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*hb0027*
HOUSE BILL 27
J1, C2 6lr1106
(PRE–FILED) CF 6lr1806
By: Delegate Wims
Requested: October 7, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Health
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Technology Development Corporation – Long COVID Innovation 2
Grant and Loan Program 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Technology Development Corporation to 4
establish a grant and loan program to provide grants and loans for Long COVID 5
innovation; requiring the Corporation to contract with an independent review 6
committee composed of scientific experts in the field of Long COVID; establishing 7
the Maryland Long COVID Research Fund under the administration of the 8
Corporation as a special, nonlapsing fund; requiring that the interest earnings of the 9
Fund be credited to the Fund; and generally relating to a Long COVID grant and 10
loan program. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Economic Development 13
Section 10–401(a) and (c) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Economic Development 18
Section 10–4E–01 through 10–4E–07 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 4E. Long 19
COVID Innovation Grant and Loan Program” 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 23
Article – State Finance and Procurement 24
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) and (ii) 25
Annotated Code of Maryland 26
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 27
2 HOUSE BILL 27
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – State Finance and Procurement 2
Section 6–226(a)(2)(iii)212. and 213. 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
BY adding to 6
Article – State Finance and Procurement 7
Section 6–226(a)(2)(iii)214. 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Economic Development 13
10–401. 14
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 15
(c) “Corporation” means the Maryland Technology Development Corporation. 16
SUBTITLE 4E. LONG COVID INNOVATION GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM. 17
10–4E–01. 18
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 19
INDICATED. 20
(B) “COMMITTEE” MEANS THE INDEPENDEN T SCIENTIFIC PEER RE VIEW 21
COMMITTEE WITH WHICH THE CORPORATION CONTRACTS UNDER § 10–4E–04 OF 22
THIS SUBTITLE. 23
(C) “CORPORATION” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 10–401 OF THIS TITLE. 24
(D) “FUND” MEANS THE MARYLAND LONG COVID RESEARCH FUND. 25
(E) “LONG COVID” HAS THE MEANING: 26
(1) ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN “A 27
LONG COVID DEFINITION: A CHRONIC, SYSTEMIC DISEASE STATE WITH 28
PROFOUND CONSEQUENCES” PUBLISHED IN 2024; OR 29
HOUSE BILL 27 3
(2) IF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES SUBSEQUENTLY 1
AMENDS THE DEFINITION , THE MEANING MOST RECENTL Y ESTABLISHED AND 2
PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 3
(F) “LONG COVID INNOVATION” MEANS RESEARCH , PRODUCT 4
DEVELOPMENT, AND MANUFACTURING IN THE STATE RELATED TO TREATMENT OF 5
LONG COVID AND CONDUCTED WITH MONEY FROM THE FUND. 6
(G) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM ESTABLISHED BY 7
THE CORPORATION UNDER § 10–4E–02 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 8
10–4E–02. 9
THE CORPORATION SHALL EST ABLISH A GRANT AND L OAN PROGRAM TO 10
PROVIDE GRANTS AND LOANS FOR STATE–FUNDED LONG COVID INNOVATION. 11
10–4E–03. 12
(A) THE CORPORATION SHALL: 13
(1) DEVELOP CRITERIA, STANDARDS, AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 14
REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS FOR A PROGRAM GRANT OR LOAN; 15
(2) REVIEW, EVALUATE, RANK, AND RATE RESEARCH PROPOSALS FOR 16
STATE–FUNDED LONG COVID INNOVATION GRANTS AND LOANS BASED ON THE 17
PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE CORPORATION; 18
(3) BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE, AWARD AND 19
DISBURSE GRANTS AND LOANS FROM THE FUND; 20
(4) ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR THE OVERSIGHT AND USE OF GRANTS 21
AND LOANS AWARDED UNDER THE PROGRAM; 22
(5) CONDUCT PROGRESS OVERSIGHT REVIEWS OF GR ANT AND LOAN 23
RECIPIENTS AND RESCI ND FUNDS IF THE CORPORATION DETERMINES THAT A 24
GRANT RECIPIENT IS FAILING TO MEET THE ESTABLISHED GOALS FOR THE FUNDED 25
PROJECT; AND 26
(6) DEVELOP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING CONFLICTS 27
OF INTEREST BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, INCLUDING POLICIES A ND PROCEDURES 28
FOR DISCLOSURE AND RECUSAL. 29
4 HOUSE BILL 27
(B) THE CORPORATION MAY CONSULT WITH EXPERTS IN PERFORMING ITS 1
DUTIES. 2
10–4E–04. 3
(A) THE CORPORATION SHALL CONTRACT WITH AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW 4
COMMITTEE COMPOSED O F SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF LONG COVID 5
INNOVATION. 6
