County Boards of Education - Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation - Information Collection and Reporting Requirements
HB0014 expands Maryland’s school bullying reporting framework by requiring more detailed information on bullying, harassment, and intimidation incidents reported to county boards of education. The bill amends the standard victim report form to capture additional data, including whether an incident was motivated in whole or in substantial part by a student’s actual or perceived personal characteristics such as race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, and other protected or personal traits. It also preserves existing reporting channels, including reports by students, parents, close adult relatives, school staff, and optional anonymous two-way electronic tip programs.
The bill further requires county boards to summarize and submit annual reports to the State Board of Education, and it directs the State Department of Education to establish standards by July 1, 2027 for when incidents involving particular groups must be included in reports. County boards must also post annual information on their websites, in a prominent location or available on request, showing the number of incidents determined to be motivated by personal characteristics, disaggregated by the motivating characteristic, while ensuring no student can be identified. The Department must continue to provide an annual statewide report to the General Assembly on bullying incidents, investigations, corrective actions, absences, and false allegations.
HB0014 amends Education Article § 7-424 to broaden the data collected on bullying, harassment, and intimidation and to add new county board and State Department reporting obligations. It requires more specific identification of motive-related characteristics on report forms, creates a pathway for reporting group-based patterns of incidents, and adds website disclosure requirements for county boards, all while maintaining confidentiality protections and prohibiting inclusion of the information in a student’s permanent record. The bill affects county boards of education, the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, students, parents, and school staff involved in reporting or responding to bullying incidents.
The bill appears to have been enacted without recorded committee debate or vote opposition in the materials provided, and it was ultimately approved by the Governor as Chapter 775. The overall posture of the legislation suggests support for stronger documentation, transparency, and monitoring of bullying trends in schools, especially where incidents may be tied to protected or vulnerable student characteristics. Because no transcripts or vote tallies are included, there is no evidence in the record provided of organized opposition or divided sentiment.
The main policy tension in HB0014 is between improved transparency and privacy. Supporters of the bill would likely favor more detailed reporting so schools and the State can identify patterns, disparities, and possible bias-motivated bullying, while opponents or privacy advocates may be concerned that expanded public reporting could increase the risk of identifying students even with confidentiality safeguards. Another potential point of contention is the requirement to report incidents involving particular groups when there is a substantial increase, decrease, or disproportionate rate, which may raise questions about how those standards will be defined and applied by the Department. The bill also leaves some implementation details to future Department standards, which could be a source of administrative concern for county boards.