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.
*hb0881*
HOUSE BILL 881
O1 5lr2258
CF SB 703
By: Delegates Shetty, Forbes, D. Jones, Kaufman, J. Lewis, Lopez, McCaskill,
Smith, and Solomon
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2025
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Family Investment Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 2
Benefits – Child Support 3
FOR the purpose of requiring phasing in a requirement that all child support received in a 4
month pass through to a family seeking assistance under the Family Investment 5
Program and prohibiting the consideration of child support in computing the amount 6
of assistance received; prohibiting a local department of social services from 7
considering any child support collected when computing the amount of Supplemental 8
Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to provide; and generally relating to the 9
Family Investment Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 10
child support. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Human Services 13
Section 5–310(a) and 5–501 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – Human Services 18
Section 5–501 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21
2 HOUSE BILL 881
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Human Services 3
5–310. 4
(a) (1) For a recipient that is an assistance unit that includes adults and 5
children or minor parents and children, the amount of assistance shall be designated as 6
follows: 7
(i) 75% for the child or children in the assistance unit; and 8
(ii) 25% for the adult member or members, or minor parent or 9
parents of the assistance unit. 10
(2) For a recipient that is an assistance unit that includes only adults or a 11
recipient who is a pregnant individual, 100% of the amount of assistance shall be 12
designated for the adult member or members or the pregnant individual. 13
(3) For applicants to the FIP, the amount of assistance shall be computed 14
by counting no more than 4 weeks of earned income in any month and disregarding 20% of 15
that earned income. 16
(4) (I) [The THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2027, THE first $100 of] ANY 17
child support collected in a month [for one child and the first $200 of child support collected 18
in a month for two or more children] shall pass through to the family and shall be 19
disregarded in computing the amount of assistance. 20
(II) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028, THE GREATER OF $100 OF ANY 21
CHILD SUPPORT COLLEC TED IN A MONTH FOR O NE CHILD AND $200 OF CHILD 22
SUPPORT COLLECTED IN A MONTH FOR TWO OR MOR E CHILDREN OR 25% OF ANY 23
CHILD SUPPORT COLLEC TED IN A MONTH SHALL PASS THROUGH TO THE FAMILY 24
AND SHALL BE DISREGA RDED IN COMPUTING TH E AMOUNT OF ASSISTAN CE. 25
(III) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2029, THE GREATER OF $100 OF ANY 26
CHILD SUPPORT COLLEC TED IN A MONTH FOR O NE CHILD AND $200 OF CHILD 27
SUPPORT COLLECTED IN A MONTH FOR TWO OR M ORE CHILDREN OR 50% OF ANY 28
CHILD SUPPORT COLLEC TED IN A MONTH SHALL PASS THROUGH TO THE FAMILY 29
AND SHALL BE DISREGA RDED IN COMPUTING TH E AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE. 30
(IV) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2030, THE GREATER OF $100 OF ANY 31
CHILD SUPPORT COLLEC TED IN A MONTH FOR O NE CHILD AND $200 OF CHILD 32
SUPPORT COLLECTED IN A MONTH FOR TWO OR M ORE CHILDREN OR 75% OF ANY 33 HOUSE BILL 881 3
CHILD SUPPORT COLLEC TED IN A MONTH SHALL PASS THROU GH TO THE FAMILY 1
AND SHALL BE DISREGA RDED IN COMPUTING TH E AMOUNT OF ASSISTAN CE. 2
(V) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2031 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 3
THEREAFTER , ANY CHILD SUPPORT CO LLECTED IN A MONTH S HALL PASS THROUGH 4
TO THE FAMILY AND SH ALL BE DISREGARDED I N COMPUTING THE AMOUNT OF 5
ASSISTANCE. 6
(5) For eligible recipients who obtain unsubsidized employment, the 7
amount of assistance shall be computed by counting no more than 4 weeks of earned income 8
in any month and disregarding 35% of that earned income. 9
5–501. 10
(a) (1) The Department may implement a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 11
Program in accordance with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 12
(2) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program shall include: 13
(i) a Restaurant Meals Program in accordance with § 5–505 of this 14
subtitle; and 15
(ii) a Heat and Eat Program in accordance with § 5–506 of this 16
subtitle. 17
(b) The State shall bear the nonfederal portion of the administrative costs of the 18
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for each county. 19
(c) Each local department shall administer the Supplemental Nutrition 20
Assistance Program: 21
(1) under the supervision and control of the Department; and 22
(2) in accordance with the regulations of the Department and federal law. 23
(d) If a household includes an individual who is at least 60 years old and receives 24
a federally funded benefit in an amount less than $50 per month under the Supplemental 25
Nutrition Assistance Program, the State shall provide a supplement to increase the total 26
benefit to $50 per month. 27
(E) A LOCAL DEPARTMENT MAY NOT CONSIDER ANY CHI LD SUPPORT 28
COLLECTED BY A HOUSE HOLD WHEN COMPUTING THE AMOUNT OF SUPPLE MENTAL 29
BENEFITS PROVIDED UN DER THIS SECTION OR § 5–501.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 30
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 31
October 1, 2025. 32