(B) THE COMMITTEE SHALL: 7
(1) REVIEW, EVALUATE, RANK, AND RATE RESEARCH PROPOSALS FOR 8
STATE–FUNDED LONG COVID INNOVATION: 9
(I) BASED ON THE PROCEDU RES AND GUIDELINES 10
ESTABLISHED BY THE CORPORATION; AND 11
(II) IN A MANNER THAT GIV ES DUE CONSIDERATION TO THE 12
SCIENTIFIC, MEDICAL, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESEARCH; AND 13
(2) BASED ON THE RANKING S AND RATINGS AWARDED TO THE 14
RESEARCH PROPOSALS, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CORPORATION FOR THE 15
AWARD AND DISBURSEMENT OF GRANTS AND LOANS. 16
(C) A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE: 17
(1) IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO R ECEIVE A GRANT OR LO AN FOR 18
STATE–FUNDED LONG COVID INNOVATION FROM THE FUND; AND 19
(2) SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDU RES 20
GOVERNING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ESTABLISHED BY THE CORPORATION UNDER 21
§ 10–4E–03(A)(6) OF THIS SUBTITLE. 22
10–4E–05. 23
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND LONG COVID RESEARCH FUND. 24
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO PROMOTE STATE–FUNDED LIFE 25
SCIENCES RESEARCH , DEVELOPMENT, COMMERCIALIZATION, AND 26
MANUFACTURING IN THE STATE RELATED TO LONG COVID THROUGH GRANTS AND 27
LOANS TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES IN THE STATE. 28
(C) THE CORPORATION SHALL ADMINISTER THE FUND. 29
HOUSE BILL 27 5
(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 1
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 2
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 3
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACCOUNT FOR THE FUND. 4
(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF: 5
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 6
(2) INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND; AND 7
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 8
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 9
(F) MONEY IN THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY TO: 10
(1) AWARD GRANTS AND LOA NS FOR STATE–FUNDED LONG COVID 11
INNOVATION; AND 12
(2) PAY THE COSTS NECESSARY TO ADMINISTER THE FUND. 13
(G) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVEST THE MONEY IN THE FUND 14
IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE INVESTED. 15
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITED TO 16
THE FUND. 17
(H) (1) EACH FISCAL YEAR , THE GOVERNOR MAY INCLUDE IN THE 18
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION TO THE FUND. 19
(2) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN 20
ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE BUDGET. 21
10–4E–06. 22
THE CORPORATION SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS TO: 23
(1) ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR AWARDING AND MAK ING THE 24
DISBURSEMENT OF A GRANT OR LOAN UNDER THE PROGRAM; 25
6 HOUSE BILL 27
(2) ESTABLISH POLICIES ADDRESSING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR 1
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE; AND 2
(3) CARRY OUT ITS DUTIES UNDER THIS SUBTITLE. 3
10–4E–07. 4
(A) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1 EACH YEAR , THE CORPORATION SHALL 5
REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 6
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE PROGR ESS OF THE 7
LONG COVID INNOVATION CONDUCTED WITH GRANTS OR LOANS AWARDED UNDER 8
THE PROGRAM. 9
(B) THE REPORT SHALL IDENTIFY: 10
(1) EACH RECIPIENT OF A GRANT OR LOAN AWARDED UNDER THE 11
PROGRAM; 12
(2) THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING AWARDED TO EACH RECIPIENT; 13
(3) A DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPE OF STATE–FUNDED LONG COVID 14
INNOVATION CONDUCTED BY THE RECIPIENT; 15
(4) INDICATORS OF THE EC ONOMIC IMPACT OF GRANTS AND LOANS 16
MADE FROM THE FUND; AND 17
(5) ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THE OV ERALL 18
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM. 19
Article – State Finance and Procurement 20
6–226. 21
(a) (2) (i) This paragraph does not apply in fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 22
(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 23
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 24
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 25
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, an d otherwise entitled to 26
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 27
Fund of the State. 28
(iii) The provisions of subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph do not 29
apply to the following funds: 30
HOUSE BILL 27 7
212. the Department of Social and Economic Mobility Special 1
Fund; [and] 2
213. the Population Health Improvement Fund; AND 3
214. THE MARYLAND LONG COVID RESEARCH FUND. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 5
1, 2026. 6