New laws in Maryland taking effect July 1

BALTIMORE —Starting July 1, several new laws passed in the General Assembly this year go into effect.

Under one law, schools are prohibited from expunging data from personnel files in cases of employee sexual misconduct. In the past, schools were bound by separation agreements and could not mention if an employee was accused of sexual misconduct, thereby allowing accused educators to move from job to job.

Another law is aimed at increasing transparency for the University of Maryland Board of Regents. It's now required to live stream meetings online, add four members to the 17-member board and include votes from open and closed meetings to the public. This law follows concerns about the board's handling of the death of football player Jordan McNair.

Johns Hopkins University can now lawfully create its own armed police force on its academic and main medical campus in Baltimore. This has been very controversial over the past few months as student activists held sit-ins protesting the decision. There is no timetable yet, though, as to when that force would be created.

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