A bill to create a study of adolescent sleep patterns, with the hope of advising schools on the most effective time to start classes in Maryland’s high schools, has been approved by the General Assembly and awaits the governor’s signature.
If Gov Martin O’Malley neither signs nor vetoes the bill, it will become law.
HB 883 is now listed as being “in the House, passed enrolled.” It passed unanimously on March 12, unanimously in the Senate on March 24 but with amendments, and then again in the House on April 4. The second vote in the House of Delegates was required because the Senate had attached amendments to the bill.
The bill would require the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to study how sleep patterns in adolescents affect school performance, WMDT (ABC affiliate) reports.
“The literature certainly suggests that the sleep wake cycles in adolescents is different than when they’re young children or even as adults, so they tend to have trouble falling asleep and getting up,” the station quoted Dr Laura Herrera, deputy secretary for public health services at Maryland DHMH, as saying. “Other states have looked at this issue and have shown some improvements in performance in school work.”