What Does “Young Adult” Mean Under Maryland Law? The Answer Matters for Maryland Schools
- Fellow Editors
- 3 minutes ago
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Maryland does not have one statewide definition of the term “young adult.” Instead, the phrase is defined in specific COMAR chapters and program statutes, depending on the context in which it is used. It is also important to distinguish the term “young adult” from the age of majority, which is generally 18 in Maryland.
COMAR Definitions of “Young Adult”
COMAR 07.02.25.02(B)(33) - The Maryland Department of Human Services, in its regulations concerning LDSS resource homes and child welfare, defines “young adult” as follows:
“Young adult” means an individual 18 years old or older but not yet 21 years old.
That chapter also uses the term “child in care” to include a child or young adult for whom the local department has placement, care, custody, or guardianship.
Local boards of education may rely on applicable Maryland statutes and COMAR provisions when determining eligibility for programs and services involving young adults.
COMAR 10.09.90.02(B)(25) Maryland Medicaid's care-coordination regulations provide another definition:
“Young adult” means an individual who is 18 years old or older but not older than 21 years old.
These two COMAR provisions provide clear regulatory definitions of the exact term “young adult.” However, other Maryland statutes and regulations use related age classifications depending on the particular program or legal context.
Related COMAR Age Terms
Maryland law and COMAR sometimes use terms such as “child” or “youth” in ways that can include individuals who are 18 to 21 years old under specific circumstances.
For example, COMAR 07.02.11.03 provides circumstances under which the term “child” can include a person who is 18 through 21 when the court retains jurisdiction and other eligibility requirements are satisfied.
This demonstrates why the specific statute or regulation must be examined when determining who qualifies for a particular program or service.
Maryland Statutes
Age of Majority — Maryland General Provisions § 1-401
The age of majority is a separate legal concept from the term “young adult.”
Under Md. Code, General Provisions § 1-401:
The age of majority is 18.
Except as otherwise provided by law, a person who is 18 or older is an adult for all purposes.
A person who is 18 and still attending secondary school may, under specified circumstances, continue to receive parental support until graduation, leaving school, emancipation, marriage, death, or reaching age 19.
Therefore, the fact that Maryland law establishes 18 as the age of majority does not mean that every statute or regulation necessarily uses the term “young adult” in exactly the same way.
Young Adult Service Year Option Pathway
Maryland State Government Article § 21-205 establishes the Young Adult Service Year Option Pathway. The statute uses the term “eligible young adults” in connection with the program. Eligibility includes:
Maryland residency;
A high school diploma or equivalent credential; and
Being at least 18 years old and under 25 years old at the start of the pathway.
Thus, in this statutory context, the relevant age range for the Young Adult Service Year is 18 through 24.
Related funding and program provisions appear within the same Maryland subtitle.
Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidies
Maryland also uses the term “young adult” in the context of health insurance.
Insurance Article § 31-122 and COMAR 14.35.19 establish the State-Based Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidies Program.
Unlike the child-welfare and Medicaid regulations discussed above, this program uses “young adult” in a substantially broader age-related context. Program eligibility has generally encompassed individuals in the 18-to-34 age range, with eligibility subsequently expanded toward age 37.
Consequently, the meaning of “young adult” depends upon the specific statutory or regulatory program involved.
Summary of Maryland's Use of “Young Adult”
The following provisions illustrate the different ways Maryland law uses the term:
Maryland Law or Regulation | Term/Program | Applicable Age |
COMAR 07.02.25.02(B)(33) | Young adult | 18 to under 21 |
COMAR 10.09.90.02(B)(25) | Young adult | 18 through 21 |
State Government § 21-205 | Young Adult Service Year eligibility | 18 through 24 |
General Provisions § 1-401 | Adult / age of majority | 18+ |
Insurance Article § 31-122 / COMAR 14.35.19 | Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidies | Broader program-specific age range |
These provisions demonstrate that Maryland does not have one universal statutory definition of “young adult.” The applicable definition depends upon the law, regulation, or program in which the term appears.
Has Maryland Redefined “Young Adults” to Include Children?
There is no general Maryland statute that redefines the term “young adult” to mean a 9 or 12-year-old. Such a broad redefinition would also need to be considered in the context of Maryland's numerous laws distinguishing minors, children, youth, and adults.
