Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland SB359: Child Care Facilities - Criminal History Records Check - Requirement
Status: Signed into law, May 12, 2026
Requiring individuals who will have direct contact with children in certain child care facilities to submit to a criminal history records check; requiring the State Department of Education, by June 30, 2027, to establish a centralized unit for the processing and management of information about criminal history records checks; altering the applicability of probationary employment qualifications for first-time child care teachers in child care centers in the State that serve children who are at least 2 years old; etc.
What the bill says
An act concerning Child Care Facilities - Criminal History Records Check - Requirement FOR the purpose of repealing the limitation on the number of Deputy State Superintendents of Schools that the State Superintendent can appoint; requiring individuals who will have direct contact with children in certain child care facilities to submit to a criminal history records check; requiring the State Department of Education to establish a centralized unit for the processing and management of information about criminal history records checks on or before a certain date…
From the enrolled text, May 18, 2026:
AN ACT concerning Child Care Facilities - Criminal History Records Check - Requirement FOR the purpose of repealing the limitation on the number of Deputy State Superintendents of Schools that the State Superintendent can appoint; requiring individuals who will have direct contact with children in certain child care facilities to submit to a criminal history records check; requiring the State Department of Education to establish a centralized unit for the processing and management of information about criminal history records checks on or before a certain date; altering the applicability of probationary employment qualifications for first-time child care teachers in certain child care centers; requiring the Department to review a certain process and submit a certain report on or before a certain date; and generally relating to a criminal history records check for individuals who will have direct contact with children in child care facilities. BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article - Education Section 2-104(a) Annotated Code of Maryland (2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) BY adding to Article - Education Section 9.5-118 Annotated Code of Maryland (2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, Article - Education Section 9.5-404(a) Annotated Code of Maryland (2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article - Education Section 9.5-404(b)(13) Annotated Code of Maryland (2022 …