HB 649

Did not advance

Advancing Equal Educational Opportunities for All Students in Maryland

Sponsor: Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections CommitteeCommittee: Government, Labor, and ElectionsSubject: Human RelationsStatus: Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Authorizing the Commission on Civil Rights to enforce a prohibition against discrimination and retaliation in educational institutions based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or marital status; establishing the powers, duties, and limitations of the authority of the Commission on Civil Rights to enforce the prohibition against educational discrimination; establishing a private right of action; etc.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (163)

MGA witness list

FAV 51FavorableFWA 22Favorable with amendmentsUNF 81UnfavorableINFO 9Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Patinella, Franklobbyist	ACLU of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Patinella, Franklobbyist	ACLU of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Gupta, Riyalobbyist	Blueprint Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Young, Emily	EdTrust	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Onuwu Slaughter, Brandi	Karabelle Pizzigati Initiative	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sunderman, Gail	League of Women Voters Maryland (LWVMD)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sunderman, Gail	League of Women Voters Maryland (LWVMD)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Reynolds-Dominguez, Camila	Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rai, Sanjay	MHEC	Written (PDF)
FAV	douglass, sharlimar	Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education (MAREE)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	douglass, sharlimar	Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education (MAREE)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kovacs, Lisa	Maryland Association of Local Management Boards	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schumitz, Kalilobbyist	Maryland Center on Economic Policy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Quinn, Kelly	Maryland Coalition to Reform to School Discipline	Written (PDF)
FAV	Quinn, Kelly	Maryland Coalition to Reform to School Discipline	Written (PDF)
FAV	Horton II, Cleveland	Maryland Commission on Civil Rights	Oral
FAV	Blackfield, Anne	Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Blackfield, Anne	Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD)	Written (PDF)
FAV	London, Rachel	Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	London, Rachel	Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	Zogby, Liz	Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mitchell, Ellie	Maryland Out of School Time Network	Written (PDF)
FAV	Harrington, Ashley	NAACP Legal Defense Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Othman, Ronza	National Federation of the Blind of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Othman, Ronza	National Federation of the Blind of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Perino, Auden	National Women's Law Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dittmeier, Brian	National Women's Law Center Action Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Carter, Alita-Geri	Qualequity Access	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Cano, Christopherlobbyist	SEIU Local 500	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Edwards-Luce, Aubrey	Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts	Position only
FAV	Goldstein, Mathew	Secular Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldstein, Mathew	Secular Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Funk, Kenzie	Strong Schools Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Quinn, Kelly	The Choice Program at UMBC	Written (PDF)
FAV	de Vicente, Alvaro J.	The Heights School	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Warnken, Heather	University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform	Position only
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bah, Fanta	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Burch, Eboni	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee, Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee	Individual	Oral
FAV	Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee, Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee	Individual	Oral
FAV	Jasen, Debi	Individual	Position only
FAV	Johnson, Jenai	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rodriguez Letana, Helen	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rodriguez Letana, Helen	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wooten, Tanisha	Individual	Position only
FAV	York, Katie	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Sadwin, Rabbi Ariel	Agudath Israel of Maryland	Written (PDF)
UNF	Sadwin, Rabbi Ariel	Agudath Israel of Maryland	Written (PDF)
UNF	Faulkner, Autumn	Association Of Christian Schools International	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Bullard, Alice	Bullard Esq. Law	Written (PDF)
UNF	Price, Suzanne	Concerned Citizen	Written (PDF)
UNF	Leggieri, Lauren	LGB Courage Coaltion	Oral
UNF	Tier, Ralph	M4L	Position only
UNF	Sadwin, Ariellobbyist	Maryland CAPE	Written (PDF)
UNF	Sadwin, Ariellobbyist	Maryland CAPE	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 163

Organizations on record

ACLU of MarylandFAV 2

Agudath Israel of MarylandUNF 2

Association Of Christian Schools InternationalUNF 1

Blueprint CoalitionFAV 1

Bullard Esq. LawUNF 1

Concerned CitizenUNF 1

Disability Rights MarylandFWA 2

EdTrustFAV 1

Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law, University of Maryland Carey School of LawFWA 2

Hussman Foundation / Hussman Institute for AutismFWA 2

Karabelle Pizzigati InitiativeFAV 1

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under LawFWA 1

League of Women Voters Maryland (LWVMD)FAV 2

Legislative LGBTQ+ CaucusFAV 1

LGB Courage CoaltionUNF 1

M4LUNF 1

Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education (MAREE)FAV 2

Maryland Association of Boards of EducationINFO 2

Maryland Association of Community CollegesINFO 2

Maryland Association of Local Management BoardsFAV 1

Maryland CAPEUNF 2

Maryland Catholic ConferenceUNF 2

Maryland Center on Economic PolicyFAV 1

Maryland Coalition Against PornographyUNF 1

Maryland Coalition to Reform to School DisciplineFAV 2

Maryland Commission on Civil RightsFAV 1FWA 4

Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD)FAV 2

Maryland Developmental Disabilities CouncilFAV 2

Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Family InstituteUNF 4

Maryland Independent College & University AssociationUNF 2

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 2

Maryland Out of School Time NetworkFAV 1

Maryland State Department of EducationFWA 2

MHECFAV 1

Moms for LibertyUNF 1

Moms For Liberty - Harford CountyUNF 1

Moms For Liberty TalbotUNF 1

N/AFWA 1UNF 1

NAACP Legal Defense FundFAV 1

National Center for Youth LawFWA 3

National Federation of the Blind of MarylandFAV 2

National Women's Law CenterFAV 1

National Women's Law Center Action FundFAV 1

noneUNF 1

Pacific Justice InstituteUNF 1

PrivateUNF 1

Public Justice CenterFWA 2

Qualequity AccessFAV 1

Religious Freedom InstituteUNF 1

Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the CourtsFAV 1

Secular MarylandFAV 2

SEIU Local 500FAV 1

Strong Schools MarylandFAV 1

The Choice Program at UMBCFAV 1

The Heights SchoolFAV 1

The Parents' Place of MDFWA 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice ReformFAV 1

Women's Declaration International USAUNF 1

Women's Liberation FrontFWA 1

YearFAV 2

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVPatinella, FrankACLU of MarylandRegistered for: ACLU of Maryland; American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland

FAVGupta, RiyaBlueprint CoalitionRegistered for: Strong Schools Maryland, care of The Fund for Educational Excellence

FAVSchumitz, KaliMaryland Center on Economic PolicyRegistered for: Maryland Center on Economic Policy

FAVCano, ChristopherSEIU Local 500Registered for: SEIU Local 500

UNFSadwin, ArielMaryland CAPERegistered for: Agudath Israel of Maryland

UNFO'Day, GarrettMaryland Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

UNFMurray, RoryRegistered for: Alliance to Prevent Legionnaire's Disease; American Council of Engineering Companies/MD; Association of Independent Maryland and D.C. Schools; Chesapeake Watershed Restoration Professionals; Kaiser Permanente; Lightstar Renewables…

INFOFannon, Mary PatRegistered for: Public School Superintendents' Association of Maryland