SB 685

State Department of Education - Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Model Response Policy - Requirements

Sponsor: Dawn Gile (District 33)Committee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: Primary and Secondary EducationStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 639 (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring the State Department of Education to develop a model sexual abuse and sexual misconduct response policy that includes, at minimum, a communications plan, an e-mail and other electronic communication documents retention policy, a requirement to link to a centralized resource platform, and an after-action review plan; requiring each local school system to adopt a response policy based on the model policy by September 1, 2027, and post in a conspicuous place on its website a link to a certain centralized resource platform; 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 (32)

MGA witness list

FAV 20FavorableFWA 3Favorable with amendmentsUNF 3UnfavorableINFO 6Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Kocik, Jimara	HCAS	Position only
FAV	Gile, Dawn	MD Senate	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gile, Dawn	MD Senate	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mathias, Sam	Maryland Association of Boards of Education	Written (PDF)
FAV	Buckheit, Kimberly	Maryland Center for School Safety	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jordan, Lisae Clobbyist	Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Orbe, Jr., Carlos	Maryland Latinos Unidos	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Boosinger, Meghann	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Graham, Lizzy	Individual	Position only
FAV	Juhasz, Katherine	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kraft, Jennifer	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Krone, Christinelobbyist	Individual	Position only
FAV	Senator Gile, Senator Gilelegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Senator Gile, Senator Gilelegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Tibbals, Trudy	Individual	Position only
FAV	Valentino, Jane	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wartell, Ashley	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Howard County, Staff	Board of Education of Howard County	Written (PDF)
UNF	Price, Suzanne	Concerned Citizen	Position only
UNF	Brocato, Deborah	Individual	Position only
FWA	Jordan, Lisae Clobbyist	Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Fannon, Mary Patlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FWA	Tibbals, Trudy	Individual	Written (PDF)
INFO	Brown-Burnett, Gloria	Department of Human Services	Written (PDF)
INFO	Houck, Madeline	MSDE	Written (PDF)
INFO	Mathias, Sam	Maryland Association of Boards of Education	Written (PDF)
INFO	Cratsley, Laurel	Maryland State Department of Education	Written (PDF)
INFO	Cook, Jessicalobbyist	Maryland State Education Association	Written (PDF)
INFO	Fannon, Mary Patlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Board of Education of Howard CountyUNF 1

Concerned CitizenUNF 1

Department of Human ServicesINFO 1

HCASFAV 1

Maryland Association of Boards of EducationFAV 1INFO 1

Maryland Center for School SafetyFAV 1

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)FAV 1FWA 1

Maryland Latinos UnidosFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 2

Maryland State Department of EducationINFO 1

Maryland State Education AssociationINFO 1

MD SenateFAV 2

MSDEINFO 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVJordan, Lisae CMaryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)Registered for: Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault

FAVKrone, ChristineRegistered for: American Coatings Association; Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; City of Rockville; Coordinating Center for Home and Community Care, The, LLC (dba The Coordinating Center); Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work, Inc.; LifeSpan Network…

FWAJordan, Lisae CMaryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)Registered for: Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault

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

INFOCook, JessicaMaryland State Education AssociationRegistered for: Maryland State Education Association

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