Property Tax Credit - Urban Agricultural Property - Alterations
HB 359 would create a Prince George’s County-specific early childhood education and child care initiative tied to the county’s public high schools. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, high schools that are required to host a child care center would also have to offer a career and technical education program in early childhood education, open to any student at the school and aligned with state CTE standards. The bill is designed to connect student learning with workforce preparation in child care and early childhood education.
The bill also requires the Prince George’s County Board of Education to establish child care centers in county public high schools where the student pregnancy rate exceeds 1%, with services provided at no cost to students and their families. These centers would serve the children of currently enrolled high school students who register with Child Resource Connect in Prince George’s County. If a school lacks space, the board must try to arrange transportation to another school with a center. The Maryland State Department of Education would assist with licensing, safety compliance, and application of child care regulations.
To support implementation, the Governor would have to include $5 million in the annual budget beginning in fiscal year 2027 for the county school board to operate the centers and provide grants to Child Resource Connect. The bill also creates a new $10 fee in Prince George’s County child support cases, including applications for child support decrees, modifications, arrearage recovery, and enforcement actions. Revenue from that fee would be remitted quarterly to the county and dedicated to supporting the child care centers.
The bill would amend the Education Article and Family Law Article to add these Prince George’s County-specific requirements and funding mechanisms. Its practical effect would be to impose new duties on the county board of education, the State Department of Education, the Governor’s budget process, and the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, while creating a local funding stream for school-based child care services.
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the materials supplied. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears aimed at expanding support for parenting students and building a child care workforce pipeline, with likely support from advocates for teen parents, early childhood education, and family support services. Potential points of contention include the county-specific mandate, the use of child support case fees to fund child care, the $5 million annual appropriation, and the feasibility of establishing centers in high schools with limited space.
HB 359 would add new county-specific provisions to the Education Article and Family Law Article, requiring Prince George’s County public high schools meeting the bill’s criteria to host child care centers and early childhood education CTE programs, while also imposing a $10 fee in certain county child support cases to fund those centers. It would create new obligations for the Prince George’s County Board of Education, the Maryland State Department of Education, the Governor’s budget, and the Prince George’s County Circuit Court, and would direct fee revenue and state funding toward child care services for student parents.
No votes or committee testimony are included, so the record does not show formal support or opposition. The bill’s structure suggests a generally supportive policy goal centered on student parents, child care access, and early childhood workforce development. At the same time, the funding mechanism and county-specific mandates suggest the bill could draw scrutiny over cost, implementation, and fairness of the fee assessment.
The main likely points of contention are the mandatory $5 million annual appropriation, the new $10 fee in child support cases, and the requirement that Prince George’s County schools establish child care centers based on a student pregnancy-rate threshold. Critics may question whether it is appropriate to finance child care through child support-related filings, whether the county board can meet space, licensing, and transportation requirements, and whether a county-only mandate creates unequal treatment compared with other jurisdictions. Supporters would likely emphasize access to child care for parenting students, educational continuity, and workforce development in early childhood education.