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SB 685MARYLANDSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Maryland Requires School Systems to Adopt Sexual Abuse Response Policies and Maintain 3-Year Email Retention

Original title: State Department of Education - Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Model Response Policy - Requirements

Last action · May 26, 2026: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 639Sponsor: Dawn Gile

Companion · HB 1168same policy, House version
Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Does

Maryland law requires the State Department of Education to create a model sexual abuse and misconduct response policy, compelling local school systems to adopt their own policies by September 1, 2027, and retain related electronic communications for at least three years.

Why it matters

Local school systems must overhaul safety protocols, publish time-stamped incident webpages, notify parents of s within strict timelines, and conduct structured s within 45 days of case conclusions.

Background
  • The Maryland General Assembly enacts statutory changes to the Annotated Code of Maryland, which governs state operations, education, and local government mandates. context
  • The State Department of Education oversees public education policy and administration across Maryland's local school districts. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

State Department of Education

Must develop a model sexual abuse and misconduct response policy and collaborate on a statewide centralized resource platform.

Directly affected

Local school systems

Must adopt a response policy by September 1, 2027, maintain a 3-year email retention policy for allegations, establish time-stamped webpages for serious incidents, and conduct after-action reviews.

Directly affected

Parents and Guardians

Must receive prompt notifications regarding credible allegations or serious incidents and gain access to a centralized resource platform and time-stamped status webpages.

Directly affected

School employees and contractors

Subject to temporary protective removal actions and investigations governed by new mandatory local school system response policies.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do local school systems have to adopt the new sexual abuse response policy?
Each local school system must adopt a response policy based on the state model on or before September 1, 2027.
How long must schools retain emails regarding credible allegations of misconduct?
All email and electronic records regarding a of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct by an employee must be retained for a minimum of 3 years.
Are schools required to notify parents if a credible allegation is received?
Yes, local school systems must notify parents and guardians as soon as feasible after receiving a , confirming the receipt, indicating if the employee was removed from student contact, and listing counseling resources without naming the employee under investigation.
What is required after a sexual abuse or misconduct case concludes?
The local school system must conduct an within 45 days of the conclusion of the case to analyze how the incident occurred, identify systemic conditions, evaluate parent notification timeliness, and examine coordination with law enforcement.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

16 actions
  1. May 26, 2026Governor of MarylandEnrolled
    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 639
  2. Apr 10, 2026SenateFloor
    Passed Enrolled
  3. Apr 10, 2026SenateFloor
    Third Reading Passed (42-0)
  4. Apr 10, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate Concurs House Amendments
  5. Apr 9, 2026HouseFloor
    Third Reading Passed (133-0)
  6. Apr 9, 2026HouseFloor
    Second Reading Passed with Amendments
Show 10 earlier actions
  1. Apr 9, 2026House
    Favorable with Amendments { 673723/1 Adopted
  2. Apr 9, 2026HouseCommittee
    Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means
  3. Mar 23, 2026House
    Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.
  4. Mar 20, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred Ways and Means
  5. Mar 19, 2026SenateFloor
    Third Reading Passed (45-0)
  6. Mar 18, 2026SenateFloor
    Second Reading Passed with Amendments
  7. Mar 18, 2026Senate
    Favorable with Amendments { 793620/1 Adopted
  8. Mar 16, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
  9. Feb 10, 2026Senate
    Hearing 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.
  10. Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroduced
    First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

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

Dawn GileSenate · District 33DemocraticSponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Mandatory Standardized Misconduct Response

Shifts oversight from fragmented local policies to a centralized statewide model developed jointly by the State Department of Education and the Maryland Center for School Safety.

State Department of EducationMaryland Center for School Safety

Connected Entities

Department of Human Services, Maryland Center for School Safety, State Archives and 5 more
OrganizationDepartment of Human Services“Collaborates on communications plans and the statewide resource platform.”Map →
OrganizationMaryland Center for School Safety“Jointly develops the centralized resource platform and after-action review plan.”Map →
OrganizationState Archives“Collaborates on record retention requirements and guidelines.”Map →
OrganizationMaryland Department of Health“Collaborates in developing the statewide resource platform.”Map →
OrganizationState Department of Education“Required to develop a model sexual abuse and misconduct response policy.”Map →
OrganizationState Board“May receive written redacted reports of after-action reviews.”Map →
OrganizationMaryland Association of Boards of Education“Collaborates in developing the communications plan.”Map →
OrganizationPublic School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland“Collaborates in developing the communications plan.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

mgaleg.maryland.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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