Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB690 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0690
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 690
8	8	F2 5lr2961
9	9
10	10	By: Senators Bailey and Smith
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 26, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Higher Education – Scholarships for Correctional Officers 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of altering the eligibility criteria for the Maryland Police Officers and 3
21	21	Probation Agents Scholarship Program to include correctional officers; and generally 4
22	22	relating to scholarships for correctional officers. 5
23	23
24	24	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
25	25	Article – Education 7
26	26	Section 18–3801 through 18–3804, 18–3806, and 18–3807 to be under the amended 8
27	27	subtitle “Subtitle 38. Maryland Police Officers, Probation Agents, and 9
28	28	Correctional Officers Scholarship Program” 10
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
30	30	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
31	31
32	32	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
33	33	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
34	34
35	35	Article – Education 15
36	36
37	37	Subtitle 38. Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL 16
38	38	OFFICERS Scholarship Program. 17
39	39
40	40	18–3801. 18
41	41
42	42	(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 19
43	43
44	44	(B) “CORRECTIONAL OFFICER ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 8–201 OF 20
45	45	THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ARTICLE. 21
46	46
47	47	[(b)] (C) “Eligible institution” means: 22 2 SENATE BILL 690
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	(1) A public senior higher education institution in the State; or 1
52	52
53	53	(2) A community college in the State. 2
54	54
55	55	[(c)] (D) “Police officer” has the meaning stated in § 3–201 of the Public Safety 3
56	56	Article. 4
57	57
58	58	[(d)] (E) “Probation agent” means an individual serving as a parole and 5
59	59	probation agent, supervisor, or regional administrator for the Department of Public Safety 6
60	60	and Correctional Services. 7
61	61
62	62	[(e)] (F) “Service obligation” means to work as a police officer or probation agent 8
63	63	in the State not less than 5 years during the 8–year period after graduation. 9
64	64
65	65	18–3802. 10
66	66
67	67	(a) There is a Maryland P olice Officers [and], Probation Agents, AND 11
68	68	CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship Program. 12
69	69
70	70	(b) The purpose of the program is to provide tuition assistance for students who 13
71	71	are: 14
72	72
73	73	(1) Attending an eligible institution and enrolled in a degree program that 15
74	74	would further the student’s intent to become a police officer [or], probation agent, OR 16
75	75	CORRECTIONAL OFFICER after graduation; or 17
76	76
77	77	(2) Employed as a police officer [or], probation agent, OR CORRECTIONAL 18
78	78	OFFICER, attending an eligible institution, and enrolled in a degree program that would 19
79	79	further the police officer’s [or], probation officer’s, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFI CER’S career. 20
80	80
81	81	(c) The Office shall publicize the availability of the Maryland Police Officers 21
82	82	[and], Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship. 22
83	83
84	84	18–3803. 23
85	85
86	86	(a) Each year, the Office shall select eligible students and offer a scholarship to 24
87	87	each student selected to be used at an eligible institution of the student’s choice. 25
88	88
89	89	(b) A recipient of the Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents, AND 26
90	90	CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship shall: 27
91	91
92	92	(1) Be a Maryland resident or have graduated from a Maryland high 28
93	93	school; 29
94	94	SENATE BILL 690 3
95	95
96	96
97	97	(2) Be accepted for admission or currently enrolled at an eligible institution 1
98	98	as a full–time or part–time undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a course of study 2
99	99	or program that would further the recipient’s career; 3
100	100
101	101	(3) Sign a letter of intent to perform the service obligation on completion of 4
102	102	the recipient’s required studies; and 5
103	103
104	104	(4) Satisfy any additional criteria the Commission may establish. 6
105	105
106	106	(c) A current police officer [or], probation agent, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFI CER 7
107	107	shall be eligible for a Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents, AND 8
108	108	CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship if they meet the eligibility criteria under 9
109	109	subsection (b) of this section. 10
110	110
111	111	18–3804. 11
112	112
113	113	The recipient of a Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents, AND 12
114	114	CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship shall repay the Commission the funds received 13
115	115	as set forth in § 18–112 of this title if the recipient does not: 14
116	116
117	117	(1) Satisfy the degree requirements of the eligible course of study or 15
118	118	program or fulfill other requirements as provided in this subtitle; or 16
119	119
120	120	(2) Perform the service obligation to work as a police officer [or], probation 17
121	121	agent, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFI CER for at least 5 years during the 8–year period after 18
122	122	graduation. 19
123	123
124	124	18–3806. 20
125	125
126	126	The Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of at least 21
127	127	$5,000,000 to the Commission to award scholarships under this subtitle, and the 22
128	128	Commission shall use: 23
129	129
130	130	(1) $2,500,000 for scholarships to students intending to become police 24
131	131	officers [or], probation agents, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFI CERS after graduation; and 25
132	132
133	133	(2) $2,500,000 for scholarships for existing police officers [or], probation 26
134	134	agents, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFI CERS to attend an eligible institution and remain a 27
135	135	police officer [or], probation agent, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFI CER after graduation. 28
136	136
137	137	18–3807. 29
138	138
139	139	The Office shall: 30
140	140
141	141	(1) Publicize the availability of Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation 31
142	142	Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarships; and 32 4 SENATE BILL 690
143	143
144	144
145	145
146	146	(2) To the extent practicable, award scholarships under this subtitle in a 1
147	147	manner that reflects ethnic, gender, racial, and geographic diversity. 2
148	148
149	149	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 3
150	150	1, 2025. 4