Maryland law generally treats individuals under 18 as minors for purposes of numerous legal rights, responsibilities, and protections, although individual statutes can establish different age thresholds for particular purposes.
Accordingly, a local entity should not assume that the phrase “young adult” has a single meaning across all areas of Maryland law. The controlling statute or regulation must be examined in each particular context.
Local Boards of Education and State Authority
Maryland's local boards of education are governmental entities established under state law. They therefore operate within the framework of Maryland statutes, regulations, and applicable federal law.
A local board may establish policies governing its operations, but those policies cannot conflict with controlling state or federal law.
Likewise, private organizations like professional associations, labor unions, and advocacy organizations do not have independent governmental authority to redefine terms contained in Maryland statutes or COMAR or to compel a local board to disregard applicable law.
Any organization advocating a particular interpretation of Maryland law should therefore be distinguished from the governmental body that actually possesses statutory or regulatory authority.
Maryland's Freedom to Read Act and Library Policies
The issue of library materials is separate from the statutory definitions of “young adult.”
The Maryland Freedom to Read Act establishes requirements concerning access to instructional materials and prohibits discrimination in the selection or removal of materials based on protected characteristics, including characteristics such as race, religion, and sexual orientation.
At the same time, school library policies must be interpreted together with applicable constitutional principles, Maryland law, and federal law.
Somerset County's school library policy requires compliance with applicable U.S. Supreme Court precedent. Therefore, the policy does not necessarily require that every challenged book remain in a school library regardless of its content or the circumstances surrounding its selection.
Questions concerning sexually explicit, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate materials must be analyzed under the applicable constitutional and statutory standards rather than through a blanket assumption that every challenge to a book constitutes unlawful censorship.
Mahmoud v. Taylor and Parental Opt-Out Rights
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor (2025) is also relevant to the discussion of parental rights and school instructional materials.
The decision addressed circumstances in which parents may have constitutional rights to opt their children out of certain instructional materials involving religious viewpoints.
Accordingly, any local library or instructional-materials policy should be evaluated in light of the Supreme Court's controlling precedent, as well as applicable Maryland law and the specific facts involved.
The Role of the Board in Reviewing Library Materials
Against that legal background, the Somerset County Board of Education's review of the process used to select library books and other media materials is not, by itself, evidence of wrongdoing.
Board members have a legitimate governmental responsibility to understand how policies are implemented, how materials are selected, what standards are being applied, and whether employees are following established procedures.
Questioning library media supervisors and specialists about the selection process, review procedures, and implementation of board policy can therefore be a legitimate part of the Board's oversight responsibilities.
Transparency regarding those processes is appropriate when the Board is responding to public questions or concerns.
Employee Conduct and Public Statements
The Board also has authority to establish and enforce employee policies, including policies governing professional conduct and progressive discipline.
When an employee publicly communicates information in connection with his or her employment, questions may arise regarding whether the employee is acting within the scope of assigned duties, complying with applicable policies, or accurately representing the school system.
However, any disciplinary action should be based on applicable employee policies, contractual provisions, due-process requirements, and established law—not merely on disagreement with an employee's viewpoint.
Publicly referring to an applicable progressive-discipline policy can therefore be appropriate when discussing the standards governing employee conduct, provided that the policy is applied consistently and lawfully.
Conclusion
Maryland's laws and regulations demonstrate that “young adult” is a context-specific legal term rather than a single statewide classification with one universal age range.
The clearest COMAR definitions discussed above generally identify young adults as individuals 18 through approximately 21, while other Maryland programs—such as the Young Adult Service Year and young adult health insurance programs—use broader, program-specific age ranges.
The age of majority is separately established at 18.
Consequently, claims about who qualifies as a “young adult” under Maryland law should be evaluated by identifying the specific statute, COMAR provision, or program at issue rather than assuming that the phrase has one definition applicable throughout Maryland.
Likewise, disputes concerning school library materials, parental rights, employee conduct, and local board authority should be analyzed under the specific Maryland statutes, COMAR regulations, board policies, and federal precedent applicable to each issue.
Fellows & Editors
August 31, 2026
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