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*hb0804*
HOUSE BILL 804
O2, O1, J1 6lr2526
CF SB 860
By: Delegate Wolek Delegates Wolek, Alston, Bagnall, Cullison, Guzzone, Hill,
S. Johnson, Kaufman, Lopez, Martinez, Rosenberg, Ross, Taveras,
White Holland, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 26, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Aging – Aging Resilience Fund – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Aging Resilience Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund; 3
providing for the purposes of the Fund; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be 4
credited to the Fund; requiring the Secretary of Aging to administer the Fund; and 5
generally relating to the Aging Resilience Fund. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Human Services 8
Section 10–101(a), (d), and (f) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
(As enacted by Chapters 33 and 34 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Human Services 14
Section 10–204 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 18
Article – State Finance and Procurement 19
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) and (ii) 20
2 HOUSE BILL 804
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 3
Article – State Finance and Procurement 4
Section 6–226(a)(2)(iii)212. and 213. 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 7
BY adding to 8
Article – State Finance and Procurement 9
Section 6–226(a)(2)(iii)214. 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Human Services 15
10–101. 16
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 17
(d) “Department” means the Department of Aging. 18
(f) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Aging. 19
10–204. 20
(a) The Secretary shall administer the programs and activities that the federal 21
government delegates to the State under the Older Americans Act of 1965 that are not 22
otherwise committed by law to another unit of State government. 23
(b) The Secretary: 24
(1) is a member of the Governor’s Executive Council; and 25
(2) shall cooperate with and r eceive the cooperation of State, federal, and 26
local governmental units to carry out the purposes of this title. 27
(c) The Secretary shall: 28
(1) evaluate the service needs of seniors in the State; 29
(2) determine the extent to which existing public and p rivate programs 30
meet the needs of seniors; 31
HOUSE BILL 804 3
(3) establish priorities for meeting the needs of seniors; 1
(4) coordinate, subject to existing law, assess and evaluate, and educate 2
the public and professionals about all State and local programs and servic es, both public 3
and private, that relate and are important to the well –being of seniors in the State, 4
including programs and services in the areas of: 5
(i) income maintenance; 6
(ii) public health; 7
(iii) mental health; 8
(iv) housing and urban development; 9
(v) employment; 10
(vi) education; 11
(vii) recreation; and 12
(viii) rehabilitation of seniors with physical or mental disabilities; and 13
(5) develop a statewide plan incorporating local plans for a comprehensive 14
and coordinated syst em of health, social, and community services for seniors, including 15
housing and institutional and noninstitutional care. 16
(d) The Secretary shall: 17
(1) represent the interests of seniors by serving as an advocate at all levels 18
of government; 19
(2) consult with and advise the secretaries of the principal departments of 20
State government about the programs and services for seniors that are the primary 21
responsibility of those departments; 22
(3) consult with the Commission on Aging on all matters pertaining to 23
programs for seniors; 24
(4) provide consultation and technical assistance to communities and civic 25
groups developing local services for seniors; 26
(5) maintain a clearinghouse of information related to the interests of 27
seniors; and 28
4 HOUSE BILL 804
(6) review and recommend policies to the Governor on publicly funded 1
plans and programs that affect seniors. 2
(e) The Secretary may adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of law that 3
are within the jurisdiction of the Secretary. 4
(F) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION , “FUND” MEANS THE AGING RESILIENCE 5
FUND. 6
(2) THERE IS AN AGING RESILIENCE FUND. 7
(3) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO SUPPORT TH E 8
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEPARTMENT’S MISSION UNDER THIS TITLE. 9
(4) THE SECRETARY SHALL ADMINISTER THE FUND. 10
(5) (I) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 11
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 12
(II) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND 13
SEPARATELY, AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACCOUNT FOR THE FUND. 14
(6) (I) THE FUND CONSISTS OF: 15
(I) 1. INVESTMENT EARNINGS OF THE FUND; 16
(II) 2. ANY FEES COLLECTED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE; AND 17
(III) 3. ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE 18
ACCEPTED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 19
(II) MONEY RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT FROM THE FUND 20
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION IS SUPPLEMENTAL TO AND IS NOT INTENDED 21
TO TAKE THE PLACE OF FUNDING THAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE APPROPRI ATED IN 22
THE ANNUAL STATE OPERATING OR CA PITAL BUDGET BILL FO R PROJECTS OR 23
ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT. 24
(7) THE FUND MAY BE USED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES THAT 25
ALIGN WITH THE DEPARTMENT’S MISSION UNDER THIS TITLE, INCLUDING: 26
(I) PERSONNEL; 27
(II) (I) PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT; AND 28
HOUSE BILL 804 5
(III) (II) ANY PROGRAMS , SERVICES, OR ACTIVITIES WITHIN 1
THE DEPARTMENT. 2
(8) (I) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVEST THE MONEY OF THE 3
FUND IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE INVESTED. 4
(II) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE 5
CREDITED TO THE FUND. 6
(9) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN 7
ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE BUDGET. 8
(10) (I) NOTWITHSTANDING THE P ROVISIONS OF § 7–213 OF THE 9
STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE, THE GOVERNOR MAY NOT REDUCE 10
AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE FUND IN THE STATE BUDGET AS APPRO VED BY THE 11
GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 12
(II) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THIS SUBSECTION, MONEY 13
APPROPRIATED FOR THE FUND SHALL REMAIN IN THE FUND. 14
(11) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1 EACH YEAR, THE SECRETARY SHALL 15
REPORT TO THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE HEALTH 16
COMMITTEE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 17
ARTICLE, ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FUND FOR THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, 18
INCLUDING: 19
(I) THE TOTAL AMOUNT IN THE FUND; 20
(II) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEPOSITS MADE TO THE FUND, 21
INCLUDING AMOUNTS AND SOURCES; AND 22
(III) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPENDITURES MADE FROM THE 23
FUND, INCLUDING AMOUNTS AND PURPOSES. 24
Article – State Finance and Procurement 25
6–226. 26
(a) (2) (i) This paragraph does not apply in fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 27
(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 28
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 29
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 30
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 31
6 HOUSE BILL 804
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 1
Fund of the State. 2
(iii) The provisions of subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph do not 3
apply to the following funds: 4
212. the Department of Social and Ec onomic Mobility Special 5
Fund; [and] 6
213. the Population Health Improvement Fund; AND 7
214. THE AGING RESILIENCE FUND. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 9
1, 2026. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.