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.
*sb0318*
SENATE BILL 318
F2 5lr2085
CF HB 643
By: Senators Lewis Young and Corderman, Corderman, and Hester
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Higher Education – Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program – 2
Eligibility 3
FOR the purpose of expanding the eligibility for the Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance 4
Repayment Program to include individuals who received a certain degree from an 5
accredited veterinary school and provided veterinary services for a certain time 6
period or provided volunteer veterinary services at certain animal shelters and to 7
include individuals who provided veterinary technician services for a certain time 8
period or provided volunteer veterinary technician services at certain animal 9
shelters; and generally relating to eligibility for the Janet L. Hoffman Loan 10
Assistance Repayment Program. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 18–1502 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 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
18–1502. 20
2 SENATE BILL 318
(a) There is a program of loan assistance repayment known as the Janet L. 1
Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program in the State. 2
(b) The Office of Student Financial Assistance shall assist in the repayment of 3
the amount of any higher education loan owed by an individual who: 4
(1) (i) Receives a graduate, professional, or undergraduate degree from: 5
1. A college or university in the State of Maryland; 6
2. A school of law; [or] 7
3. For a mental health professional, any accredited college or 8
university; or 9
4. FOR A VETERINARY PRAC TITIONER OR VETERINA RY 10
TECHNICIAN, ANY ACCREDITED VETERINARY COL LEGE OR UNIVERSITY ; OR 11
(ii) Receives a Resident Teacher Certificate (RTC) from the 12
Department after completing an alternative teaching preparation program approved by the 13
State Superintendent; 14
(2) Obtains eligible employment; 15
(3) Receives an income that is less than the maximum eligible total income 16
levels established by the Office, including any additional sources of income; and 17
(4) Satisfies any other criteria established by the Office. 18
(c) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the Office shall assist 19
in the repayment of the amount of any higher education loan owed by a: 20
(1) Public school teacher in the State who: 21
(i) Has taught in Maryland for at least 2 years: 22
1. In science, technology, engineering, fine arts, or math 23
subjects; 24
2. In a school in which at least the following percentages of 25
the students are enrolled in the free and reduced price lunch program in the State: 26
A. 75% through June 30, 2025; and 27
B. 55% beginning July 1, 2025; or 28
3. In a school that: 29 SENATE BILL 318 3
A. Had Title I status during the 2018–2019 school year; 1
B. Lost Title I status after the 2018–2019 school year; and 2
C. Participates in the United States Department of 3
Agriculture Community Eligibility Provision; and 4
(ii) Has received a performance evaluation rating for the most recent 5
year available in the county in which the teacher taught; 6
(2) Mental health professional who has provided mental health services in 7
a public school for at least 2 years as an employee of: 8
(i) A county school system; or 9
(ii) A local health department through an agreement with a county 10
board; [or] 11
(3) Nurse who has been a school nurse for at least 2 years;. 12
(4) VETERINARIAN PRACTITI ONER WHO HAS PROVIDED VETERIN ARY 13
SERVICES AS: 14
(I) AN EMPLOYEE IN THE STATE FOR A PERIOD NO T LESS THAN 15
5 YEARS; OR 16
