EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0687*
SENATE BILL 687
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By: Senator Benson
Introduced and read first time: January 26, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
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
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Education 14
Section 9.5–113(c)(1) and (d) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
BY adding to 18
Article – Education 19
Section 9.5–113.2 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 22
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 23
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 24
Article – Education 25
2 SENATE BILL 687
9.5–113. 1
(a) In this section, “Program” means the Child Care Scholarship Program. 2
(b) The Department shall administer the Program in accordance with federal law. 3
(c) (1) The Department shall [establish]: 4
(I) ESTABLISH a process that meets the requirements of this 5
subsection for granting presumptive eligibility for a subsidy under the Program; AND 6
(II) INCORPORATE THE FRAME WORK OF THE YOUTH 7
TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER PLACEMENT TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD PILOT 8
PROGRAM AS ESTABLISHE D UNDER § 9.5–113.2 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 9
(d) The Department shall award a scholarship under the Program in an amount 10
sufficient to ensure that an individual will not be required to pay a copay for child care if 11
the individual provides proof, as determined by the Department, of: 12
(1) (I) Participation in one of the following programs: 13
[(i)] 1. Federal Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, 14
Infants, and Children; 15
[(ii)] 2. Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; 16
[(iii)] 3. Federal Housing Act Housing Choice Voucher Program; 17
[(iv)] 4. Supplemental Security Income benefits; or 18
[(v)] 5. Temporary cash assistance; and 19
[(2)] (II) Employment or enrollment in an education or career training 20
program; OR 21
(2) PARTICIPATION IN THE YOUTH TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER 22
PLACEMENT TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED U NDER 23
§ 9.5–113.2 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 24
9.5–113.2. 25
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 26
INDICATED. 27
(2) “FOSTER YOUTH ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO: 28 SENATE BILL 687 3
(I) IS AT LEAST 16 YEARS OLD AND UNDER THE AGE OF 22 1
YEARS; AND 2
(II) 1. IS IN OUT –OF–HOME CARE UNDER THE 3
RESPONSIBILITY OF TH E STATE; OR 4
2. WAS IN OUT –OF–HOME CARE UNDER THE 5
RESPONSIBIL ITY OF THE STATE ON THE INDIVIDU AL’S 18TH
BIRTHDAY. 6
(3) “PILOT PROGRAM” MEANS THE YOUTH TRANSITIONING FROM 7
FOSTER PLACEMENT TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD PILOT PROGRAM. 8
(B) (1) THERE IS A YOUTH TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER PLACEMENT 9
TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD PILOT PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT . 10
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM IS TO ASSIST FOSTER 11
YOUTH IN APPLYING FO R AND ACCESSING SUBS IDIES IN THE CHILD CARE 12
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 13
(C) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE PILOT PROGRAM. 14
(2) THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 15
2026, AND SHALL END ON DECEMBER 31, 2028. 16
(D) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REMO VE BARRIERS IN THE CHILD CARE 17
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM APPLICATION P ROCESS FOR FOSTER YO UTH IN THE PILOT 18
PROGRAM BY REMOVING T HE FOLLOWING REQUIRE MENTS: 19
(1) PROOF OF A FOSTER YOU TH’S EMPLOYMENT OR ENRO LLMENT IN 20
AN EDUCATION OR CARE ER TRAINING PROGRAM ; 21
(2) THE NAME OF THE OTHER PARENT OF THE FOSTER YOUTH’S 22
CHILD; AND 23
(3) A WRITTEN AUTHORIZATIO N FROM A PARENT IF T HE PARENT IS 24
NOT RESIDING IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD A S THE CHILD. 25
(E) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL TRAC K EXPENDITURES ON 26
SCHOLARSHIPS PROVIDE D UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAM ON A MONTHLY BASIS, 27
INCLUDING: 28
4 SENATE BILL 687
(I) THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF FOSTER YOUTH RECEIVI NG 1
SUBSIDIES UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAM; AND 2
(II) THE AVERAGE SCHOLARSH IP AMOUNT RECEIVED B Y 3
FOSTER YOUTH UNDER T HE PILOT PROGRAM. 4
(2) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 OF EACH YEAR OF THE PILOT 5
PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPO RT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN 6
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, REGARDING: 7
(I) THE STATUS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM; AND 8
(II) AN EVALUATION IN MEET ING THE PILOT PROGRAM’S 9
GOALS TO REMOVE BARR IERS FOR FOSTER YOUT H IN ACCESSING SCHOL ARSHIPS. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 11
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 4 years and, at the end of June 30, 2029, 12
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 13
of no further force and effect. 14