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.
*hb1121*
HOUSE BILL 1121
F5, O4 (5lr2096)
ENROLLED BILL
— Ways and Means/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
Introduced by Delegates Shetty, Acevero, Davis, Ivey, D. Jones, Lopez, McCaskill,
Roberts, Ruff, Simmons, Simpson, Solomon, Spiegel, Taylor, Wilkins,
Williams, and Wims Atterbeary, Buckel, Ebersole, Fair, Feldmark, Griffith,
Hornberger, Miller, Mireku–North, Palakovich Carr, Patterson, Roberson,
Vogel, Wells, and Wu
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his appro val this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Child Care Scholarship Program – Youth Transitioning From Foster Placement 2
to Successful Adulthood Pilot Program – Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Youth Transitioning From Foster Placement to 4
Successful Adulthood Pilot Program in the Child Care Scholarship Program; and 5
generally relating to the establishment of the Youth Transitioning From Foster 6
Placement to Successful Adulthood Pilot Program. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Article – Education 9
Section 9.5–113(a) and (b) 10 2 HOUSE BILL 1121
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 2
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 3
Article – Education 4
Section 9.5–113(c)(1) and (d) 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Education 9
Section 9.5–113.2 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Education 15
9.5–113. 16
(a) In this section, “Program” means the Child Care Scholarship Program. 17
(b) The Department shall administer the Program in accordance with federal law. 18
(c) (1) The Department shall [establish]: 19
(I) ESTABLISH a process that meets the requirements of this 20
subsection for granting presumptive eligibility for a subsidy under the Program; AND 21
(II) INCORPORATE THE FRAME WORK OF THE YOUTH 22
TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER PLACEMENT TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD PILOT 23
PROGRAM AS ESTABLISHED UNDER § 9.5–113.2 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 24
(d) The Department shall award a scholarship under the Program in an amount 25
sufficient to ensure that an individual will not be required to pay a copay for child care if 26
the individual provides proof, as determined by the Department, of: 27
(1) (I) Participation in one of the following programs: 28
[(i)] 1. Federal Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, 29
Infants, and Children; 30
[(ii)] 2. Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; 31
HOUSE BILL 1121 3
[(iii)] 3. Federal Housing Act Housing Choice Voucher Program; 1
[(iv)] 4. Supplemental Security Income benefits; or 2
[(v)] 5. Temporary cash assistance; and 3
[(2)] (II) Employment or enrollment in an education or career training 4
program; OR 5
(2) PARTICIPATION IN THE YOUTH TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER 6
PLACEMENT TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED U NDER 7
§ 9.5–113.2 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 8
9.5–113.2. 9
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 10
INDICATED. 11
(2) “FOSTER YOUTH ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO: 12
(I) IS AT LEAST 16 YEARS OLD AND UNDER THE AGE OF 22 13
YEARS; AND 14
(II) 1. IS IN OUT –OF–HOME CARE UNDER THE 15
RESPONSIBILITY OF TH E STATE; OR 16
2. WAS IN OUT –OF–HOME CARE UNDER THE 17
RESPONSIBILITY OF TH E STATE ON THE INDIVID UAL’S 18TH BIRTHDAY. 18
(3) “PILOT PROGRAM” MEANS THE YOUTH TRANSITIONING FROM 19
FOSTER PLACEMENT TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD PILOT PROGRAM. 20
(B) (1) THERE IS A YOUTH TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER PLACEMENT 21
TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD PILOT PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT . 22
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM IS TO ASSIST A FOSTER 23
YOUTH IN APPLYING FO R AND ACCESSING SUBS IDIES IN REMOVE CERTAIN 24
APPLICATION BARRIERS FOR PARENTING FOSTER YOUTH AND INCREASE 25
ELIGIBILITY ACCESS T O THE CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR THE 26
FOSTER YOUTH’S CHILD. 27
(C) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE PILOT PROGRAM. 28
4 HOUSE BILL 1121
(2) THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BEGIN O N OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 1
2026, AND SHALL END ON DECEMBER 31, 2028. 2
(D) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REMO VE BARRIERS IN THE CHILD CARE 3
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM APPLICATION P ROCESS FOR FOSTER YO UTH IN THE PILOT 4
PROGRAM BY REMOVING T HE FOLLOWING REQUIRE MENTS: 5
(1) PROOF OF A FOSTER YOU TH’S EMPLOYMENT OR ENRO LLMENT IN 6
AN EDUCATION OR CARE ER TRAINING PROGRAM ; 7
(2) THE NAME OF THE OTHER PARENT OF THE FOSTER YOUTH’S 8
CHILD; AND 9
(3) A WRITTEN AUTHORIZATIO N FROM A PARENT IF T HE PARENT IS 10
NOT RESIDING IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD AS TH E CHILD; AND 11
(4) APPLICATION INFORMATI ON, INCLUDING INCOME , THAT 12
RELATES TO A FOSTER YOUTH’S FOSTER PARENTS RAT HER THAN TO THE FOST ER 13
YOUTH. 14
(E) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL TRAC K EXPENDITURES ON 15
SCHOLARSHIPS PROVIDE D UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAM ON A MONTHLY BASIS, 16
INCLUDING: 17
(I) THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF FOSTER YOUTH RECEIVING 18
SUBSIDIES UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAM; AND 19
(II) THE AVERAGE SCHOLARSH IP AMOUNT RECEIVED B Y 20
FOSTER YOUTH UNDER T HE PILOT PROGRAM. 21
(2) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 OF EACH YEAR OF THE PILOT 22
PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPO RT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN 23
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, REGARDING: 24
(I) THE STATUS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM; AND 25
(II) AN EVALUATION IN MEET ING THE PILOT PROGRAM’S 26
GOALS TO REMOVE BARR IERS FOR FOSTER YOUT H IN ACCESSING SCHOL ARSHIPS 27
THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES SHALL MAKE R EFERRALS TO THE 28
DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE PROGRAM. 29
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 30
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 4 years and, at the end of June 30, 2029, 31 HOUSE BILL 1121 5
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 1
of no further force and effect. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
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President of the Senate.