HB0628 • 2026

Human Services - Foster Care Transition Grant Program - Establishment

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Acevero , Addison , Alston , Bhandari , Chang , Fennell , Foley , Forbes , Griffith , Harrison , Hinebaugh , Hornberger , Ivey , S. Johnson , D. Jones , Kaiser , Martinez , Metzgar , Mireku-North , Roberson , Ruff , Shetty , Smith , Spiegel , Terrasa , Turner , Williams , Wilson , Woods , and Woorman
Last action: 2026-03-20
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 3/25 at 1:00 p.m. (Finance)
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Human Services - Foster Care Transition Grant Program - Establishment

Establishing the Foster Care Transition Grant Program in the Department of Human Services to provide for the economic security of individuals aging out of the out-of-home placement program; providing that, beginning in fiscal year 2028, an individual can become eligible for a foster care transition grant of $1,000 for 1 year under certain circumstances; providing that payments made under the Program may not be considered income or resources for purposes of determining eligibility for certain benefits; etc.

What This Bill Does

Establishing the Foster Care Transition Grant Program in the Department of Human Services to provide for the economic security of individuals aging out of the out-of-home placement program; providing that, beginning in fiscal year 2028, an individual can become eligible for a foster care transition grant of $1,000 for 1 year under certain circumstances; providing that payments made under the Program may not be considered income or resources for purposes of determining eligibility for certain benefits; etc.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

493921/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 493921/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 628 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 628 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
1 On page 1, in the sponsor line, after “Johnson,” insert “D.
Jones, Kaiser,”; in the same line, after “Ruff,” insert “Shetty, Smith,”; in the same line, after “Griffith,” insert “Harrison, Hinebaugh,”; in the same line, after “Martinez,” insert “Metzgar,”; in line 2, strike “Universal Basic Income for Transition–Age Youth” and substitute “Foster Care Transition Grant ”; and in lines 4, 9, and 13, in each instance, strike “Universal Basic Income for Transition –Age Youth” and substitute “ Foster Care Transition Grant”.
AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

2026-03-20 Senate
Hearing 3/25 at 1:00 p.m. (Finance)
2026-03-18 House
Favorable with Amendments Report by Appropriations
2026-03-05 House
Third Reading Passed (128-5)
2026-03-04 House
Favorable with Amendments { 493921/1 Adopted
2026-03-04 House
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-03 Senate
Referred Finance Budget and Taxation
2026-02-17 House
Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-30 House
First Reading Appropriations
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Human Services - Universal Basic Income for Transition-Age Youth Program - Establishment
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Appropriations
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Human Services - Foster Care Transition Grant Program - Establishment

Official Summary Text

Establishing the Foster Care Transition Grant Program in the Department of Human Services to provide for the economic security of individuals aging out of the out-of-home placement program; providing that, beginning in fiscal year 2028, an individual can become eligible for a foster care transition grant of $1,000 for 1 year under certain circumstances; providing that payments made under the Program may not be considered income or resources for purposes of determining eligibility for certain benefits; etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0628*

HOUSE BILL 628
O1 6lr0928
HB 849/24 – APP
By: Delegates Acevero, Addison, Alston, Bhandari, Chang, Fennell, Foley, Forbes,
Griffith, Harrison, Hinebaugh , Hornberger, Ivey, S. Johnson, D. Jones,
Kaiser, Martinez , Metzgar, Mireku –North, Roberson, Ruff , Shetty, Smith ,
Spiegel, Terrasa, Turner, Williams, Wilson, Woods, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Human Services – Universal Basic Income for Transition–Age Youth Foster Care 2
Transition Grant Program – Establishment 3

FOR the purpose of establishing the Universal Basic Income for Transition –Age Youth 4
Foster Care Transition Grant Program in the Department of Human Services; 5
providing that payments made under the Program may not be considered income or 6
resources for purposes of determining eligibility for certain benefits; requiring the 7
Department to report annually on the Program to the General Assembly; and 8
generally relating to the Universal Basic Income for Transition –Age Youth Foster 9
Care Transition Grant Program. 10

