.png){kind=small}
BILL: HB 161
DATE: January 29, 2025
POSITION: Oppose
COMMITTEE: House Ways & Means Committee
CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM
The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all
twenty-four public school superintendents, opposes House Bill 161.
This bill requires the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), in consultation with
the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), to develop a comprehensive health education
framework that includes, at a minimum, specified topics. Each local board of education must
create an age-appropriate curriculum that is consistent with the comprehensive health education framework as specified.
Local superintendents strongly support robust and comprehensive instruction in health
education, and believe that the legislative intent of this bill is already being met. However, we ask the Committee to continue to honor the well-established and balanced relationship between the state and local education experts on the creation of standards, and implementation of local curriculum.
As indicated in written testimony from MSDE and the State Board last year, they explained that in January of 2024, under the leadership of the new State Superintendent, “the State Board and MSDE developed a process to review, revise, adopt standards and frameworks, including the existing Comprehensive Health Education Framework.” The existing Framework continues to include all topics included in this legislation.
Additionally, their testimony points to existing Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR)
13A.04.18.01 that “requires LEAs to establish policies, guidelines, and/or procedures for
student opt-out regarding instruction related to family life and human sexuality objectives,
which includes gender identity and expression and sexual orientation and identity. Further,
COMAR 13A.04.18.02 requires local superintendents to certify to the State Superintendent of Schools that the instructional programming within grades prekindergarten through 12 meets, at a minimum, the requirements of the comprehensive health education framework.”
Again, PSSAM strongly supports the current implementation of the health curriculum
consistent with State guidelines. Each Maryland local school system must be afforded
flexibility in developing curriculum that best reflects the specific, and diverse needs of their
student population and local community.
For these reasons, PSSAM opposes House Bill 161 and kindly requests an unfavorable
committee report.
Comments