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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb0541*
HOUSE BILL 541
F2, F3 (4lr3090)
ENROLLED BILL
— Appropriations/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
Introduced by Delegates Henson, Bagnall , Bartlett, D. Jones, Kipke, Lehman,
Pruski, Rogers, Schmidt, and Simmons
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Anne Arundel County – Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program for 2
Educators – Established 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Anne Arundel County Student Loan Assistance 4
Repayment Program for Educators to assist in the repayment of certain student 5
loans owed by educators who meet certain eligibility requirements; authorizing the 6
governing body of Anne Arundel County to establish the Program for educators 7
employed by the Anne Arundel County Public School System; requiring the county 8
to establish the amount and terms and conditions of the Program; and generally 9
relating to the establishment of the Anne Arundel County Student Loan Assistance 10
Repayment Program for Educators. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Education 13 2 HOUSE BILL 541
Section 18–4001 through 18–4005 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 40. Anne 1
Arundel County Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program for Educators” 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 4
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 5
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 6
Article – Education 7
SUBTITLE 40. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY STUDENT LOAN ASSISTANCE REPAYMENT 8
PROGRAM FOR EDUCATORS. 9
18–4001. 10
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 11
INDICATED. 12
(B) “EDUCATOR” INCLUDES A CLASSROOM TEACHER, AN EDUCATION 13
SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL , AN EDUCATION –RELATED SERVICE PROV IDER, AND A 14
SPECIALIST ELIGIBLE FOR CERTIFICATION FR OM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 15
EDUCATION. 16
(B) (C) “HIGHER EDUCATION LOAN ” MEANS ANY LOAN FOR 17
UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE STUDY TH AT IS OBTAINED FOR T UITION, 18
EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES , OR LIVING EXPENSES F ROM: 19
(1) A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSIT Y, GOVERNMENT , OR COMMERCIAL 20
SOURCE; OR 21
(2) AN ORGANIZATION , AN INSTITUTION , AN ASSOCIATION , A 22
SOCIETY, OR A CORPORATION THA T IS EXEMPT FROM TAXATION UNDER § 501(C)(3) 23
OR (4) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986. 24
(C) (D) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY STUDENT 25
LOAN ASSISTANCE REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR EDUCATORS. 26
18–4002. 27
(A) IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE COUNTY 28
MAY ESTABLISH A STUD ENT LOAN ASSISTANCE REPAYMENT PROGRAM FO R 29
EDUCATORS EMPLOYED B Y THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 30
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ATTRACT , RECRUIT, AND RETAIN 31
A DIVERSE CADRE OF Q UALIFIED EDUCATORS I N THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY 32 HOUSE BILL 541 3
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT IS REFLEC TIVE OF THE STUDENT POPULATION 1
WITHIN THE COUNTY SC HOOLS. 2
(C) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION, THE COUNTY SHALL 3
ASSIST IN THE REPAYM ENT OF HIGHER EDUCAT ION LOANS OWED BY AN INDIVIDUAL 4
WHO: 5
(1) RECEIVES A GRADUATE , PROFESSIONAL , OR UNDERGRADUATE 6
DEGREE FROM AN ACCRE DITED COLLEGE OR UNI VERSITY; 7
(2) OBTAINS EMPLOYMENT AS AN EDUCATO R IN THE ANNE ARUNDEL 8
COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM; 9
(3) COMMITS TO SERVE IN T HE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC 10
SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR A PERIOD O F NOT LESS THAN 5 YEARS; 11
(4) RECEIVES AN INCOME TH AT IS LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM 12
ELIGIBLE TOTAL INCOM E LEVELS ESTABLIS HED BY THE COUNTY , INCLUDING ANY 13
ADDITIONAL SOURCES O F INCOME THE INDIVID UAL MAY EARN ; 14
(5) IS NOT IN DEFAULT ON ANY STUDENT LOAN ; AND 15
(6) SATISFIES ANY OTHER C RITERIA ESTABLISHED UNDER THE 16
PROGRAM BY THE COUNTY . 17
(D) AN APPLICANT FOR ASSI STANCE IN THE REPAYMENT OF A C OMMERCIAL 18
LOAN SHALL DEMONSTRA TE TO THE COUNTY THA T THE COMMERCIAL LOA N WAS 19
USED FOR TUITION , EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES , OR LIVING EXPENSES F OR GRADUATE 20
OR UNDERGRADUATE STU DY. 21
18–4003. 22
LOAN ASSISTANCE UNDER THE PROGRAM SHALL BE IN T HE AMOUNT AND ON 23
THE TERMS AND CONDIT IONS ESTABLISHED BY THE COUNTY. 24
18–4004. 25
THE PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMI NISTERED BY THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY 26
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 27
18–4005. 28
(A) FUNDS FOR THE PROGRAM SHALL BE AS P ROVIDED ON AN ANNUAL 29
BASIS IN THE COUNTY BUDGET IN AN APPROPR IATION SEPARATE FROM THE 30 4 HOUSE BILL 541
COUNTY’S APPROPRIATION TO T HE OPERATING BUDGET OF THE ANNE ARUNDEL 1
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. 2
(B) FUNDS FOR THE PROGRAM MAY BE USED T O COVER ADMINISTRATI VE 3
EXPENSES OF THE PROGRAM. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTH ER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
October 1, 2024. 6
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.