MD HB6

Maryland Higher Education Commission must collect student-level data on parental status from all public institutions of higher education, including whether students are parents or guardians, ages of children, and whether they are single parents or share caregiving responsibilities.

All public institutions of higher education must adopt and post on their websites by October 1, 2026, a Title IX-compliant plan for pregnant and parenting students that includes referrals to government assistance programs (WIC, Child Care Scholarship, Medicaid, CHIP), adoption services, institutional accommodations, and health care providers.

The Commission must submit annual reports to legislative committees beginning September 1, 2027, summarizing the parental status data collected from institutions.

The definition of "student data" in the Maryland Longitudinal Data System is expanded to include parental status, while explicitly excluding pregnancy status from data sharing.

The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all public higher education institutions, expanding coverage beyond the previous limitation to only senior institutions.