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*hb0845*
HOUSE BILL 845
F2 (6lr1898)
ENROLLED BILL
— Appropriations/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
Introduced by Wicomico County Delegation
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at _ _______________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Higher Education – Community College Promise Scholarship Eligibility Student 2
Financial Assistance – Delmar High School Graduates Alterations to 3
Scholarship Programs 4
FOR the purpose of altering the eligibility for the Community College Promise Scholarship 5
to include residents of Delmar, Maryland who graduated from Delmar High School 6
in Delmar, Delaware; authorizing an institution of postsecondary education to award 7
a scholarship under the Fallen Transportation Workers Scholarship Program to 8
certain individuals including a surviving transportation worker and certain 9
individuals related to a surviving trans portation worker or a fallen transportation 10
worker; renaming the Fallen Transportation Workers Scholarship Program to be the 11
Fallen and Surviving Transportation Workers Scholarship Program; authorizing a 12
scholarship awarded under the Fallen and Surviving T ransportation Workers 13
Scholarship Program to be used for the total cost of attendance at any institution of 14
2 HOUSE BILL 845
postsecondary education; and generally relating to the Community College Promise 1
Scholarship student financial assistance in higher education. 2
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 3
Article – Education 4
Section 18 –3603(b)(2); and 18 –4001 through 18 –4004 to be under the amended 5
subtitle “Subtitle 40. Fallen and Surviving Transportation Workers 6
Scholarship Program” 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 9
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
Article – Education 12
18–3603. 13
(b) An applicant is eligible for a Maryland Community College Promise 14
Scholarship award if the applicant: 15
(2) (I) ENROLLS AT: 16
1. THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE LOCATED IN THE COUNTY 17
WHERE THE APPLICANT LIVES; 18
2. THE REGIONAL COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE LOCATED IN 19
THE REGION WHERE THE APPLICANT LIVES; OR 20
3. A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE STATE THAT HAS AN 21
ON–CAMPUS RESIDENTIAL FACILITY FOR STUDENTS; AND 22
(II) 1. Enrolls as a candidate for a vocational certificate, a 23
certificate, or an associate’s degree or participates in a registered apprenticeship after 24
graduating from a high school or successfully completing a GED in the State[: 25
(i) Except as provided in item (ii) of this item, at the community 26
college located in the county or, in the case of a regional community college, in the region, 27
where the applicant lives; or 28
(ii) At a community college in the State that has an on –campus 29
residential facility for students]; OR 30
2. A. ENROLLS AS A CANDIDATE FOR A VOCATIONAL 31
CERTIFICATE, A CERTIFICATE, OR AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE OR PARTICIPATES IN A 32
HOUSE BILL 845 3
REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP AFTER GRADUATING FROM DELMAR HIGH SCHOOL 1
IN DELMAR, DELAWARE; AND 2
B. IS A RESIDENT OF DELMAR, MARYLAND; 3
Subtitle 40. Fallen AND SURVIVING Transportation Workers Scholarship Program. 4
18–4001. 5
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 6
(B) “ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS: 7
(1) ACCEPTED FOR ADMISSIO N OR ENROLLED IN A R EGULAR 8
UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, OR PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM AT AN INSTITUTION OF 9
POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION; 10
(2) AT LEAST 16 YEARS OLD; AND 11
(3) (I) A SURVIVING TRANSPORTATION WORKER; 12
(II) 1. A CHILD, STEPCHILD, SPOUSE, OR UNMARRIED 13
PARTNER OF A SURVIVING TRANSPORTATION WORKER; OR 14
2. IF A SURVIVING TRANSP ORTATION WORKER DOES 15
NOT HAVE A CHILD , STEPCHILD, SPOUSE, OR UNMARRIED PARTNER, A SIBLING OF 16
THE SURVIVING TRANSPORTATION WORKER; 17
(III) 1. A SURVIVING CHILD , STEPCHILD, SPOUSE, OR 18
UNMARRIED PARTNER OF A FALLEN TRANSPORTATION WORKER; OR 19
2. IF A FALLEN TRANSPORT ATION WORKER DOES NO T 20
HAVE A SURVIVING CHI LD, STEPCHILD, SPOUSE, OR UNMARRIED PARTNER , A 21
SIBLING OF THE FALLEN TRANSPORTATION WORKER; OR 22
(IV) A CHILD OR STEPCHILD OF AN UNMARRIED PARTNER. 23
[(b)] (C) “Fallen transportation worker” means an individual: 24
(1) Whose occupation is in the construction, rehabilitation, or operation of 25
a transportation facility or transportation facilities project in the State; and 26
(2) Who died, on or after January 1, 2022, as a result of an accident 27
occurring while the individual was performing any job duty necessary for the construction, 28
4 HOUSE BILL 845
maintenance, rehabilitation, or operation of a transportation facility or transportation 1
facilities project in the State. 2
[(c)] (D) “Fund” means the Fallen AND SURVIVING Transportation Workers 3
Scholarship Fund. 4
[(d)] (E) “Program” means the Fallen AND SURVIVING Transportation Workers 5
Scholarship Program. 6
(F) “SURVIVING TRANSPORTATION WORKER” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL: 7
(1) WHOSE OCCUPATION IS I N THE CONSTRUCTION , 8
REHABILITATION, OR OPERATION OF A TR ANSPORTATION FACILIT Y OR 9
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES PROJECT IN THE STATE; AND 10
(2) WHO SURVIVED, ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2022, AN ACCIDENT: 11
(I) RESULTING IN AT LEAST $100,000,000 IN TOTAL DAMAGES 12
TO A TRANSPORTATION FACILITY OR TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES PROJECT IN THE 13
STATE; AND 14
(II) OCCURRING WHILE THE I NDIVIDUAL WAS PERFOR MING 15
ANY JOB DUTY NECESSA RY FOR THE CONSTRUCT ION, MAINTENANCE, 16
REHABILITATION, OR OPERATION OF A TR ANSPORTATION FACILIT Y OR 17
