2024 Legislative Agenda

The 2024 session will be a challenging one due to the growing structural deficit. It is imperative that Maryland address this problem by thoroughly considering all possible ways to raise revenue before making spending cuts that might ultimately hurt Maryland's economy instead of achieveing the goal of a balanced budget. The promise of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future will not be met without fully funding the programs within it. In fact further analysis may prove that the Blueprint alone doesn't actually achieve adequacy or excellence in education. Therefore, we support Fair Share Maryland.

We encourage others to read about the Fair Share Maryalnd Campaign and sign on.

MOST is also engaged with the legislative process through our participation in the Maryland Education Coalition, the Blueprint Coalition and directly supporting or opposing legislation throughout the session.

Keep your eyes out for action alerts by subscribing to our email newsletter.

Our Priorities

Increased Public Investment & Systems of Support for Youth Development

Afterschool, Summer, and Mentoring programs are critical supports, made even more important by the impact on learning from the last several years of COVID-19. Maryland remains in the bottom ten states for access to after-school programs. Grant programs dedicated to afterschool programs have been cut. The LEAP program was eliminated last year. The PSOE program had just $2.5 million dedicated in FY 24.

MOST advocates restoring the Governor's Office for Children to a cabinet-level position and reinstating funding for youth programs (including afterschool, summer, mentoring, and college and career readiness opportunities) through the Local Management Boards.

Additionally, the Maryland State Department of Education should hire a Director of Expanded Learning, make strategic improvements to the 21st Century Community Learning Center grantmaking, and work with the Governor's Office for Children and the Children's Cabinet to build a high-quality system of expanded learning in Maryland.

Effective Implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future

While the passage of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future was a huge step forward, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the law is implemented effectively. Here are just a few things that deserve attention in the coming session:

Supporting state and local education agencies in providing technical assistance and training for community schools' best practices.
Allowing flexibility (with guidelines) for districts with fewer than 40 schools receiving Concentration of Poverty Grants.
Examining the adequacy of the current funding formula, such as the Concentration of Poverty Per Pupil grant, to make sure the goals of the Blueprint are being.

Learn more HERE.

Priorize Youth in the Cannabis Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund

With the legalization of recreational marijuana in Maryland, we have an even greater urgency to expand access to positive youth development opportunities. The same communities that have been deeply impacted by the war on drugs also frequently have an insufficient investment in programs for young people of all ages. In addition, these communities are home to smaller nonprofits that provide essential youth services but have been historically excluded from funding both government and private philanthropic funding sources. The new Cannabis Reinvestment & Repair Fund could offer a meaningful boost to targeted communities.

MOST supports making youth development programs a clearly stated allowed use of the fund, following the lead of states like Illinois and including a youth development representative on the Advisory Board on Medical and Adult Use Cannabis to provide additional perspectives on strategies and programs to mitigate juvenile cannabis usage post-legalization.

Learn more about other state strategies to support youth programs with cannabis taxation HERE.

Reframing Youth Violence into a Conversation About Opportunity

Young people are more likely to be victims and perpetrators of crimes when they have been denied opportunities to thrive and succeed. Disinvestment in communities that have experienced generational poverty and widespread trauma reinforces the school-to-prison pipeline. Young people get pushed off pathways towards a bright future and receive little incentive and support to stay on them. We know what works to build stronger communities - young people need a plethora of high-quality learning opportunities with caring adults from early childhood through their teen years as protective factors. Currently, Maryland sits in the bottom ten states for access to afterschool programs. Young people need more Mentors. Summer slide threatens to eliminate academic gains. Youth employment and career training need to expand. Without these opportunities, young people will always be at risk for more negative outcomes. Policies to address violence by and against young people have to include a balanced approach with increasing a wide variety of opportunities that help keep young people connected to a future-focused journey.

Bills to Watch

SB161/HB200 - Community Schools Alterations

SB 370/HB 428 - Community Schools - Rental Assistance for Community School Families Program and Fund - Establishment

HB 82 - Post College and Career Readiness Pathways - Cost to Student - Alteration

SB 459/HB 418 - Grant Applications and Reporting - Maryland Efficient Grant Application Council - Alterations

SB 386/ HB 456 - County Boards of Education - Student Members - Voting Rights and Participation in Executive Sessions

SB 433/HB 450 - State Department of Education - Soccer Opportunities Program - Establishment

SB 571/ HB 603 - Consumer Protection – Online Products and Services – Data of Children (Maryland Kids Code)

Purpose of the Bill: The AADC offers a comprehensive set of rules for the protection of children’s data. At its core are four principles: a child is a person under 18; the code applies to online services, products, or features a child is reasonably likely to access; covered entities are responsible for considering children’s privacy and protection by design and default; and, in the event of a conflict of interest between the commercial interest of the business and their duty of care to act in the best interests of children reasonably likely to access the online service, product, or feature, the child’s best interest must be paramount. The AADC is further comprised of core standards that apply to all digital products and services that are likely to be accessed by children. These standards provide privacy and safety for children by: restricting data collection, sharing, profiling, and the use of data in ways that are detrimental to the child; require high privacy settings by default; and, requiring companies take a risk-based approach to mitigating or eliminating the risk of harm stemming from their online services and product

Position: Favorable

View Testimony Here

SB 766/HB1007 - Fair Share for Maryland Act of 2024

HB1082 Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Implementation – Funding and Independent Evaluation – Alterations

SB 579/HB 696 Universal Expansion of Primary and Secondary Breakfast and Lunch Programs

SB482/HB 694 - Governor's Office for Children - Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households (ENOUGH) Grant Program

Contact Your Representative

Want to demonstrate your support for these necessary youth development initiatives? Contacting your state senator or delegate is an effective way to to hold the assembly accountable to the needs of its constituents. The Maryland General Assembly has created a tool to easily find your representatives and tell them about the bills that matter most to you. Click the button below to find yours!

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