Oh What a Tangled Web Was Weaved

House Bills 294 Senate Bills 226

Signed into Law 18 Signed into Law 9

Cleared for Governor’s Signature

77 Cleared for Governor’s Signature

70

WHERE ARE THE REST?

Remained in Committee-No Action Taken

68 Remained in Committee-No Action Taken

90

Committee Unfavorable Report

124 Committee Unfavorable Report

44

Passed House-Failed in Senate

7 Passed Senate-Failed in House

2

Passed House-No Further Action Taken in Senate

22 Passed Senate-No Further Action Taken House

9

Interim Study 0 Interim Study 2

As amended by Conference Committee and passed by both House and Senate the bill restores the per pupil foundation amount in fiscal year 2012 to $6,694.

This equates to a reduction of $55 million in State education funding for fiscal year 2012 from the previous law but increases by $35 million the original BRFA.

Amended the Education Article in the Conference Committee to “clarify” that no county can fund education aid below the local share of the foundation program. This was a significant policy change with no public input.

HB 869 – Education-Maintenance of Effort-Penalty (passed) delays the fiscal penalty in State funding for a local board of education due to a county’s failure to meet the maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement until the fiscal year after the county is below the MOE amount.

Authorizes the State Department of Human Resources or Department of Juvenile Services to charge local school systems a cost of education component for a student placed by either agency in a nonpublic setting or correctional setting if the student was part of the school system’s enrollment count for that year.

The rates for nonpublic special education providers are frozen as of January 21, 2011.

Current Employees Effective July 1, 2011

Contribute 7% and retain 1.8% multiplier Average final compensation remains at best

three years No change to early retirement eligibility No change to full eligibility requirement COLA – for the EPS and TPS, both current and

future members are affected. The new COLAs 2.5%/1% apply to the benefit earned on service accrued on and after July 1, 2011. The benefit earned up to June 30, 2011 will receive the 3% COLA that is in place now. Retirees have no change to their COLAs.

NEW EMPLOYEES hired on or

after July 1, 2011

Will pay 7% for a 1.5% multiplier Will be required to work ten years

to be vested Average final compensation will

be highest consecutive five years Early retirement eligibility is at

least 60 years of age (up from 55) and have 15 years of service-reduction of 0.5% for every month early before age 65 (up from 62)

Full retirement eligibility is Rule of 90 (age + service = 90), or age 65 with at least 10 years of service

COLA - Capped at 2.5% if actuarial investment return is achieved. Capped at 1% if not achieved

HB 1088/SB 358 – Audit Responsibilities-State Department of Education, Maryland Higher Education Commission, and State Retirement Agency (SRA)

HB 634/SB 403 SRA-Reemployment Earnings Offset-Retiree Health Care Premiums

HB 176 – State Retirement and Pension System (SRPS)-Reemployment of Retirees-Exemptions

HB 249/SB 199 – State Retirement and Pension System-Direct Mailings by Retiree Organization

HB 1312/SB 947 – SRPS-Vested Retirement Allowance-Members and Former Members

Codifies last year's solution for a negative COLA as the permanent solution going forward. If there is ever a negative COLA again, we get zero for that year, and the negative amount is carried over to apply against future positive increases. Exactly the same as was done last year for July 2010 - zero COLA with about .4% held for 2011.

The slight negative will lower the July 2011 positive COLA from approximately 1.6% to 1.2%.

The BRFA establishes a per-member fee based on State Retirement Agency's administrative costs as approved by DBM each year. So the amount can change each year based on both number of members and total administrative costs.

Beginning in fiscal year 2012, local school systems will pay the State Retirement Agency a per capita fee for all employees in the Teacher’s Pension and Teacher’s Retirement Systems of $162.77. The cost for Harford County Public Schools in fiscal year 2012 is approximately $743,432,000.