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES PROJECT IN THE STATE. 18
(G) “TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES PROJECT” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED 19
IN § 4–101 OF THE TRANSPORTATION ARTICLE. 20
[(e)] (H) “Transportation facility” has the meaning stated in § 3 –101 of the 21
Transportation Article. 22
[(f) “Transportation facilities project” has the meaning stated in § 4 –101 of the 23
Transportation Article.] 24
(I) “UNMARRIED PARTNER” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO: 25
(1) AT THE TIME OF A FALLEN TRANSPORTATION WORKER’S DEATH: 26
(I) WAS IN A COMMITTED RE LATIONSHIP WITH THE FALLEN 27
TRANSPORTATION WORKER; AND 28
(II) SHARED A PRIMARY RESI DENCE WITH THE FALLE N 29
TRANSPORTATION WORKER; OR AND 30
HOUSE BILL 845 5
(III) WAS RECEIVING AND RELIED ON, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, THE 1
REASONABLE NECESSITIES OF LIFE FROM THE FALLEN TRANSPORTATION WORKER; 2
OR 3
(2) AT THE TIME OF A SURV IVING TRANSPORTATION WORKE R’S 4
ACCIDENT: 5
(I) WAS IN A COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SURVIVING 6
TRANSPORTATION WORKER; AND 7
(II) SHARED A PRIMARY RESI DENCE WITH THE SURVI VING 8
TRANSPORTATION WORKER; AND 9
(III) WAS RECEIVING AND RELIED ON, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, THE 10
REASONABLE NECESSITI ES OF LIFE FROM THE SURVIVING TRANSPORTA TION 11
WORKER. 12
18–4002. 13
(a) There is a Fallen AND SURVIVING Transportation Workers Scholarship 14
Program. 15
(b) The purpose of the Program is to provide tuition assistance to a student who 16
was [a dependent or is the surviving spouse of a fallen transportation worker] IMPACTED 17
BY AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A FALLEN TRANSPORTATION WORKER OR A SURVIVING 18
TRANSPORTATION WORKER. 19
18–4003. 20
(a) An individual may apply to an eligible institution of postsecondary education 21
for a scholarship under this subtitle if the individual is[: 22
(1) Accepted for admission or enrolled in a regular undergraduate, 23
graduate, or professional program at an institution of postsecondary education; 24
(2) At least 16 years old; and 25
(3) The child, stepchild, or surviving spouse of a fallen transportation 26
worker] AN ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT OF A SCHOLARSHIP UNDER THIS SUBTITLE. 27
(b) A scholarship awarded under this subtitle: 28
(1) May be used for the [tuition and mandatory fees] TOTAL COST OF 29
ATTENDANCE at any institution of postsecondary education; and 30
6 HOUSE BILL 845
(2) May not: 1
(i) Exceed the equivalent annual tuition and mandatory fees of an 2
undergraduate student at the 4–year institution of higher education within the University 3
System of Maryland, other than the University of Maryland Global Campus and the 4
University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, with the highest annual expenses for a 5
full–time undergraduate; and 6
(ii) Be less than the lesser of: 7
1. $3,000; or 8
2. The equivalent tuition and mandatory fees of the 9
institution attended by the recipient of the scholarship. 10
(c) (1) Each institution of postsecondary education shall determine eligibility 11
of individuals who apply to the institution for the Program. 12
(2) Subject to the availability of funds, funds for the Program shall be 13
allocated by the Commission to each institution of postsecondary education based on the 14
number of eligible recipients attending each institution. 15
(3) In February and October each year, beginning in 2024, each institution 16
of postsecondary education shall report to the Commission the number of eligible recipients 17
attending the institution. 18
(4) The Commission shall allocate funds for awards to institutions of 19
postsecondary education on verification of eligible recipients attending the institutions. 20
(5) If funds cannot be allocated in the fiscal year in which awards are made, 21
priority shall be given to allocating funds for those awards in the immediately following 22
fiscal year. 23
(d) Each recipient of a scholarship under this subtitle may hold the award for 5 24
years of full–time study or 8 years of part–time study. 25
(e) To the extent practicable, the Department of Transportation, a local 26
department of transportation, or a contractor that employed fallen transportation workers 27
OR SURVIVING TRANSPORTATION WORKERS shall provide to the Commission the names 28
and contact information for the families of the fallen transportation workers OR 29
SURVIVING TRANSPORTA TION WORKERS AFTER A NY ACCIDENT RES ULTING IN 30
ELIGIBILITY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP UNDER THIS SUBTITLE. 31
18–4004. 32
HOUSE BILL 845 7
(a) There is a Fallen AND SURVIVING Transportation Workers Scholarship 1
Fund. 2
(b) The Commission shall administer the Fund. 3
(c) (1) The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of 4
the State Finance and Procurement Article. 5
(2) The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the 6
Comptroller shall account for the Fund. 7
(d) The Fund consists of: 8
(1) Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; 9
(2) Interest earnings; and 10
(3) Any other money from any other source accepted by the Commission for 11
the benefit of the Fund. 12
(e) The Fund may be used only to award scholarships under the Program. 13
(f) (1) The State Treasurer shall invest th e money of the Fund in the same 14
manner as other State money may be invested. 15
(2) Any interest earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the Fund. 16
(g) Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State 17
budget. 18
(h) The Commission: 19
(1) May accept any gift or grant from any person for the Fund; and 20
(2) Shall deposit any gift or grant that it receives for the Program with the 21
State Treasurer. 22
(i) Funding for the Program shall be as provided in the State budget. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2026. 25