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.
*hb0799*
HOUSE BILL 799
C8 5lr3444
By: Delegates Vogel and Buckel, Buckel, Fair, Roberts, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Economic Development – Maryland Innovation Initiative University Institution 2
Partnership Extension Program – Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Innovation Initiative University Institution 4
Partnership Extension Program; authorizing certain universities public and private 5
nonprofit institutions of higher education to participate in the Program; establishing 6
eligibility criteria for project proposals to receive funding under the Program; 7
requiring authorizing the Governor to include an appropriation in the annual budget 8
bill for certain fiscal years for the Program; altering the purpose and contents of the 9
Maryland Innovation Initiative Fund; and generally relating to the establishment of 10
the Maryland Innovation Initiative University Institution Partnership Extension 11
Program. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Economic Development 14
Section 10–454(a), (b), and (d), 10–455(a), and 10–457(a) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – Economic Development 19
Section 10–457(b) and (d) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 22
2 HOUSE BILL 799
BY adding to 1
Article – Economic Development 2
Section 10–461 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Economic Development 8
10–454. 9
(a) In this part the following words have the meanings indicated. 10
(b) “Commercialization” means the process of introducing a new product or 11
technology into the market. 12
(d) “Initiative” means the Maryland Innovation Initiative established under § 13
10–455 of this subtitle. 14
10–455. 15
(a) There is a Maryland Innovation Initiative. 16
10–457. 17
(a) There is a Maryland Innovation Initiative Fund. 18
(b) The purpose of the Fund is to provide funding for the purposes described in [§ 19
10–456] §§ 10–456 AND 10–461 of this subtitle. 20
(d) The Fund consists of: 21
(1) appropriations as provided in the State budget; 22
(2) contributions by the qualifying universities under § 10–455 of this 23
subtitle AND ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITIES INSTITUTIONS UNDER § 10–461 OF THIS 24
SUBTITLE; 25
(3) grants or funds from federal laboratories located in Maryland; 26
(4) interest or other income earned on the investment of money in the 27
Fund; and 28
(5) any other money accepted for the benefit of the Initiative. 29
HOUSE BILL 799 3
10–461. 1
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 2
INDICATED. 3
(2) “ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTION” MEANS BOWIE STATE 4
UNIVERSITY AND, FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY, AND ANY OTHER PUBLIC OR 5
PRIVATE NONPROFIT IN STITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION DEEMED ELI GIBLE BY 6
THE INITIATIVE. 7
(3) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND INNOVATION INITIATIVE 8
UNIVERSITY INSTITUTION PARTNERSHIP EXTENSION PROGRAM. 9
(B) (1) THERE IS A MARYLAND INNOVATION INITIATIVE UNIVERSITY 10
INSTITUTION PARTNERSHIP EXTENSION PROGRAM. 11
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES 12
FOR TECHNOLOGY VALID ATION, ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVE LOPMENT, AND 13
INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT AT ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITIES INSTITUTIONS. 14
(C) (1) THE INITIATIVE SHALL IMPL EMENT AND ADMINISTER THE 15
PROGRAM. 16
(2) THE INITIATIVE SHALL COLL ABORATE WITH AN ELIG IBLE 17
UNIVERSITY INSTITUTION TO IDENTIFY AND SUPP ORT INDUSTRY PARTNER SHIPS 18
AND COMMERCIALIZATIO N OPPORTUNITIES . 19
(3) THE INITIATIVE MAY EXPLOR E OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANDING 20
ELIGIBILITY TO OTHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE NO NPROFIT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 21
EDUCATION. 22
(D) TO QUALIFY FOR PARTIC IPATION IN THE PROGRAM, EACH ELIGIBLE 23
UNIVERSITY SHALL PAY AN ANNU AL CONTRIBUTION OF $50,000. 24
(E) (D) (1) ONLY AN ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTION MAY SUBMIT 25
PROJECT PROPOSALS FO R FUNDING UNDER THE PROGRAM. 26
(2) TO QUALIFY FOR A GRAN T UNDER THE PROGRAM, A PROJECT 27
PROPOSAL MUST : 28
(I) SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A NEW TE CHNOLOGY–BASED 29
BUSINESS IN MARYLAND; 30
4 HOUSE BILL 799
(II) ADVANCE TECHNOLOGY T OWARD COMMERCIALIZAT ION OF 1
A PRODUCT OR SERVICE ; 2
(III) FOSTER ENTREPRENEURI AL DEVELOPMENT AT TH E 3
ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTION; 4
(IV) CREATE AN OPPORTUNIT Y FOR MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC 5
IMPACT IN THE REGION AROUND THE ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTION; OR 6
(V) FOSTER COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ELIGIBLE 7
UNIVERSITY INSTITUTION AND AN INDUSTRY PART NER, INCLUDING: 8
1. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT WITH COMMERCIALIZATI ON 9
POTENTIAL; AND 10
2. MATCHING FUNDS PROVI DED BY THE INDUSTRY 11
PARTNER. 12
(F) (E) (1) THE INITIATIVE SHALL DEVE LOP CRITERIA TO REVI EW, 13
EVALUATE, AND RATE PROJECT PRO POSALS FOR FUNDING U NDER THE PROGRAM. 14
(2) THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHALL DISTRI BUTE GRANTS TO 15
PROJECTS BASED ON TH E CRITERIA DEVELOPED IN ACCORDANCE WITH P ARAGRAPH 16
(1) OF THIS SUBSECTION . 17
(3) AN ELIGIBLE INSTITUTI ON SHALL PROVIDE A C ASH MATCH 18
EQUIVALENT TO 10% OF THE AMOUNT AWARDE D UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 19
SUBSECTION. 20
(G) (F) (1) FOR FISCAL YEARS 2027 AND 2028, THE GOVERNOR SHALL 21
MAY INCLUDE IN THE ANNUA L BUDGET BILL AN APP ROPRIATION OF $500,000 22
$250,000 FOR THE PROGRAM. 23
(2) THE FUNDING PROVIDED IN THIS SUBSECTION S HALL BE USED TO 24
SUPPLEMENT , NOT SUPPLANT , ANY FUNDS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE PROVIDED 25
TO THE INITIATIVE. 26
(H) (G) IN ADDITION TO INFORM ATION ON THE INITIATIVE INCLUDED I N 27
THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CORPORATION UNDER § 10–415 OF THIS SUBTITLE,: 28
(1) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2026, THE CORPORATION SHALL 29
REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 30
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SIMILAR P ROGRAMS IN 31
NEIGHBORING STATES A ND THE POTENTIAL ECO NOMIC BENEFITS AND C OSTS OF 32 HOUSE BILL 799 5
EXPANDING THE INITIATIVE TO ALL PUB LIC AND PRIVATE NONP ROFIT 1
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER EDUCATION OPERATI NG IN THE STATE; AND 2
(2) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2028, THE CORPORATION SHALL REP ORT 3
TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 4
GOVERNME NT ARTICLE, ON THE IMPLEMENTATIO N OF THE PROGRAM. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 6
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of June 30, 2028, 7
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 8
of no further force and effect. 9
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.