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HB0763 amends Maryland’s education law to expand the existing sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention program in public schools and participating nonpublic schools. Under current law, the State Board and nonpublic schools must provide age-appropriate instruction on sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention, taught by trained teachers and incorporated into the health curriculum. This bill adds a new requirement that, for students in grades 6 through 8, the program must also include material promoting awareness and prevention of human and sex trafficking.
The bill is focused on middle school students and is intended to broaden student safety education to address trafficking risks alongside sexual abuse prevention. It does not create a new standalone program; rather, it modifies an existing curriculum requirement and directs the State Board to continue adopting regulations to implement the section. The effective date is July 1, 2025.
The bill revises Section 7-439 of the Education Article in the Maryland Code by adding human and sex trafficking awareness and prevention content to the required school-based sexual abuse and assault prevention program. It affects county boards of education, the State Board of Education, and nonpublic schools that participate in the relevant state approval and textbook/technology grant program. Schools will need to ensure the curriculum for grades 6 through 8 includes trafficking-related material and that instruction remains age-appropriate and delivered by trained teachers.
The available legislative context shows a favorable committee report and House adoption, suggesting broad support for the bill. The bill’s sponsors and the lack of recorded opposition or recorded votes in the provided materials indicate a generally positive reception. The measure appears to align with a child-safety and prevention policy approach that is likely to be viewed favorably by education and public safety advocates.
No specific objections, amendments, or divided votes are shown in the provided record, so there is no documented controversy in the available materials. Any potential points of debate would likely center on how trafficking prevention is taught, whether the content is age-appropriate for middle school students, and the implementation burden on schools and teachers. However, none of those concerns are reflected in the transcripts or vote history provided here.