HB 237
Department of Legislative Services
Maryland General Assembly
2021 Session
FISCAL AND POLICY NOTE
Third Reader - Revised
House Bill 237 (Delegate Ebersole)
Ways and Means Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
State Department of Education - Early Literacy and Dyslexia Practices -
Guidance and Assistance
This bill requires, by October 1, 2021, the Maryland State Department of Education
(MSDE) to establish a stakeholder advisory group to develop a reading and dyslexia
handbook with specified elements to guide local school systems in the implementation of
best practices for early literacy and dyslexia. By June 1, 2022, MSDE and the stakeholder
advisory group must make a completed handbook available to the public, as specified.
MSDE must update and publish the handbook every three years. MSDE and the
stakeholder advisory group must identify tools and materials that address the needs of
at-risk and struggling readers and students with dyslexia. MSDE must develop professional
learning opportunities and technical assistance on the content of the handbook to be
published as specified. By June 1, 2022, MSDE must designate a dyslexia liaison, who
may be an existing staff member, to provide technical assistance to local school systems
on the content of the handbook. The bill takes effect July 1, 2021.
Fiscal Summary
State Effect: General fund expenditures increase by $74,800 in FY 2022 to hire a dyslexia
liaison, as explained below. Future year expenditures reflect ongoing costs for the position.
No effect on revenues.
(in dollars) FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026
Revenues $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
GF Expenditure 74,800 88,600 91,300 94,500 97,900
Net Effect ($74,800) ($88,600) ($91,300) ($94,500) ($97,900)
Note:() = decrease; GF = general funds; FF = federal funds; SF = special funds; - = indeterminate increase; (-) = indeterminate decrease
Local Effect: Local school systems can publish the completed handbooks on their
websites and receive any training using existing resources.
Small Business Effect: None.
 Analysis
Bill Summary: The reading and dyslexia handbook must include specified elements
including indicators and characteristics of reading difficulties, dyslexia, and dysgraphia by
developmental level and age. The reading and dyslexia handbook must be consistent with
the resources developed and updated under current law.
The completed reading and dyslexia handbook must be published on the websites of MSDE
and each local school system and disseminated as specified. By June 1, 2025, and every
three years thereafter, the updated reading and dyslexia handbook must be published and
disseminated in the same manner.
The dyslexia liaison must (1) have experience remediating students with dyslexia; (2) have
experience with English language learners; and (3) be certified, or become certified within
18 months of being designated, by the International Dyslexia Association and the Center
for Effective Reading Instruction as a structured literacy dyslexia interventionist.
Current Law: In consultation with the State Superintendent of Schools, the State Board
of Education must develop and periodically update an overall plan that must identify, in
part, the methods to improve the diagnosis of basic reading skill deficiencies of elementary
and secondary school students and to improve the literacy rates of these students.
Chapter 512 of 2019 requires, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each local school
board to ensure that specified students are screened to identify if the student is at risk for
reading difficulties. If the screening results indicate that the student is at risk of reading
difficulties, the local board must provide supplemental reading instruction, as appropriate,
and provide a notification letter to the student’s parent as specified. MSDE must develop
and update resources for local boards every four years and provide technical support to
local boards allowing them to provide training opportunities annually. Local boards must
report annually to MSDE beginning with the 2020-2021 school year.
A local board must select one or more screening instruments that accurately and reliably
identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes; are developmentally appropriate; are
economical in time and cost to administer; and use norm-referenced or criterion-based
scores. The screenings may not be included in the time limitation for assessments required
by State law. The screening instruments must be based on foundational reading skills that
include phonological and phonemic awareness and processing. On registration of a student,
the local board of education must provide the parent or guardian of the student with a
description of the screening and supplemental instruction process in the county and any
checklists or forms needed to support the screening protocol.
HB 237/ Page 2
Each local board must provide resources on their website that include reading screening
instruments used in the jurisdiction; and a checklist of early warning signs of reading
difficulty and dyslexia by age.
Supplemental reading instruction must be evidence-based, sequential, systematic, explicit,
and cumulative instruction or intervention toward mastery of foundational reading skills.
MSDE must provide technical support for local boards, allowing them to provide annual
training opportunities for school administrators and individuals who conduct the
screenings.
State Expenditures: According to the bill, the dyslexia liaison may be an existing staff
member; however, MSDE advises that a full-time staff member is required to meet the
requirements of the bill. The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) cannot
independently verify if MSDE currently has a staff member that meets the requirements of
the bill and the current workload of such a person; however, DLS agrees that a new
full-time staff member is likely required. Therefore, this analysis assumes that MSDE hires
a full-time liaison dedicated to meeting the requirements of the bill. To the extent that an
existing staff member meets the requirements of the bill and is not fully subscribed with
existing duties, general fund expenditures for the liaison position will not increase.
This analysis assumes that MSDE designates the liaison beginning October 1, 2021, the
bill’s effective date, so that the liaison can help the stakeholder advisory group develop the
handbook. Therefore, general fund expenditures increase by $74,791 in fiscal 2022 for
MSDE to hire one full-time dyslexia liaison to staff the stakeholder group, develop and
update the reading and dyslexia handbook once every three years, identify and provide
resources to local school systems, and conduct other duties required by the bill. This
estimate reflects a 90-day start-up delay from the bill’s July 1, 2021 effective date. It
includes a salary and fringe benefits for the educational specialist, one-time start-up costs,
and other ongoing operating expenses.
Position 1
Salary and Fringe Benefits $69,210
Operating Expenses 5,581
Total FY 2022 State Expenditures $74,791
Future year expenditures reflect annualization, annual increases, employee turnover,
ongoing operating expenses, and elimination of one-time costs.
HB 237/ Page 3
 Additional Information
Prior Introductions: A similar bill, HB 718 of 2020, passed the House with amendments
but received no further action from the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental
Affairs Committee. Its cross file, SB 575 of 2020, received a hearing in the Senate
Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, but no further action was taken.
Designated Cross File: SB 126 (Senators Hester and Zucker) - Education, Health, and
Environmental Affairs.
Information Source(s): Maryland State Department of Education; Baltimore City Public
Schools; Department of Legislative Services
Fiscal Note History: First Reader - January 19, 2021
rh/rhh Third Reader - April 2, 2021
Revised - Amendment(s) - April 2, 2021
Analysis by: Caroline L. Boice Direct Inquiries to:
(410) 946-5510
(301) 970-5510
HB 237/ Page 4


Statutes affected:
Text - First - State Department of Education - Early Literacy and Dyslexia Practices - Guidance and Assistance: 1-101 Education, 4-136 Education, 8-420 Education
Text - Third - State Department of Education - Early Literacy and Dyslexia Practices - Guidance and Assistance: 1-101 Education, 4-136 Education, 8-420 Education