According to the BRFA the local entity (school system, community college) are required to make 4 quarterly payments (October 1, January 1, April 16, and June 1)  If the payment is not made, 4% interest is charged and eventually the funds could be deducted from the state aid.

The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) recommended a 50/50 cost sharing of teacher retirement in fiscal 2012 and redirects $124.4 million made available from the Education Jobs Funds in fiscal 2012 to this cost “to soften the impact on local share.”

Both the House and the Senate rejected the DLS recommendation.

As proposed by the Governor, maintains the State’s capital commitment to the Public School Construction Program at $250 million dollars. HCPS appreciates this commitment.

Aging Schools – As introduced, permanently authorizes the use of general obligation bonds or general funds $6,108,990 to support the grants to county boards of education.

The Senate increased funding for the Aging Schools Program. The conference committee adopted the Senate position and reduced the level of funding for the Aging Schools Program to $8.6 million and added language specifying the distribution to the local school boards of education.

Harford County is slated to receive $306,339

For fiscal year 2012, designates $47.5 million in revenue for supplemental school capital projects as decided by the Board of Public Works

Designates specific funding for the largest six counties

Groups the remaining counties into regions with specified funding levels

Harford is part of Northeast Maryland (Harford and Cecil Counties) with $1.250M available

Criteria established for eligible projects:

Benefit older school buildings; Benefit schools with high proportions of

children eligible for free and reduced price meals;

Can be completed within one year; Eliminate or reduce the use of relocatable

classrooms; Are designated as A or B by Interagency

Committee on Public School Construction and are not fully funded in the fiscal 2012 Capital Improvement Program approved by BPW; or

Reduce energy consumption or incorporate high performance 8 “green” building principles.

House Bills 858/Senate Bill 771 – Education-Youth Athletes-Concussions require policies and regulations associated with athletes, concussions, and baseline testing. There are two major components to the bills.

The first addresses education and awareness and the second deals with students who suffer a concussion and attend school.

The second is that the bills require local boards of education to be responsible for non-school affiliated programs.

Before an individual participates in an authorized athletic activity on school property, the county board shall provide, or require that a third party provide information on concussions to parents or guardians. A youth sports program using a public school facility shall provide annually to the county board or the board’s agent a statement of intent to comply for all of its athletic activities.

House Bill 364 provides on or before December 31, 2011, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the local boards of education, shall report to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Ways and Means, regarding the minimum academic performance standards that students in public high schools in the State should meet in order to participate in athletic competitions sanctioned by a county board of education. The report shall include recommendations regarding the curriculum content, minimum grade point average, and grade progress that public high school students should satisfy to be eligible to participate in athletic competitions sanctioned by the county board.

HB 79/SB 772 – Task Force to Study the Creation of a Maryland Center for School Safety

HB 162/SB 178 – Criminal Law-Child Neglect

House Bill 674 (Chapter 137) -Education-Human Trafficking-Awareness, Training, and Distribution of Materials

HB 1013/SB 754 - MSDE-Permanent Hearing Aid Loan Bank Program-Establishment and Operation

House Bill 1141 – Juvenile Law-Truancy Pilot Program-Filing of Petition

Repeals a requirement that a criminal compulsory attendance violation charge be filed and dismissed or stetted against a legal guardian before an authorized school official may file, if a child is under age 12, a truancy petition in the judicial circuits that have established Truancy Reduction Pilot Programs

Senate Bill 62 – Juvenile Records-Disclosure between Departments of Education and Juvenile Services

Authorizes the State Department of Education and the Department of Juvenile Services to share education records with each other when necessary to ensure the appropriate delivery of services.

HB 202-Education-Discrimination Prohibited-Protected Classes

HB 197 – Unemployment Insurance Benefits Claims-Appeals-Finality of Order

HB 211 – Maryland Commission on Human Relations-Name Change

HB 998/SB 687 – Militia-Employment for Military Spouses-Teachers, Health Care Practitioners, and Individuals in Business Occupations and Professions

HB 1228 – Unemployment Insurance-Federal Extended Benefits for the Long-Term Unemployed

Senate Bill 740 – Access to Public Records-Electronic Documents

Expands the scope of the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) by including electronic records under the definition of a discoverable report or document.