(II) A VOLUNTEER FOR A MINI MUM OF 100 HOURS PER YEAR 17
FOR A PERIOD NOT LES S THAN 3 YEARS AT AN ANIMAL S HELTER THAT IS OWNED BY: 18
1. A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ; 19
2. AN ORGANIZATION CONTR ACTED TO PERFORM 20
ANIMAL CONTROL SERVI CES FOR A LOCAL GOVE RNMENT; OR 21
3. AN ORGANIZATION THAT SHELTERS ANIMALS AND 22
WAS A RECIPIENT OF T HE MARYLAND SPAY AND NEUTER GRANTS PROGRAM 23
DURING THE PRIOR YEA R; OR 24
(5) VETERINARY TECHNICIAN WHO HAS PROVIDED VET ERINARY 25
TECHNICIAN SERVICES AS: 26
(I) AN EMPLOYEE IN THE STATE FOR A PERIOD NO T LESS THAN 27
5 YEARS; OR 28
4 SENATE BILL 318
(II) A VOLUNTEER FOR A MINI MUM OF 100 HOURS PER YEAR 1
FOR A PERIOD NOT LES S THAN 3 YEARS AT AN ANIMAL S HELTER THAT IS OWNED BY : 2
1. A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ; 3
2. AN ORGANIZATION CONTR ACTED TO PERFORM 4
ANIMAL CONTROL SERVI CES FOR A LOCAL GOVE RNMENT; OR 5
3. AN ORGANIZATION THAT SHELTERS ANIMALS AND 6
WAS A RECIPIENT OF T HE MARYLAND SPAY AND NEUTER GRANTS PROGRAM 7
DURING THE PRIOR YEA R. 8
(D) SUBJECT TO THE PROVIS IONS OF SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION , 9
THE OFFICE SHALL ASSIST I N THE REPAYMENT OF T HE AMOUNT OF ANY HIG HER 10
EDUCATION LOAN OWED BY: 11
(1) A VETERINARIAN PRACTIT IONER WHO HAS PROVID ED 12
VETERINARY SERVICES AS: 13
(I) AN EMPLOYEE IN THE STATE FOR A PERIOD NO T LESS THAN 14
5 YEARS; OR 15
(II) A VOLUNTEER FOR A MINI MUM OF 100 HOURS PER YEAR 16
FOR A PERIOD NOT LES S THAN 3 YEARS AT AN ANIMAL S HELTER THAT IS OWNED BY: 17
1. A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ; 18
2. AN ORGANIZATION CONTRAC TED TO PERFORM 19
ANIMAL CONTROL SERVI CES FOR A LOCAL GOVE RNMENT; OR 20
3. AN ORGANIZATION THAT SHELTERS ANIMALS AND 21
WAS A RECIPIENT OF T HE MARYLAND SPAY AND NEUTER GRANTS PROGRAM 22
DURING THE PRIOR YEA R; OR 23
(2) A VETERINARY TECHNICIA N WHO HAS PROVIDED VET ERINARY 24
TECHNICIAN SERVICES AS: 25
(I) AN EMPLOYEE IN THE STATE FOR A PERIOD NO T LESS THAN 26
5 YEARS; OR 27
(II) A VOLUNTEER FOR A MINI MUM OF 100 HOURS PER YEAR 28
FOR A PERIOD NOT LES S THAN 3 YEARS AT AN ANIMAL S HELTER THAT IS OWNED BY: 29
1. A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ; 30 SENATE BILL 318 5
2. AN ORGANIZATION CONTR ACTED TO PERFORM 1
ANIMAL CONTROL SERVI CES FOR A LOCAL GOVE RNMENT; OR 2
3. AN ORGANIZATION THAT SHELTERS ANIMALS AND 3
WAS A RECIPIENT OF T HE MARYLAND SPAY AND NEUTER GRANTS PROGRAM 4
DURING THE PRIOR Y EAR. 5
(d) (E) (1) A grant awarded under subsection (c) of this section shall be 6
known as the Nancy Grasmick Public School Professional Award. 7
(2) A recipient of a Nancy Grasmick Public School Professional Award shall 8
be known as a Nancy Grasmick Public School Professional Scholar. 9
(e) (F) An applicant for assistance in the repayment of a commercial loan shall 10
demonstrate to the Office that the commercial loan was used for tuition, educational 11
expenses, or living expenses for graduate or undergraduate study. 12
(f) (G) Assistance in the repayment of a loan from an entity set forth in § 13
18–1501(c)(2) of this subtitle shall require the approval of the Office. 14
(g) (H) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the Office shall 15
assist in the repayment of the amount of any higher education loan owed by a licensed 16
clinical alcohol and drug counselor, a licensed clinical marriage and family therapy 17
counselor, or a licensed clinical professional counselor whose practice is located in a 18
high–need geographic area of the State as determined by the Maryland Department of 19
Health. 20
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 21
1, 2025. 22
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.