Among the 183 bills Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed into law Tuesday was one tweaking the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s sweeping education reform law.

Before signing it, Moore praised aspects of the bill designed to recruit and train teachers. Among these is a new grant program that provides up to $2,000 to out-of-state licensed teachers willing to relocate to Maryland and a plan to launch a nationwide teacher recruitment campaign. The measure also makes changes to the state’s Grow Your Own Educators grant program, which helps recruit and train graduates from local high schools to become teachers.

“If someone is raising their hand to teach our children, it should be rewarded with opportunity and not be burdened by debt,” Moore said. “That's why we are improving and expanding our flagship Grow Your Own Program which funds debt free pathways to obtaining a teaching certificate.”

The teacher recruitment initiatives are just one component of a broad bill that proved controversial during the legislative session that ended last month. When Moore’s administration proposed the measure, it cut roughly $1.6 billion from schools over four years. However, lawmakers restored most of that funding before passing it on the last day of the 90-day session.

The final version that Moore signed Tuesday pauses a plan to provide teachers more planning time outside the classroom, known as “collaborative time.” It also reduces scheduled increases in per-pupil school funding for two years, starting in July 2026.

It takes effect July 1 of this year.