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During the �˻�ֱ�� General Assembly’s 2025 legislative session, which ended on April 7, faculty and students from the University of �˻�ֱ�� College of Education traveled to Annapolis to testify and meet with legislators. They advocated for legislation and funding to support people with disabilities, multilingual communities, and schools in historically underresourced communities and to promote civic education and engagement in schools. In May, Governor Wes Moore signed two of the bills EdTerps advocated for into law.

TerpsEXCEED Annual Funding

On May 6, Governor Moore signed , authorizing annual funding of up to $350,000 starting in fiscal year 2027 for (EXperiencing College for Education and Employment Discovery) at �˻�ֱ��. TerpsEXCEED is an inclusive post-secondary education program that provides �˻�ֱ�� students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in a college experience for two years, culminating in a certificate. 

The funding may be used to support advising, counseling, in-class support, accommodations, internship and job opportunities for TerpsEXCEED students. In addition, it could help provide resources for TerpsEXCEED graduates post-program, advising for peer mentors and training for resident assistants. The funds could also enable �˻�ֱ�� to lead the expansion of the TerpsEXCEED model across the state.

On February 11 and 12, panels representing TerpsEXCEED  in front of the �˻�ֱ�� House Appropriations Committee and Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, including Amy Dwyre D’Agati, founder and director; two TerpsEXCEED students, Precious Agbor ’26 and Carly Ruderman ’26; and two TerpsEXCEED peer mentors, criminology and criminal justice major Patrick Sowers ’25 and biological sciences major Luke Amaral ’25. 

“Research has shown that adults with ID [intellectual disabilities] who participate in college programs make more money and work more hours per week than those with no college. With TerpsEXCEED and its replicability, more �˻�ֱ��ers with ID become tax-paying citizens, contributing meaningfully to our state economy,” D’Agati testified before the Senate Committee. “In addition, thousands of college graduates in �˻�ֱ�� who become trained and certified as mentors will enter industries within our state economy with the knowledge, experience and initiative to create inclusive work environments and have enhanced skills in problem-solving, creative team management and implementing inclusive practices.”

Immediately following the panel’s testimony, the Senate committee voted unanimously in support of the bill, with one amendment, which stated that every committee member would join as sponsors.

On February 13, 16 TerpsEXCEED staff, students, mentors and family members met with 10 legislators as part of Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature in Annapolis, sponsored by the Arc �˻�ֱ�� and the �˻�ֱ�� Developmental Disabilities Council. They continued to advocate for the bill and also thanked legislators for their support.

Equal Access to Public Services 

On May 13, Governor Moore signed the Equal Access to Public Services for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency and Individuals with Disabilities Act () into law. The new law establishes the �˻�ֱ�� Language Advisory Group and requires certain state departments, agencies and programs to develop a language access plan and provide language assistance to better serve multilingual communities and people with disabilities.

Veronica Kang, assistant professor of special education, joined fellow members of the  at the signing. The coalition consists of 35 organizations that provide education and information to help people successfully navigate language and cultural barriers that impede access to disability services.

Kang began collaborating on efforts to advocate for the bill early this year. On February 13, she and Nell O’Hara ’26, a psychology and human development major, and Darsana Alagarsamy ’26, a neuroscience major, attended Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature along with community members and staff from the coalition. They met with several delegates to advocate for HB 1473 and the protection of �˻�ֱ�� Department of Health’s Developmental Disabilities Administration services, which have six critical components that impact everyday lives of people with disabilities and their families: self-determination, self-advocacy, supporting families, housing, employment and assistive technology. ​​ 

“I hope to inspire future educators and researchers to engage in advocacy alongside their instruction and research in academic settings,” said Kang. “It’s important to partner with families and policymakers to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities, especially those at the intersection of multiple identities.”

At a press conference following the bill signing, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller spoke about the significance of the bill and shared her own childhood experiences as a multilingual learner.

“[I] remember my ESOL [English for Speakers of Other Languages] teachers who took the time to help me, who made sure I received the additional support I needed, and who made me feel like I belonged,” said Miller. “The Equal Access to Public Services Act is about extending that same support to every �˻�ֱ��er so that no matter what language someone speaks or how they move through the world, they are seen, they are heard and they are served.”

�˻�ֱ�� Seal of Civic Excellence

Lena Morreale Scott, director of �˻�ֱ��’s Civic Education and Engagement Initiative, principal investigator of the �˻�ֱ�� Democracy Initiative and chair of the �˻�ֱ�� Civic Education Coalition, testified in favor of /Senate Bill 8, which would establish the �˻�ֱ�� Seal of Civic Excellence. This voluntary program would incentivize and celebrate high school students that exemplify civic engagement and public schools that promote civic readiness. Scott testified on January 27 before the �˻�ֱ�� Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and on January 27 and March 17 before the House Ways and Means Committee

For the third year in a row, the bill had bipartisan support and passed the Senate unanimously but stalled in the House, where the Ways and Means Committee did not schedule it for a vote. 

“We remain optimistic for its future, especially because of the broad support it has from so many individuals and groups across the state,” said Scott. “The process of advocating for this bill to strengthen civics education provided a civic education and engagement experience in and of itself for many of our coalition members. Some of the bill's strongest advocates were people who had never previously spoken to their lawmakers or testified before the legislature. The members of our youth advisory council, in particular, were quite engaged and effective. They told me that this experience inspired them to use their voice and their agency into the future.”

Aspiring Educator Lobby Night

Eight �˻�ֱ�� students representing the Teacher Education Association for �˻�ֱ�� Students (TEAMS) joined the �˻�ֱ�� State Education Association to meet with state legislators on February 17 during Aspiring Educator Lobby Night in Annapolis. TEAMS members advocated for funding for community schools, where many of them intern or volunteer. �˻�ֱ�� schools have high numbers of students receiving free and reduced lunch meals. They collaborate with community partners and local governments to provide students and families with academic, extracurricular, and physical and mental health supports to help students succeed. Currently, there are 621 community schools in �˻�ֱ��.

“I feel like [lobbying] can be intimidating, but it’s also empowering,” said Olivia Hahn ’28, an English language and literature and secondary education major and a member of TEAMS, who participated in the event. “You’re advocating for something you truly believe in. It made me even more interested in advocacy work, and I think it inspired other people in our group, too.”