EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW .
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0006*
SENATE BILL 6
P1 5lr0971
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 142
By: Senator Salling
Requested: September 26, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Government – Veterans and Military Families Ombudsman – 2
Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Veterans and Military Families Ombudsman within 4
the Department of Veterans and Military Families; and generally relating to the 5
Veterans and Military Families Ombudsman. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – State Government 8
Section 9–901 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
BY adding to 12
Article – State Government 13
Section 9–960 through 9–964 to be under the new part “Part IX. Veterans and 14
Military Families Ombudsman” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – State Government 20
9–901. 21
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 22
(b) “Board” means the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Veterans Trust. 23 2 SENATE BILL 6
(c) “Department” means the Department of Veterans and Military Families. 1
(D) “OMBUDSMAN ” MEANS THE VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES 2
OMBUDSMAN . 3
[(d)] (E) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Veterans and Military Families. 4
[(e)] (F) “Trust” means the Maryland Veterans Trust. 5
[(f)] (G) Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, “veteran” means an 6
individual who served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States, other than 7
for training, and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. 8
PART IX. VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES OMBUDSMAN . 9
9–960. 10
(A) THERE IS A VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES OMBUDSMAN IN THE 11
DEPARTMENT . 12
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE OMBUDSMAN IS TO SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO 13
PROVIDE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT TO VETER ANS AND MILITARY FAM ILIES 14
REGARDING THEIR RIGH TS AND ACCESS TO SER VICES. 15
9–961. 16
(A) (1) THE SECRETARY SHALL APPOI NT THE OMBUDSMAN . 17
(2) THE OMBUDSMAN SERVES FOR A TERM OF 5 YEARS. 18
(3) THE SECRETARY MAY REMOVE THE OMBUDSMAN FOR CAUSE . 19
(B) SALARIES OF THE OMBUDSMAN AND STAFF U NDER THE OMBUDSMAN 20
AND EXPENSES RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF THE TOLL–FREE NUMBER 21
ESTABLISHED UNDER § 9–963 OF THIS PART, RENT, EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND 22
GENERAL OPERATIONS S HALL BE AS PROV IDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 23
(C) (1) IN COOPERATION WITH T HE SECRETARY OF BUDGET AND 24
MANAGEMENT , AND SUBJECT TO PARAG RAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 25
SECRETARY SHALL SET M INIMUM SALARY , QUALIFICATIONS , AND EXPERIENCE 26
STANDARDS FOR THE OMBUDSMAN AND ANY STA FF UNDER THE OMBUDSMAN . 27
(2) THE OMBUDSMAN SHALL BE A VETERAN. 28 SENATE BILL 6 3
9–962. 1
(A) THE OMBUDSMAN SHALL : 2
(1) SERVE AS A SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE STATE AND FEDERAL 3
LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS GOVE RNING VETERANS AND M ILITARY FAMILIES; 4
(2) PROVIDE IMPARTIAL INFORMATIO N TO VETERANS AND MI LITARY 5
FAMILIES ON HOW TO N AVIGATE THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING SERVICE S; 6
(3) EXPLAIN TO VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIE S THEIR RIGHTS 7
AND HOW THEY MAY AVA IL THEMSELVES OF THO SE RIGHTS; 8
(4) WORK NEUTRALLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER 9
ENTITIES, INCLUDING PRIVATE OR GANIZATIONS, TO ENSURE THAT SERVI CES FOR 10
VETERANS AND MILITAR Y FAMILIES ARE PROVI DED AS INTENDED ; 11
(5) ADVOCATE ON BEHALF O F VETERANS AND MILIT ARY FAMILIES; 12
(6) COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE NEE DS OF 13
VETERANS AND MILITAR Y FAMILIES; 14
(7) IDENTIFY ANY PATTERN S OF COMPLAINTS MADE BY VETERANS 15
AND MILITARY FAMILIE S AND INFORM THE DEPARTMENT ABOUT ANY PATTERN; AND 16
(8) SERVE AS A GENERAL R ESOURCE FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY 17
FAMILIES AND MAKE RE FERRALS TO AVAILABLE STATE AND FEDERAL SER VICES 18
AND PROGRAMS FOR VET ERANS AND MILITARY F AMILIES. 19
(B) IN PERFORMING THE DUT IES ASSIGNED UNDER T HIS SECTION, THE 20
OMBUDSMAN SHALL TREAT ALL COMMUNICATIONS A S CONFIDENTIAL AND M AY 21
REVEAL THE DETAILS O F ANY COMMUNICAT ION ONLY IF: 22
(1) NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THE OMBUDSMAN ’S DUTIES; AND 23
(2) DONE IN ACCORDANCE W ITH APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL 24
LAW. 25
9–963. 26
THE OMBUDSMAN SHALL ARRAN GE FOR A TOLL–FREE TELEPHONE NUMBE R, 27
AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AS WELL AS OT HER APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES , TO ASSIST 28 4 SENATE BILL 6
ANY INDIVIDUAL SEEKI NG INFORMATION OR AD VICE ABOUT SERVICES AND 1
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE T O VETERANS AND MILIT ARY FAMILIES. 2
9–964. 3
ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER , THE 4
OMBUDSMAN SHALL SUBMI T A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND, IN ACCORDANCE 5
WITH § 2–1257 OF THIS ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT INCLUDE S: 6
(1) THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF CALLS RECEIVED ON THE TOLL–FREE 7
NUMBER DURING THE PR EVIOUS YEAR; 8
(2) ANY PATTERNS OF COMP LAINTS MADE BY VETER ANS AND 9
MILITARY FAMILIES IDENTIFIED UNDER § 9–962(A)(7) OF THIS SUBTITLE; 10
(3) A SUMMARY OF THE SER VICES PROVIDED BY TH E OMBUDSMAN 11
DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR; AND 12
(4) ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THE OMBUDSMAN DETERMINES ARE 13
APPROPRIATE AND NECE SSARY CONCERNING THE STATE’S PROVISION OF SERVICES 14
AND PROGRAMS FOR VET ERANS AND MILITARY F AMILIES. 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 16
October 1, 2025. 17