Criminal Law - Identity Fraud - Artificial Intelligence and Deepfake Representations
HB0184 prohibits nonpublic schools in Maryland that participate in State-funded education programs from using a student’s unpaid debt as a reason to withhold, delay, or disadvantage the issuance of a transcript. The bill defines “debt” broadly to include money owed by a current or former student, but it excludes any reasonable transcript-processing fee tied to the actual cost of providing the transcript. It applies to requests made by the student or by the student’s parent or guardian.
The bill bars several specific practices: refusing to issue a transcript because of debt, conditioning release of a transcript on payment, charging a higher transcript fee due to debt, treating transcript requests less favorably because of debt, or using transcript issuance as a debt-collection tool. The measure takes effect July 1, 2025, and would add a new section to the Education Article governing nonpublic schools.
HB0184 would amend Maryland education law by creating a new prohibition on transcript-related debt collection practices for nonpublic schools that participate in State-funded education programs. It would limit schools’ ability to leverage academic records to collect unpaid balances, while preserving only the ability to charge a fee for the actual cost of producing a transcript. The bill directly affects nonpublic schools, current and former students, and parents or guardians requesting transcripts on their behalf.
The available legislative history suggests the bill moved forward without recorded opposition in the materials provided. The committee report was favorable and the House adopted the bill on second reading, indicating generally supportive sentiment toward the measure. No committee transcript or vote breakdown is included, so there is no evidence in the provided record of significant debate or divided sentiment.
The main policy issue is the balance between protecting students’ access to transcripts and preserving schools’ ability to collect unpaid debts. Supporters would likely view the bill as preventing transcript withholding from becoming a coercive debt-collection practice, especially where students need records for employment, transfer, or higher education. Potential concerns could come from nonpublic schools that rely on transcript restrictions as leverage to recover unpaid tuition or fees, though no specific opposition is documented in the provided materials.