HB 766/SB 644 – State Government-Transparency and Open Government

Establishes a Joint Committee on Transparency and Open Government within the General Assembly

House Bill 125 – Vehicle Laws-Accidents Involving Self-Insured Vehicles

Senate Bill 369 – Education-School Buses-Fire Safety Standards

Senate Bill 679 – Vehicle Laws-Overtaking and Passing School Vehicles-School Bus Monitoring Cameras

HB 671 – Federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act Compliance

This Administration bill changes the dates of the gubernatorial and presidential primary elections. The gubernatorial primary election is moved from the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September to the last Tuesday in June. The presidential primary election is moved from the second Tuesday in February to the first Tuesday in April. The bill also makes procedural changes, including altering deadlines related to candidacy and the establishment of the content and arrangement of ballots.

HB 1 – Education-Youth Athletes-Concussions HB 26 – Education Funding Formula-Average Daily Attendance HB 44/SB 53 – Education-Waiver from Maintenance of Effort Requirement-Process and

Factors HB 127/SB 262 – State Board of Education-Financial Literacy Examination HB 168 – Student Health and Fitness Act HB 186 – Education-Public School Holidays-American Indian Heritage Day HB 198/SB 474 – Public Schools-Student Attendance-Preventing Chronic Absenteeism HB 224 – State Board of Education-Financial Literacy Curriculum-Graduation

Requirement HB 231/SB 123 – Education-Public Charter School Facility Revolving Loan Fund HB 232/SB 129 – Task Force to Study the Development of Wetland Teaching Projects at

Secondary Schools HB 386/SB 667 - Education - Tween/Teen Dating Violence (Kristin Marie Mitchell Law) HB 525/SB 608 – Public School Personnel-Grounds for Suspension or Dismissal-

Ineffectiveness HB 526/SB610 – Education-Public Charter Schools-Hiring of Certificated Employees HB 528/SB791 – Education-Open Space on Public School Property-Planting and

Maintaining Gardens HB 644/SB 492 – Education-County School Board Budgets-Transparency HB 650 – County Boards of Education-Green Product Cleaning Supplies-Written Policies

HB 685/SB 549 – Education-Bullying Safety Risks and Health Problems HB 704/SB 683 – Equity in Education Funding HB 769 – Great Preschools Tax Credit Program HB 777 – Great Preschools Scholarship Program HB 812/SB 617 – Public Schools-Dating Violence-Policy and Disciplinary Standards HB 895 – Public Schools-Substitute Teachers-Qualifications, Training, and Study HB 932/SB 315 – Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers (BOAST) in Maryland Tax Credit HB 945/SB 737 - Education - Foundation Program - Per-Pupil Adjustment for Salaries HB 977 – Public Schools-Enrollment and Transfer-Parental Decision HB 1062 – Public Schools-Meal Menus-Nutrition Information HB 1067 – Education-Public Charter Schools-Policies and Regulations HB 1081 – Education-Public Schools-Petitions for Intervention HB 1352 – Local School Boards-Authority to Impose a Property Tax SB 41 - Education - Age for Compulsory Public School Attendance - Exemptions SB 187 - Procurement - Prevailing Wage - School Construction SB 316 - Property Tax - Charter Counties - Education Funding SB 519 - Vehicle Laws - School Buses - Prohibition on Permitting Sitting on Floor or Standing SB 625 – State Payments of Public School Construction Costs-Remittance of Reimbursement to County SB 626 - Public School Construction Funding Reform Act of 2011 SB 776 - Parent Empowerment Act of 2011 Education - Development and Review of Content Standards for Chess Instruction SB 969 - Labor and Employment - Administrative Leave - Parent-Teacher Conferences