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*hb0270*
HOUSE BILL 270
P1 (6lr0088)
ENROLLED BILL
— Government, Labor, and Elections/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
Introduced by Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee (By Request –
Departmental – Veterans and Military Families)
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with t he Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Military Family Inclusion Act 2
FOR the purpose of altering the membership of the Maryland Trust Fund Board of 3
Trustees, the Maryland Veterans Commission, the Maryland Commission on 4
Caregiving, and the Maryland Youth Advisory Council; and generally relating to 5
military military–connected membership on councils and commissions. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Human Services 8
Section 7–302(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
2 HOUSE BILL 270
Article – Human Services 1
Section 7–303(a)(1) 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 4
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
Article – State Government 6
Section 9–914(a) and 9–2701(b) 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – State Government 11
Section 9 –914(b), 9–914.1, 9–917, 9–918, 9 –926(a), 9 –927(b)(1), 9 –935(a), and 12
9–2701(c)(1) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Human Services 18
7–302. 19
(a) There is a Maryland Commission on Caregiving in the Department. 20
7–303. 21
(a) (1) The Commission consists of the following members: 22
(i) one member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the 23
President of the Senate; 24
(ii) one member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker 25
of the House; and 26
(iii) the following members appointed by the Governor: 27
1. two representatives from the Department of Human 28
Services; 29
2. three representatives from the Maryland Department of 30
Health; 31
3. one representative from the Department of Aging; 32
HOUSE BILL 270 3
4. one representative from an area agency on aging; 1
5. one representative from the Department of Disabilities; 2
6. one representative from the Maryland Respite Care 3
Coalition; 4
7. two consumers of respite care services; 5
8. three family caregivers; [and] 6
9. three representatives of organizations that provide or 7
have interest or expertise in respite care services; AND 8
10. ONE FAMILY CAREGIVER OF A SERVICE –DISABLED 9
VETERAN. 10
Article – State Government 11
9–914. 12
(a) The powers and duties of the Trust shall rest in and be exercised by a Board 13
of Trustees. 14
(b) The Board of Trustees shall consist of the following 12 members: 15
(1) the Secretary, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee, who shall serve as 16
the chair; 17
(2) the Secretary of Aging, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 18
(3) the Secretary of Labor, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 19
(4) the Secretary of Health, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 20
(5) the Secretary of Human Services, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 21
(6) the Secretary of Disabilities, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 22
(7) the Adjutant General of the Military Department, ex officio, or the 23
Adjutant General’s designee; 24
(8) one representative of each of the following organizations, appointed by 25
the Governor: 26
(i) a veterans service organization; 27
4 HOUSE BILL 270
(ii) a nonprofit organization that serves veterans; and 1
(iii) the business community; 2
(9) AS AN EX OFFICIO TRU STEE, a member of the House of Delegates 3
appointed by the Speaker of the House; and 4
(10) AS AN EX OFFICIO TRUSTEE, a member of the Senate appointed by the 5
President of the Senate. 6
9–914.1. 7
(a) The Board shall meet at places and dates to be determined by t he Board, but 8
not less than 2 times a year. 9
(b) A majority of the VOTING trustees is a quorum. 10
(c) A trustee: 11
(1) may not receive compensation as a trustee; but 12
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 13
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 14
(d) The Department shall provide staff, supplies, and office space for the Board. 15
9–917. 16
(a) (1) The Commission consists of the following members appointed by the 17
Governor. 18
(2) Of the members: 19
(i) 1 shall be appointed from each of the 8 congressional districts in 20
the State; 21
(ii) 1 shall be a veteran appointed from the State at large; 22
(iii) 1 shall be a woman veteran appointed from the State at large; 23
