4-13-25 MFRW Legislative Update

My most sincere thank you to everyone who submitted testimony, wrote e-mails or made telephone calls to legislators on bills this General Assembly Session.

Linked is the final MFRW Weekly Legislative Update for the 2025 General Assembly Session.  I have tried to be accurate. I apologize if there are any mistakes. 

It is over!  We are grateful.

The State budget and Budget Finance Reconciliation Act have been "balanced" and passed.  However, there is already talk that a special session may be needed in the Fall to shore up the finances.  Could that mean even more tax and fee hikes?

An update on HB 161 - retitled "County Boards of Education- Curriculum Guides and Courses of Study - Discrepancies."  Its scope is enlarged from the Comprehensive Health Education Framework to ALL educational subject Frameworks.  The amendments to HB 161 remove list of topics to be included in the Comprehensive Health Education Framework.  The "Opt-Out" authority is under the COMAR regulation and not in the statute.

The current COMAR regulation (13A.04.18.01) calls for a review and update of the Comprehensive Health Education Framework every 5 years.  This review has been under way since mid-2024 by a Standards & Frameworks Validation Committee (SFVC). One of the Co-Chairs is the Director of the Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Branch of the MSDE, Jason Semanoff.  The other Co-Chair is Brittany Pettus.  The committee members' names are listed but no details on geographic distribution, large or small counties, etc.

You can view the members of this committee, its schedule, agendas and minutes of its meetings on the Maryland State Department of Education's website.  They are not very detailed.  At some point their decisions will be shared with the public for comment prior to implementation this Fall. 

It is my understanding that there are similar SFVC's for other subject areas.  This is an ongoing process.   We need to pay attention to the work of these SFVC committees.

Wishing everyone joy and peace at Easter and Passover.

 Sincerely,

Ella Ennis

Legislative Chairman

Maryland Federation of Republican Women