Uniformed Services Spouses Act

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.
*hb0721*

HOUSE BILL 721
P1, F2, K3 6lr2448
CF SB 243
By: Delegates Patterson, Acevero, Allen, Arentz, Bagnall, Behler, Boafo , Buckel,
Cardin, Coley, Crutchfield, Fair, Fennell, Griffith, Hornberger, Howard,
Ivey, A. Johnson, S. Johnson, Kaufman, Lewis, J. Long, McComas, Miller,
T. Morgan, Odom, Pasteur, Pruski, Queen, Reilly, Roberson, Roberts,
Rogers, Rose, Schmidt, Simmons, S olomon, Spiegel, Stinnett, Taveras,
Toles, Turner, Wims, Wolek, and Woods
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 26, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Uniformed Services Spouses Act 2

FOR the purpose of applying certain provisions of law regarding priority registration at 3
public institutions of higher education, resources and support at community colleges, 4
senatorial and Delegate scholarships, and preferences in hiring by the Public Service 5
Commission to the spouses of active service members and veterans; altering the 6
veterans to whom certain provisions of law regarding priority registration at public 7
institutions of higher edu cation, resources and support at community colleges, 8
senatorial and Delegate scholarships, preferences in hiring by private employers, 9
and credits on selection tests for State personnel apply; and generally relating to 10
active service members, veterans, and the spouses of veterans and service members. 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 15–124, 16–109, 18–405(d)(3), 18–406(g), and 18–501(b)(2)(iii) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – Education 18
2 HOUSE BILL 721

Section 18–401 and 18–501(a) 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 3

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 4
Article – Labor and Employment 5
Section 3–714(a) and (b) 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2025 Replacement Volume) 8

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Public Utilities 10
Section 18–111(a) and (b) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 15
Section 7–207(c)(1)(i), (2), and (3) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 20
Section 7–207(c)(1)(iii) 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 24
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 25

Article – Education 26

15–124. 27

(a) (1) In this section [, “eligible ] THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE 28
MEANINGS INDICATED. 29

(2) “ELIGIBLE service member” means: 30

[(1)] (I) An active service member; and 31

[(2)] (II) A veteran who has received an [honorable] OTHER THAN 32
DISHONORABLE discharge or a certificate of satisfactory completion of service. 33

HOUSE BILL 721 3

(3) “ELIGIBLE SPOUSE ” MEANS THE SPOUSE OF AN ELIGIBLE 1
SERVICE MEMBER. 2

(b) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, a public institution of higher education 3
shall grant priority registration for courses to an eligible service member OR ELIGIBLE 4
SPOUSE. 5

(c) The priority registration requirement under subsection (b) of this section: 6

(1) Applies only within 15 years after the eligible service member WHO 7
WOULD RECEIVE OR WHOSE ELI GIBLE SPOUSE WOULD R ECEIVE PRIORITY 8
REGISTRATION was last on active duty; and 9

(2) Does not apply after an eligible service member’s OR ELIGIBLE 10
SPOUSE’S fourth academic year. 11

(d) Each public institution of higher education shall ad opt policies necessary to 12
implement this section. 13

16–109. 14

Each community college shall: 15

(1) Ensure all student advisors are trained on the unique needs and 16
resources available for students who are [veterans]: 17

(I) VETERANS; OR 18

(II) SPOUSES OF VETERANS; 19

(2) Employ at least one employee who, as a component of the employee’s 20
job duties and responsibilities, provides comprehensive and intensive enrollment and 21
advising services to current and prospective students who are [veterans]: 22

(I) VETERANS; OR 23

(II) SPOUSES OF VETERANS; and 24

(3) Establish a veterans resource center on campus to: 25

(i) Provide access to federal and State veterans AND SPOUSES OF 26
VETERANS resources; 27

(ii) Serve as a quiet place for veterans AND SPOUSES OF VETERANS 28
to study; 29
4 HOUSE BILL 721

(iii) Enable veterans AND SPOUSES OF VETER ANS to connect to 1
other veterans AND SPOUSES OF VETER ANS, helping them renew the bonds of service; 2
and 3

(iv) Be the central hub for all activities on campus related to veterans 4
AND SPOUSES OF VETERANS. 5

