[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6650388,"mediaKeyId","2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b","parentId",2508346,"title","Bill Would Require Public Colleges to Post Support Policies for Pregnant and Parenting Students","audioSeconds",516,"startMs",1360000,"endMs",1876000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b&start=1360&end=1876","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b/thumbnail_1360000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6650388/Maryland/Bill-Would-Require-Public-Colleges-to-Post-Support-Policies-for-Pregnant-and-Parenting-Students","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650388-f2c298cef79e45262738e91445e6fcf8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208719&Signature=HiBqGYA9ok8REdUuddmJpLjABWOTe6X5DF3rM4ztn3Wek-DkgwU9Ia4oXWQFWEtEuUY5~4W1mPqKwhuFKtPY9p3BCCkzZcU1C2qaP9Y523Eyr3Q5dtqG1nG8gZgGSvQ2YWhwAim76ixsZImOMhLDhLmjIL5Lqp-DGrwOGeffb481X83uv3Sz07h5r7WZG~1BJ-EFWjV4UrueqokBB1IOssxWxep-rM0ErBkdNeENGI8Cuu9IR95JgaMXNWU2GbOS82F1gf5S6SJQus0xKzwvFcWiGSx4wRBVJcdcLp6Zi6wkNI3GxoknqrAdiqznvzobp4cR7Z5DMviohadN756Dbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Appropriations","date","2025-03-05T22:51:24.633Z","article","House Bill 840, sponsored by Delegate Alethia McCaskill, would require certain public senior higher-education institutions to adopt and post policies that refer pregnant and parenting students to on- or off-campus services and provide accommodations. McCaskill told the committee the requirement would reinforce Title IX protections and help retain students who face barriers to completing degrees, including lack of lactation spaces, childcare and other supports.

McCaskill cited research on college dropout causes and national statistics about young women’s pregnancies and degree completion to argue for the policy’s benefits. “This bill is to support students who are already parents and for those parents of all genders who are expecting,” she said, noting the policy would list programs such as SNAP, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), child-care scholarships and Medicaid-related programs.

Opponents appeared at the hearing. Laura Bogley of Maryland Right to Life said the bill, as drafted, could expand abortion access in campus settings by shifting Title IX language; she urged an unfavorable report. McCaskill responded that the bill is meant to inform students about supportive services, and said she was willing to consider amendments related to sonogram access and other language.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about whether the policy would include sonogram access and how it would interact with federal Title IX obligations. McCaskill said she would work with colleagues on potential technical amendments. No final committee vote was recorded in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","APP Committee Session, 3/5/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","Delegate Alethia McCaskill asked the Appropriations Committee to support HB 840, a bill requiring public higher-education institutions to adopt and post policies supporting pregnant and parenting students.","taxTitle","Appropriations Committee, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15058,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6650378,"Bill to Let Career Schools Advertise Before Final Approval Wins MHEC Backing",199,2720000,2919000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b&start=2720&end=2919","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b/thumbnail_2720000.jpg","/articles/6650378/Maryland/Bill-to-Let-Career-Schools-Advertise-Before-Final-Approval-Wins-MHEC-Backing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650378-f09295065a77664f705b8493618f8fd6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208719&Signature=awhuwBBkAzqcw1AsN-~xXgna-QWmSbQqXqo3K3jTyOP9gN61QoP1cVL7N9rpWESp7XWXixN~1-xboDo8Gg6dHkgbq~f2roEIqZCzVcPy5T5dvHnZlermOWP7eRhY0mWm6d2nYXYJ-KaBttb-Oga5zcnrV72EvRDUofn1iogYnbaBjudVuPf23VTF6eILN-5ccMXB1Hoc3NyQeghYCPpsuC6zMEKBIoERkCcwJAPZMobL3F~itlDE49gcmKbxTVgOXrOUq67JP2n50HLJhVqNqqlHkA7MaosWavNWcShYlAyEsivP7kJsw9ZjAKt0uZSystCKX1wFkyGxWJx2Id4t3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delegate Chris Fair told the committee HB 1138 would permit qualifying private career schools to request MHEC permission to begin advertising prior to their final certificate of approval — provided they have met market and facility readiness conditions and have explicit authorization from MHEC. The bill would prohibit schools that received pre-opening advertising approval from enrolling students or accepting tuition or payments until final approval.

Fair said the legislation would reduce financial barriers to opening schools that provide allied health, cosmetology, barbering, mechanics and other career-path programs by allowing them to recruit closer to opening dates rather than absorb months of operating costs without students. “The bill strikes the appropriate balance between robust student protections and regulatory reform,” Fair said, noting MHEC and the sponsor had agreed on an amendment.