(iv) 1 shall be a representative of a retired enlisted organization; 24
(v) 1 shall be a veteran of the Iraq or Afghanistan conflict, as defined 25
in § 1–202(a–1) of the Public Safety Article; AND 26
HOUSE BILL 270 5
(vi) 1 shall be appointed from a list of individuals submitted to the 1
Governor by each of the following organizations: 2
1. [the American Ex–Prisoners of War, Inc.; 3
2.] the American Legion; 4
[3.] 2. the AMVETS; 5
[4.] 3. the Catholic War Veterans; 6
[5.] 4. the Disabled American Veterans; 7
[6.] 5. the Fleet Reserve Association; 8
[7.] 6. the Jewish War Veterans; 9
[8.] 7. the Marine Corps League; 10
[9.] 8. the Maryland Military Officers Association of America; 11
[10.] 9. the Military Order of the Purple Heart; 12
[11. the Polish Legion of American Veterans; 13
12.] 10. the Veterans of Foreign Wars; 14
[13.] 11. the Vietnam Veterans of America; 15
[14.] 12. the Korean War Veterans Association, Inc.; 16
[15.] 13. the National Association for Black Veterans; 17
[16.] 14. the Colonial Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of 18
America; [and] 19
[17.] 15. the Reserve Organization of America; and 20
16. AN ORGANIZATION REPR ESENTING MILITARY 21
FAMILIES. 22
[(vii) 1 shall be an honorary nonvoting member appointed from a list 23
of individuals submitted to the Governor by the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.] 24
(b) Each member must be a resident of the State and a veteran. 25
6 HOUSE BILL 270
(c) (1) The term of an appointed member is 5 years. 1
(2) The terms of the appointed members are staggered as required by the 2
terms provided for members of the Commission on October 1, 1984. 3
(3) At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is 4
appointed and qualifies. 5
(4) A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the 6
rest of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 7
(5) When an organization is no longer a part of the Commission, the 8
appointment shall terminate at the end of the current member’s term. 9
(6) AN ORGANIZATION’S REPRESENTATIVE SEAT MAY BE REMOVED IF 10
THE ORGANIZATION FAILS TO APPOINT A NEW COMMISSIONER FOR 2 CONTINUOUS 11
YEARS. 12
(7) AN ORGANIZATION MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE COMMISSION IF 13
A REPRESENTATIVE FRO M THE ORGANIZATION I S NOT RECOMMENDED BY THAT 14
ORGANIZATION. 15
[(d) A new organization may not be eligible for representation on the Commission, 16
by appointment of the Governor, unless it is congressionally chartered.] 17
9–918. 18
(a) From among the members of the Commission, the Governor shall appoint a 19
[chairman] CHAIR. 20
(b) A vice [chairman] CHAIR shall be elected by a simple majority vote of the 21
Commission. 22
9–926. 23
(a) From among its members, the Veterans’ Home Commission shall elect a 24
[chairman] CHAIR, a secretary, and any other officers that the Commission considers 25
appropriate. 26
9–927. 27
(b) (1) The Veterans’ Home Commission shall meet: 28
(i) at least twice a year, at the times and places that it determines; 29
and 30
HOUSE BILL 270 7
(ii) at the call of the [Chairman] CHAIR, on the [Chairman’s] 1
CHAIR’S initiative or on the request of at least 4 members. 2
9–935. 3
(a) From among its members, the Commission may elect: 4
(1) a [chairman] CHAIR; 5
(2) a vice [chairman] CHAIR; and 6
(3) a secretary and a treasurer or a secretary–treasurer. 7
9–2701. 8
(b) There is a Maryland Youth Advisory Council. 9
(c) (1) The Council consists of: 10
(i) four youths appointed by the President of the Senate; 11
(ii) four youths appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; 12
(iii) four youths appointed by the Governor; and 13
(iv) the following members appointed by the Governor’s Office for 14
Children: 15
1. four youths nominated by the local management boards 16
established under § 8–301 of the Human Services Article; 17
2. four youths nominated by the Maryland Association of 18
Student Councils; 19
3. two youths nom inated by the University System of 20
Maryland Student Council; [and] 21
4. the following youths nominated by the Student Advisory 22
Council to the Maryland Higher Education Commission: 23
A. one youth who is enrolled in a community college; and 24
B. one youth who is enrolled in a private college or university; 25
AND 26
8 HOUSE BILL 270
5. ONE YOUTH WHO HAS AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY 1
MEMBER WHO IS A SERV ICE MEMBER , APPOINTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF 2
VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Ac t shall take effect 4
October 1, 2026. 5
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.