BY adding to 11
Article – Human Services 12
Section 5 –5C–01 through 5 –5C–04 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 5C . 13
Universal Basic Income for Transition –Age Youth Foster Care Transition 14
Grant Program” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19

2 HOUSE BILL 628

Article – Human Services 1

SUBTITLE 5C. UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME FOR TRANSITION–AGE YOUTH FOSTER 2
CARE TRANSITION GRANT PROGRAM. 3

5–5C–01. 4

(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE , THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 5
INDICATED. 6

(B) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME FOR 7
TRANSITION–AGE YOUTH FOSTER CARE TRANSITION GRANT PROGRAM. 8

(C) “UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME” MEANS UNCONDITIONAL CASH PAYMENTS 9
OF EQUAL AMOUNTS DISTRIBUTED MONTHLY TO ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS. 10

5–5C–02. 11

(A) THERE IS A UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME FOR TRANSITION–AGE YOUTH 12
FOSTER CARE TRANSITION GRANT PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. 13

(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ECONOMIC 14
SECURITY OF INDIVIDU ALS AGING OUT OF THE OUT–OF–HOME PLACEMENT 15
PROGRAM. 16

5–5C–03. 17

(A) AN BEGINNING IN FISCAL Y EAR 2028, AN INDIVIDUAL SHALL BE 18
ELIGIBLE FOR A UNIVERSAL BASIC INCO ME FOSTER CARE TRANSITI ON GRANT OF 19
$1,000 PER MONTH FOR A PERIOD OF 3 YEARS 1 YEAR IF: 20

(1) THE INDIVIDUAL RESID ED IN AN OUT –OF–HOME PLACEMENT ON 21
THE INDIVIDUAL ’S 18TH BIRTHDAY , REGARDLESS OF THE AG E AT WHICH THE 22
INDIVIDUAL ENTERED OUT–OF–HOME PLACEMENT; AND 23

(2) THE INDIVIDUAL’S 18TH BIRTHDAY IS ON OR AFTER OCTOBER 1, 24
2026. 25

(B) PAYMENTS GRANTS ISSUED UNDER THIS SE CTION MAY NOT BE 26
CONSIDERED INCOME OR RESOURCES FO R PURPOSES OF DETERM INING 27
ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE BENEFITS OR THE AMOUNTS OF BENEFITS RECEIVED FOR 28
THE FOLLOWING, AS PERMITTED BY FEDERAL LAW: 29

HOUSE BILL 628 3

(1) THE MARYLAND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; 1

(2) THE MARYLAND EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT; OR 2

(3) STATE AND FEDERAL FINANCIAL AI D AND COLLEGE SUPPOR T 3
PROGRAMS. 4

5–5C–04. 5

ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2027 2028, AND EACH OCTOBER 1 THEREAFTER, 6
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT A REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN 7
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THAT 8
CONTAINS DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION AND OUTC OME MEASURES OF PROGRAM 9
RECIPIENTS DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR, INCLUDING, AT A MINIMUM: 10

(1) THE STARTING INCOME OF EACH RECIPIENT , EXCLUSIVE OF 11
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME PAYMENTS A FOSTER CARE TRANSITION GRANT; 12

(2) GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT EACH RECIPIENT, INCLUDING 13
COUNTY, CITY, AND ZIP CODE OF RESIDENCE; 14

(3) THE EMPLOYMENT STATU S OF EACH RECIPIENT BEFORE 15
RECEIVING UNIVERSAL BASIC INCO ME PAYMENTS A FOSTER CARE TRANSI TION 16
GRANT; AND 17

(4) THE HOUSING STATUS OF EACH RECIPIENT BE FORE RECEIVING 18
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME PAYMENTS A FOSTER CARE TRANSITION GRANT. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 5 years and, at the end of September 21
30, 2031, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 22
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 23

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.