Maryland Higher Education Commission staff testified that, with the sponsor’s amendment, MHEC had moved its written position from unfavorable to favorable. Committee members asked whether schools currently are barred from any marketing before final approval; MHEC and the sponsor explained the bill would codify an administrative practice and set clear consumer protections.

No formal vote was recorded in the hearing transcript; MHEC’s shift to favorable was highlighted by witnesses as an important endorsement.","Delegate Chris Fair and the Maryland Higher Education Commission backed HB 1138, which would allow qualifying private career schools to advertise with MHEC approval before receiving a final certificate of approval, subject to consumer protections.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6650383,"Lawmakers Consider $10 Million State Match to Expand Universal Free School Meals",247,1939000,2186000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b&start=1939&end=2186","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b/thumbnail_1939000.jpg","/articles/6650383/Maryland/Lawmakers-Consider-10-Million-State-Match-to-Expand-Universal-Free-School-Meals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650383-becfb9f555da69f716a8adae147505dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208719&Signature=VUc6ZUr0Trc8kdkCF1uNx6FxVlvKv-XsI13YaRSotaWHzOdxSSsJERg66AChGlyHzh~euDj5VOx8SXn7rVbxGqR10YCULPzzWuPDLavUlXHwJEpCNWHbr3KfxFgTJAHlPDgGaQG6eeSCHlbaJAdKuPr57MpJYSTDkE5FtIXXvuOQnW6dNGuV8L8w5as4G0QbXBAUZvRrRi7CANfSyFd0Zhmds3AcaYoe-fSFsFklqwJ764-dRnkFEPaNGdogtegydptg9JzGGu3kQTXe9wuFQpulDTDo2dmVRG3EMIUTONA5GVOdbUgLS3SKthn-2sgpc0dMoMPg~-amKcEzo-7MAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delegate Julie Plokovich Carr told the committee HB 12 54 would provide $10 million in state matching funds to help roughly 200 additional schools participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, expanding universal free breakfast and lunch to about 90,000 more students.

Plokovich Carr said food insecurity remains common in Maryland and that universal school meals increase attendance, decrease stigma and can be a protective public-health measure. “We did it nationally during the pandemic and eight states still provide free school meals to all students,” she said, urging the committee to use state funds to unlock federal dollars that many qualifying schools cannot access without a state match.

Witnesses from the American Heart Association, Maryland Food Bank, Maryland Hunger Solutions and pediatric clinicians described health and learning benefits and urged a favorable report. They said feeding children in school reduces household food insecurity and can relieve food-service departments that are carrying growing meal-debt burdens.

Plokovich Carr said the funding mechanism under consideration is the For Our Kids Act (a proposed sugary beverage tax) and that the committee would review fiscal offsets elsewhere. The committee asked questions about that funding source and about district implementation; no formal vote was recorded in the hearing.","Delegate Julie Plokovich Carr presented HB 12 54, which would mandate $10 million in annual state funding to help approximately 200 additional schools join the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), unlocking free meals for about 90,000 more Maryland students; advocates including health and food-bank groups urged a favorable report.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6650392,"Panel Backs Study of ‘Baby Bond’ Accounts, Sponsors Say Study Would Cost Nothing to State Budget",483,836000,1319000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b&start=836&end=1319","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b/thumbnail_836000.jpg","/articles/6650392/Maryland/Panel-Backs-Study-of-Baby-Bond-Accounts-Sponsors-Say-Study-Would-Cost-Nothing-to-State-Budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650392-6084c7730f04369224d88a19aec1fd9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208719&Signature=iBkMLPaI9Ymd15MSOHVns3FP2A4QKN8OkfzJKpCp7~siWA~1KWSDUEyKAl1JLq98XDaUbx0aFaf2be~9I6DABtgekGZTXiNNlDretc52qo1Vsf~Bf8evIVCkDxgFzRh~MUow-JRX0IEmMV-XJuvapVOr5mMMsMAiCsB4bdQPnO4~f7NDNETz8GQ7FIzBmIdG44LS-iq5-U8T5Y9-Gmbv7AIXrpQ5GbDtNfC7qrvcm912eiq1dSUHh1JCeYR6kXgu1LCweKXUFW1s~4J8sBuGKU5NQfR3L-ybk6Q4dZ1srEQjl67afEok2GYbLDM7fNVAVVWQBW9eZr9Z3eoA5BXAtQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delegate Mark Edelson presented House Bill 753, which would direct the state comptroller to study the feasibility of a baby bond or children’s savings account program for children born in poverty and deliver a report on funding options and implementation choices.