18–401. 6

There is a program of senatorial scholarships in this State that are awarded under 7
this subtitle. 8

18–405. 9

(d) Each Senator may award not more than 10% of the funds available under this 10
subtitle to applicants planning to attend accredited undergraduate, graduate, or 11
professional institutions outside the State, provided the applicant: 12

(3) Is an active service member OR THE SPOUSE OF AN ACTIVE SERVICE 13
MEMBER who is domiciled in this State. 14

18–406. 15

(g) A recipient of a senator ial scholarship who is an active service member OR 16
THE SPOUSE OF AN ACT IVE SERVICE MEMBER and otherwise meets the conditions of 17
subsection (a) or (b) of this section may be domiciled in this State rather than eligible for 18
in–State tuition under this article. 19

18–501. 20

(a) There is a program of Delegate Scholarships in this State that are awarded 21
under this subtitle. 22

(b) A scholarship awarded under this subtitle may be used at: 23

(2) An accredited undergraduate, graduate, or professional institution 24
outside the State, if the applicant: 25

(iii) Is an active service member OR THE SPOUSE OF AN ACTIVE 26
SERVICE MEMBER who is domiciled in this State; and 27

Article – Labor and Employment 28

3–714. 29

HOUSE BILL 721 5

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 1

(2) “Eligible veteran” means a veteran, as defined in § 9 –901 of the State 2
Government Article, who has received an [honorable] OTHER THAN DISHONORA BLE 3
discharge or a certificate of satisfactory completion of service, including: 4

(i) a reserve component; 5

(ii) the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service; and 6

(iii) the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and 7
Atmospheric Administration. 8

(3) “Employer” includes a county or municipal corporation. 9

(b) Subject to subsection (d) of this section, an employer may grant a preference 10
in hiring and promotion to: 11

(1) an eligible veteran; 12

(2) the spouse of an eligible veteran who has a service–connected disability; 13

(3) the spouse of an [eligible] active service member; or 14

(4) the surviving spouse of a deceased eligible veteran. 15

Article – Public Utilities 16

18–111. 17

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 18

(2) “ACTIVE SERVICE MEMBER ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 19
9–901 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 20

(3) “Eligible veteran” means a veteran [of any branch of the uniformed 21
services] who has received an [honorable] OTHER THAN DISHONORABLE discharge or a 22
certificate of satisfactory completion of service, including: 23

(i) a reserve component; 24

(ii) the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service; and 25

(iii) the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and 26
Atmospheric Administration. 27

6 HOUSE BILL 721

[(3)] (4) “Reserve component” has the meaning stated in § 9 –901 of the 1
State Government Article. 2

[(4)] (5) “Veteran” has the meaning stated in § 9 –901 of the State 3
Government Article. 4

(b) The Commission may grant a preference in hiring and promotion to: 5

(1) an eligible veteran; 6

(2) the spouse of an eligible veteran who has a service–connected disability; 7
[or] 8

(3) THE SPOUSE OF AN ACTIVE SERVICE MEMBER; OR 9

(4) the surviving spouse of a deceased eligible veteran. 10

Article – State Personnel and Pensions 11

7–207. 12

(c) (1) (i) In this subsection the following words have the meanings 13
indicated. 14

(iii) “Eligible veteran” means a veteran who has received an 15
[honorable] OTHER THAN DISHONORA BLE discharge or a certificate of satisfactory 16
completion of service, including: 17

1. a reserve component; 18

2. THE COMMISSIONED CORPS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH 19
SERVICE; AND 20

3. THE COMMISSIONED CORPS OF THE NATIONAL 21
OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION. 22

(2) (i) An appointing authority shall apply a credit of 10 points on any 23
selection test for: 24

1. an eligible spouse; 25

2. an eligible veteran; 26

3. the spouse of an eligible veteran who has a service 27
connected disability; or 28

HOUSE BILL 721 7

4. the surviving spouse of a deceased eligible veteran. 1

(ii) An appointing authority shall apply a credit of two additional 2
points on any selection test for a former prisoner of war. 3

(3) The following applicants are ineligible for a credit under this 4
subsection: 5

(i) a current State employee; and 6

(ii) an eligible veteran who is convicted of a crime after being 7
discharged from or completing military service. 8

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
October 1, 2026. 10

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