Veterans (Military Families)

SB 7 repeals the expiration date for the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship, removing the June 30, 2030 cutoff that previously prevented new awards after that date. This change allows the scholarship to be awarded indefinitely to eligible veterans, active service members, or their dependents who meet Maryland residency and educational requirements. The bill also removes restrictions on renewing scholarships for recipients who received their initial award before 2030. The scholarship covers up to 50% of tuition, fees, and room/board at Maryland public universities, requiring a 2.5 GPA and 5 years of full-time study. It takes effect July 1, 2026.

HB 270, the Military Family Inclusion Act, adds specific military family representation requirements to four Maryland state boards and commissions. It modifies the Maryland Commission on Caregiving to require one "family caregiver of a service-disabled veteran" as a member, and amends the Maryland Veterans Commission to add "an organization representing military families" as a designated appointee. The bill also updates the Maryland Trust Fund Board to include an appointed representative from a military family organization and adjusts the Youth Advisory Council to include a service member appointed by the Department of Veterans and Military Families. These changes directly affect how these bodies are composed, ensuring military family perspectives are formally included in their governance structures. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

SB 243 expands existing Maryland benefits for military service members to include their spouses. It provides spouses of active-duty service members and veterans with priority enrollment at public colleges, access to community college resources (including dedicated advisors and veteran resource centers), and eligibility for senatorial and delegate scholarships. The bill also extends hiring preferences for spouses in state government roles through the Public Service Commission. These benefits apply within 15 years of the service member’s last active duty and end after the spouse’s fourth academic year. The law amends specific sections of Maryland’s education, labor, and state personnel codes to include "spouse of an eligible service member" as a qualifying status.