Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center - External Data Sharing With Third-Party Data Centers for Multistate Reporting - Authorization
Summary
HB293 authorizes the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center to share individual-level student and workforce data with a third-party data center, but only for multistate research and reporting on student outcomes. The bill defines a “third-party data center” as a secure computational research platform managed outside state government and limits the Center to working with only one such platform at a time. It also repeals the prior statutory provision allowing the Governing Board to authorize data sharing with the U.S. Census Bureau under certain circumstances, replacing that authority with a more detailed framework for external data sharing.
The bill requires the Governing Board to approve the specific data elements, datasets, and research or reporting projects before any transfer occurs. It also requires a written data-sharing agreement, annual compliance reviews, and reports to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee describing the agreement, how the data is being used, and any violations or corrective actions. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
HB293 amends the Education Article provisions governing the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center and its Governing Board. It adds a new section establishing conditions for sharing student and workforce data with third-party data centers, including FedRAMP authorization, strong security standards, de-identification requirements, limits on personally identifiable information, and restrictions on reporting outputs so individuals cannot be identified. It also removes the Board’s prior authority to authorize data sharing with the U.S. Census Bureau and directs the Center to share data with third-party data centers only under the new statutory process.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been generally favorable and noncontroversial in the legislature, as reflected by strong passage in both chambers. The recorded votes were 94-33 in the House and 32-9 in the Senate, indicating bipartisan support but not unanimity. The absence of committee transcript material suggests no major public debate is available in the provided record, but the vote margins indicate some members had reservations.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the balance between expanding data-sharing for multistate research and protecting student privacy. Supporters would view the bill as enabling better cross-state analysis of student outcomes and workforce pathways, while critics may be concerned about transferring sensitive individual-level data to an outside platform, even with security and de-identification safeguards. The repeal of the Census Bureau sharing authority and the requirement that the Governing Board approve each dataset and project suggest lawmakers were attentive to privacy, oversight, and limits on external access.
State Government - Data-Sharing Agreements and Personal Identifying Information - Prohibition and Reporting (Maryland Data Privacy and Federal Shield Act)