Education - Student Behavior - Parent and Guardian Notice and Required Counseling (Parent and Guardian Accountability Act)
HB 655, the “Parent and Guardian Accountability Act,” would create a new process for addressing repeated violent or disruptive student behavior in public schools. If a student has two or more incidents of violent and disruptive behavior on school premises or during school-related activities in a school year, the principal must give the student’s parent or guardian written notice. That notice must require the parent or guardian to seek and participate in counseling with the student, warn that failure to do so is unlawful, and provide referrals to community resources, counseling services, and any county board program available under existing law.
The bill also adds a new provision to the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article making it unlawful for a parent or guardian, after receiving the required notice, to fail to seek and participate in counseling with the child. A parent or guardian convicted under the new section could be ordered to perform community service. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and would apply to public school students and their parents or guardians when the specified behavior threshold is met.
HB 655 would amend both the Education Article and the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. It would impose a new school-notice requirement on principals and create a new legal duty for parents and guardians to engage in counseling after repeated violent or disruptive incidents by a student. The bill would also expose noncompliant parents or guardians to court enforcement and possible community service, while directing schools to connect families with counseling and community resources.
No committee testimony or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct record of support or opposition in the supplied materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed to respond to concerns about student discipline and school safety by increasing parental accountability and encouraging intervention after repeated incidents. The overall framing suggests a punitive but also remedial approach, combining legal consequences with counseling referrals.
The main point of contention is likely to be whether the bill appropriately shifts responsibility for student misconduct onto parents and guardians. Supporters would likely view the measure as a way to improve school safety, encourage family intervention, and address repeated disruptive behavior early. Opponents may argue that making parental failure to obtain counseling unlawful is overly punitive, may be difficult to enforce, and could burden families who lack access to counseling or who are already dealing with broader behavioral, mental health, or socioeconomic challenges. The requirement that schools notify parents after two incidents may also raise questions about how “violent and disruptive behavior” is defined and applied.