Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Telehealth Guidance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State board committee backs MSDE guidance allowing secondary school telehealth appointments
Summary
The Education Policy Committee voted to recommend that the full State Board adopt state superintendent guidance implementing a recent law (cited as House Bill 522) directing MSDE and MDH to produce guidelines for secondary-school telehealth appointments, with LEAs required to adopt local policies by the 2025'26 school year.
MSDE staff (Miss Gable) presented guidance developed under legislation referenced in committee materials as House Bill 522 to implement student participation in telehealth appointments during school hours for secondary (middle and high) schools.
The guidance responds to a statute that MSDE described as requiring MSDE and the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to produce state guidelines. Miss Gable said the guidelines specify three major functions: they require local education agencies (LEAs) to adopt and implement student telehealth policies aligned to the guidance by the 2025'26 school year; they require those policies to be published in student handbooks and communicated to parents and students; and they leave LEAs discretion over operational arrangements (scheduling, space, staffing, and technology).
Miss Gable said MSDE convened a diverse workgroup (including school health coordinators, counselors, school-based health center staff, a pediatrician, information-technology staff, attorneys, and MDH representatives) that met multiple times to draft and refine the guidance. She said most workgroup input resulted in clarity edits and that the department will provide technical assistance to LEAs as they develop local policies.
The committee focused questions on consent and confidentiality. Miss Gable said parental permission will generally be required for scheduled appointments but that the guidance recognizes state law and provider determinations around minor consent: "a student who is 12 years or older may schedule an appointment" in circumstances permitted by law and determined by a health-care provider. Committee members sought clarity on how attendance, FERPA and medical confidentiality would intersect with local implementation; MSDE advised LEAs to consult counsel when drafting policies.
Committee members also discussed the board's unusual role in formally adopting superintendent guidance when the statutory language calls for board adoption. The committee held a voice vote, and members present voiced "Aye," passing a recommendation to send the guidance to the full State Board for adoption at its Dec. 3 meeting.
The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; MSDE staff said the department will offer webinars and technical assistance as LEAs prepare policies for the 2025'26 school year.
