Mar 26, 2026HouseHearing 4/08 at 1:00 p.m.
- Mar 24, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred Appropriations
- Mar 23, 2026SenateFloorThird Reading Passed (42-0)
- Mar 23, 2026SenateFloorSecond Reading Passed with Amendments
- Mar 23, 2026SenateFavorable with Amendments { 163021/1 Adopted
- Mar 23, 2026SenateCommitteeFavorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
Show 3 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026SenateHearing 3/17 at 1:00 p.m.
- Mar 4, 2026SenateCommitteeRereferred to Education, Energy, and the Environment
- Feb 15, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Senate Rules
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Temporary Removal of Graduate-Only Restriction
The bill introduces a temporary one-year window where program objection rules are no longer restricted to graduate programs, pending an advisory council study.
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance55How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools