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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*hb0720*
HOUSE BILL 720
F2 6lr2447
CF SB 7
By: Delegates Patterson, Allen, Arentz, Behler, Buckel, Cardin, Coley,
Crutchfield, Griffith, Hartman, Hornberger, Howard, Ivey, A. Johnson,
Kipke, Lewis, J. Long, McComas, Miller, T. Morgan, Odom, Pasteur, Pruski,
Reilly, Roberson, Roberts, Rose, Sample –Hughes, Schmidt, Simmons,
Solomon, Spiegel, Stinnett, Taveras, Taylor, Turner, Wims, Wolek, and
Woods Woods, Harrison, and Metzgar
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 26, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Higher Education – Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq 2
Conflicts Scholarship – Repeal of Termination Date 3
FOR the purpose of repealing the prohibition on awarding the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans 4
of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship after a certain date; repealing the 5
limitation on renewing the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq 6
Conflicts Scholarship if the scholarship recipient received an initial scholarship 7
before a certain date; and generally relating to the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of 8
the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Education 11
Section 18–604 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Education 17
2 HOUSE BILL 720
18–604. 1
(a) For purposes of this section, an individual served in the Afghanistan or Iraq 2
conflict if the individual was an active service member who served in: 3
(1) Afghanistan or contiguous air space, as defined in federal regulations, 4
on or after October 24, 2001; or 5
(2) Iraq or contiguous waters or air space, as defined in federal regulations, 6
on or after March 19, 2003. 7
(b) There is a Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts 8
Scholarship. 9
(c) An individual may apply to the Office for a schola rship under this section if 10
the individual: 11
(1) Is a resident of Maryland; 12
(2) (i) Is accepted for admission or enrolled in the regular 13
undergraduate program at an eligible institution; or 14
(ii) Is accepted for admission or enrolled in a 2 –year te rminal 15
certificate program in which the course work is acceptable for transfer credit for an 16
accredited baccalaureate program in an eligible institution; and 17
(3) (i) 1. Is a veteran who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq conflict; 18
2. Is an active service member who served in the Afghanistan 19
or Iraq conflict; or 20
3. Is a member of a reserve component who was activated as 21
a result of the Afghanistan or Iraq conflict described in subsection (a) of this section; or 22
(ii) Is a son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, or spouse of: 23
1. A veteran or an active service member who is serving or 24
has served in the Afghanistan or Iraq conflict; or 25
2. A member of the reserve component who was activated as 26
a result of the Afghanistan or Iraq conflict described in subsection (a) of this section. 27
(d) A scholarship awarded under this section may supplement, but is not 28
contingent on, any federal education benefits for which a recipient qualifies as a result of 29
an individual’s service or status as a dependent of an active service member or of a veteran. 30
HOUSE BILL 720 3
(e) (1) Each scholarship may be used, at any eligible institution, to pay for 1
educational expenses as defined by the Office, including: 2
(i) Tuition and mandatory fees; and 3
(ii) Room and board. 4
(2) The annual amount of a scholarship may not exceed 50% of the 5
equivalent annual tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board of a resident 6
undergraduate student at the 4 –year public institution of higher education within the 7
University System of Maryland, other than the University of Maryland Global Campus and 8
University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, with the highest annual expenses for a 9
full–time resident undergraduate. 10
(f) A scholarship recipient shall maintain a grade point average of at least 2.5 on 11
a 4.0 scale. 12
(g) Each recipient of a scholarship under this section may hold the award for 5 13
years of full–time study or 8 years of part–time study. 14
(h) (1) A scholarship recipient is not required to submit an application for 15
federal or State financial aid. 16
(2) Scholarship recipients who file for financial aid must file by March 1 of 17
each year. 18
[(i) (1) The Office may not award an initial scholarship to an individual after 19
June 30, 2030. 20
(2) The Office may renew a scholarship after June 30, 2030, if the 21
individual received an initial scholarship before that date.] 22
[(j)] (I) A Senator or Delegate may authorize the Office to award all or a portion 23
of the funds authorized under Subtitles 4 and 5 of this title to eligible recipients of 24
scholarships awarded under this section. 25
[(k)] (J) (1) Funds for the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan 26
and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship shall be as provided in the annual budget of the Commission 27
by the Governor. 28
(2) (i) In this subsection, “Fund” means the Douglas J. J. Peters 29
Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship Fund. 30
(ii) There is a Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and 31
Iraq Conflicts Scholarship Fund in the Commission. 32
(iii) The Commission shall administer the Fund. 33
4 HOUSE BILL 720
(iv) The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 1
7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article. 2
(v) The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately and the 3
Comptroller shall account for the Fund. 4
(vi) The Commission: 5
1. May accept any gift or grant from any person or 6
corporation for the Fund; 7
2. Shall use any gift or grant that it receives for a scholarship 8
from the Fund; and 9
3. Shall deposit any gift or grant that it receives for the Fund 10
with the State Treasurer. 11
(3) (i) At the end of the fiscal year, the Commission shall prepare an 12
annual report on the Fund that includes an accounting of all financial receipts and 13
expenditures to and from the Fund. 14
(ii) The Commission shall submit a copy of the report to the General 15
Assembly as provided under § 2–1257 of the State Government Article. 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17
1, 2026. 18
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.