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Bill would charge MSDE study of separate regulatory framework for after‑school programs

Ways and Means Committee · March 12, 2026

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Summary

Delegate Ashanti Martinez told the Ways and Means Committee HB 13-73 would require the State Department of Education to study and recommend an independent regulatory framework tailored to after-school and out-of-school-time childcare programs to remove licensing and administrative barriers to program openings.

Delegate Ashanti Martinez presented House Bill 13-73, which would direct the Maryland State Department of Education to study and recommend an independent regulatory framework for after-school and out-of-school-time childcare programs serving children 5 and older.

"Currently, there is a significant lack of equity in program availability with wide variations in quality and access often influenced by socioeconomic circumstances," Martinez said, arguing the study should identify how licensing and administrative requirements differ from early‑childhood care and recommend an approach so programs can open and scale more quickly.

Prince George’s County Council Chair Crystal Oriotta told the committee that providers and school systems encounter unintended regulatory barriers when after‑school programs move sites or shift operations: "When they move from one building to a new building, their programs are delayed by months because they have to go through a different process to make sure that their building is up to the standards." Oriotta and witnesses urged a study that distinguishes licensing for older after‑school participants from that for infant and toddler daycare.

Committee members probed the definition of covered ages and the study's scope. Witness Dolly Capaschor and others asked whether MSDE would examine local education agency (LEA) differences and identify standards tailored to district needs. Martinez said the fiscal note outlines the study elements, including regulatory barriers, comparisons with other states, and an evaluation of whether programs should be licensed or registered with MSDE.

The committee concluded the hearing without taking a vote.