EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0904*
SENATE BILL 904
F2, E5 2lr3165
By: Senator Benson
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 14, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Higher Education Commission – Formerly Incarcerated Returning 2
Youth Grant Program – Established 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Formerly Incarcerated Returning Youth Grant 4
Program to be administered by the Office of Student Financial Assistance within the 5
Maryland Higher Education Commission; requiring the Division of Parole and 6
Probation within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the 7
Department of Juvenile Services to provide certain information to certain 8
individuals; and generally relating to the Formerly Incarcerated Returning Youth 9
Grant Program. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 18–3901 through 18–3904 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 39. 13
Formerly Incarcerated Returning Youth Grant Program” 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
Article – Education 19
SUBTITLE 39. FORMERLY INCARCERATED RETURNING YOUTH GRANT PROGRAM. 20
2 SENATE BILL 904
18–3901. 1
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 2
INDICATED. 3
(B) “ELIGIBLE STUDENT ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO: 4
(1) IS A RESIDENT OF THE STATE; 5
(2) IS UNDER THE AGE OF 26 YEARS; 6
(3) (I) HAS BEEN INCARCERATED ; OR 7
(II) IS INCARCERATED AT TH E TIME OF APPLICATIO N BUT WILL 8
BE RELEASED FROM INC ARCERATION WITHIN 6 MONTHS AFTER THE DAT E OF THE 9
APPLICATION; 10
(4) WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A FEDERAL PELL GRANT IN THAT YEAR ; 11
AND 12
(5) WILL APPLY FOR A FEDE RAL PELL GRANT IN THAT YEAR . 13
(C) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED RETURNING 14
YOUTH GRANT PROGRAM. 15
18–3902. 16
(A) (1) THERE IS A FORMERLY INCARCERATED RETURNING YOUTH 17
GRANT PROGRAM. 18
(2) THE OFFICE SHALL ADMINIST ER THE PROGRAM. 19
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE TO ELIGIBLE 20
STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE FEDERAL PELL GRANTS MATCHING STATE FUNDS TO 21
SUPPORT THE INDIVIDU AL IN ATTENDING AN I NSTITUTION OF POSTSE CONDARY 22
EDUCATION IN THE STATE. 23
(C) AN ELIGIBLE STUDENT M AY APPLY TO THE OFFICE FOR A GRANT UN DER 24
THE PROGRAM IF THE STUDEN T CERTIFIES THAT THE STUDENT WILL BE ELIG IBLE 25
AND WILL APPLY FOR A FEDERAL PELL GRANT IN THAT YEAR . 26
(D) THE OFFICE SHALL AWARD A GRANT UNDER THE PROGRAM: 27
(1) TO EACH ELIGIBLE STUD ENT WHO APPLIES TO T HE OFFICE FOR 28
THE GRANT AND RECEIV ES A FEDERAL PELL GRANT IN THAT YEAR ; AND 29 SENATE BILL 904 3
(2) IN AN AMOUNT: 1
(I) EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT O F THE FEDERAL PELL GRANT 2
THAT THE ELIGIBLE ST UDENT RECEIVED IN TH AT YEAR; BUT 3
(II) NOT MORE THAN $3,000. 4
(E) AN ELIGIBLE STUDENT W HO RECEIVES A GRANT UNDER THE PROGRAM 5
SHALL MAY USE THE GRANT ONLY FOR THE TUITION AND MANDATORY FEES AND 6
ROOM AND BOARD FOR O N–CAMPUS HOUSING AT AN INSTITUTION OF 7
POSTSECONDARY EDUCAT ION IN THE STATE. 8
(F) (1) SUBJECT TO THE LIMITA TION UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 9
SUBSECTION, A RECIPIENT OF A GRA NT REMAINS ELIGIBLE FOR SUBSEQUENT 10
GRANTS IF THE STUDEN T REMAINS IN GOOD ST ANDING WITH THE INST ITUTION OF 11
POSTSECONDARY EDUCAT ION. 12
(2) A RECIPIENT OF A GRANT MAY NOT RECEIV E A GRANT FOR MORE 13
THAN 3 YEARS. 14
(G) THE OFFICE SHALL DISTRIBU TE A GRANT AWARDED U NDER THE 15
PROGRAM TO THE INSTIT UTION OF POSTSECONDA RY EDUCATION IN WHIC H THE 16
ELIGIBLE STUDENT WHO RECEIVES THE GRANT I S ENROLLED AT THE SA ME TIME AS 17
FUNDS FOR FEDERAL PELL GRANTS ARE DISTRIBUTE D. 18
18–3903. 19
THE DIVISION OF PAROLE AND PROBATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF 20
PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF 21
JUVENILE SERVICES PERIODICALLY SHALL PROVIDE INFORM ATION ABOUT THE 22
PROGRAM AN D THE GRANT APPLICAT ION PROCESS TO INDIV IDUALS WHO MAY BE 23
ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT THROUGH THE PROGRAM. 24
18–3904. 25
THE COMMISSION SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT THIS 26
SUBTITLE. 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 28
1, 2022. 29