Edelson said baby bonds — state-managed trust accounts for children that mature at adulthood for education, home purchase or entrepreneurship — are intended to close wealth gaps and offered examples of states exploring or adopting similar proposals. “The baby bond program would set up a trust fund for children born in poverty that is funded and managed by the state until the child reaches the age of maturity,” he said.

Policy advocates and philanthropic partners urged a favorable report. Jordan Holden of the Cash Campaign of Maryland urged the committee to study best practices and sustainability; Darius Graham of the Greater Washington Community Foundation described a local pilot, Brilliant Futures, which deposits an initial $1,000 for kindergartners and pays annual supplements through 12th grade. Comptroller representative Matt Dudzik said the office has produced prior reports on baby bonds and has capacity to take on the requested study.

Supporters argued that a study has no immediate fiscal note because it would be conducted within the comptroller’s existing resources. The committee did not record a formal vote during the hearing.","Delegate Mark Edelson asked the Appropriations Committee to require the state comptroller to study the feasibility of a Maryland baby bond program, with advocates saying such an account could build generational wealth for children born into poverty and that several states are already considering or have adopted similar programs.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6650396,"Lawmakers Hear Plan to Expand State-Funded Public Service Internships",393,186000,579000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b&start=186&end=579","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508346-36ccd8a169f5425e1922a7ba29a6af9b/thumbnail_186000.jpg","/articles/6650396/Maryland/Lawmakers-Hear-Plan-to-Expand-State-Funded-Public-Service-Internships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650396-ca631faed01ab462f42489b2f8293ec5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208719&Signature=AhZ-UlZR8jy~DS-nAze5hsGh3Nk02fvdGGsba7m4deBvFodaK~ZAz~L79F3z2DnsuhmDRAE5Xq-hTRW81YLFezWw0CIqRpylxxLbks0kE4T7G3TPW-IvPKEjHK6eMIV8xjRusznQKCbCkocXOcM09P5mDoknm3mBLok6v3rFqoJ6c3SXeewyrTgY6GaRlj0~wdhWc26I4e5y~4UeGrSr0sQo5d-bPTxc5VU1uhLgfNzYJCtYSdFmcN8EdKAHm5RIFa9CoE69TIPzYfuiI3WYxmPkEVcngvOA0vGAexhRvHb0DB0wIziY1yZE2igAXq7qJBGYaAMy8TgNxHCrQC9waw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delegate Rosenberg introduced House Bill 1114, which would expand Maryland's public-service internship programs and increase the number of state-supported fellowships administered in part through the Shriver Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Proponents told the appropriations subcommittee that Maryland's existing programs place students in state agencies, nonprofits and other public-service sites and include a professional-development component. “During the student's fellowship, they complete … work as an intern at a local state agency or department or with a local nonprofit,” Christina, program director for the Maryland Public Service Scholars (MPSS) program, said in testimony. She said MPSS has a high application-to-slot ratio — 270 applicants for about 30 slots this year — and hosts weekly seminars and culminating policy projects.

Student witnesses described how internships influenced career paths. Brandon Hubel, a University of Baltimore senior who spent a summer as a governor's internship fellow, said his placement in the lieutenant governor’s office led him to pursue public-service work full time and credited the program’s seminars and project work with professional development.

Supporters asked the committee to back a favorable report. Christina and other witnesses asked that the increase not take effect until FY2027 to reflect budget timing. No committee vote or formal amendment was recorded during the hearing.

If advanced, the bill would require adjustments to future fiscal plans and budgeting for stipends and program administration; proponents said the Shriver Center already runs the program infrastructure and can scale with funding. The committee did not take final action during the hearing; legislators asked technical questions about timing and coordination with existing workforce programs.","The Appropriations Committee heard testimony supporting HB 1114, which would double the statutory number of internships administered through UMBC's Shriver Center and related programs beginning in fiscal 2027; proponents said the program channels students into public-service careers and faces higher demand than current capacity allows.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill Would Require Public Colleges to Post Support Policies for Pregnant and Parenting Students

Bill to Let Career Schools Advertise Before Final Approval Wins MHEC Backing

Lawmakers Consider $10 Million State Match to Expand Universal Free School Meals

Panel Backs Study of ‘Baby Bond’ Accounts, Sponsors Say Study Would Cost Nothing to State Budget

Lawmakers Hear Plan to Expand State-Funded Public Service Internships