Maryland Statutes
Subtitle 3 - Attendance and Discipline of Students
Section 7-301.1 - Attendance Policy for Pregnant or Parenting Students

(a)    A student’s absence due to a student’s pregnancy or parenting needs is a lawful absence as provided under this section.
    (b)    Each county board shall develop a written attendance policy for pregnant and parenting students that, at a minimum, meets the requirements of this section.
    (c)    (1)    The policy developed under subsection (b) of this section shall:
            (i)    Excuse all absences due to pregnancy– or parenting–related conditions, including absences for:
                1.    Labor;
                2.    Delivery;
                3.    Recovery; and
                4.    Prenatal and postnatal medical appointments;
            (ii)    Provide at least 10 days of excused absences for a parenting student after the birth of the student’s child;
            (iii)    Excuse any parenting–related absences due to an illness or a medical appointment of the student’s child, including up to 4 days of absences per school year for which the school may not require a note from a physician;
            (iv)    Excuse any absence due to a legal appointment involving the pregnant or parenting student that is related to family law proceedings, including adoption, custody, and visitation; and
            (v)    Excuse any parenting–related absence from a class due to use of a lactation space to nurse or express breast milk.
        (2)    In addition to home and hospital services, the school may allow the student to:
            (i)    Make up the work that the student missed in a time period that equals at least as many days that the student was absent; and
            (ii)    Choose one of the following alternatives to make up work that the student missed:
                1.    Retake a semester;
                2.    Participate in an online course credit recovery program; or
                3.    Allow the student 6 weeks to continue at the same pace and finish at a later date.
        (3)    Each county board shall publish its written attendance policy for pregnant and parenting students on the county board’s website.