State Department of Assessments and Taxation – County Supervisor Residency Requirement and Location of County Assessment Offices – Alteration
HB0298 requires the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) to collect and compile demographic data on the parental status of students enrolled at each public institution of higher education in Maryland. The bill directs MHEC, in consultation with public colleges and universities, to develop questions that identify whether a student is a parent, acting as a parent, or a legal guardian; the age of the children for whom the student is responsible; and the type of caregiving responsibilities the student provides, including whether the student is a single parent or shares responsibilities with someone in the same or another household.
Each public institution of higher education must include these questions on one or more of its student demographic forms and provide the collected data to MHEC in a format established by regulation. MHEC must adopt regulations to set a common format and timeline for collection and reporting and to ensure parental-status questions are collected alongside other demographic data. Beginning September 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, MHEC must submit a summary report of the collected data to specified legislative committees.
The bill adds a new section to the Education Article, creating an ongoing statewide data-collection and reporting requirement for public institutions of higher education and MHEC. It does not create a new benefit program or mandate services for students, but it does require institutions to modify demographic forms, collect additional student information, and transmit that information to the Commission under regulations. The affected parties are public colleges and universities, MHEC, and indirectly student parents and caregivers whose status will now be tracked in state higher-education data systems.
The available legislative history suggests a generally favorable and low-conflict posture toward the bill. The bill was reported favorably from committee and adopted by the House, indicating support for the measure’s data-gathering purpose. No committee transcript or recorded vote opposition is provided in the materials, so there is no evidence here of organized resistance or significant debate in the available record.
The main potential point of contention is privacy and administrative burden: institutions must ask students about parental and caregiving status, incorporate those questions into demographic forms, and report the data to MHEC under a standardized format. Some stakeholders could view the requirement as useful for understanding student needs, while others may be concerned about collecting sensitive family information or adding reporting obligations to campuses. However, the provided record does not show any specific objections, amendments, or divided votes.