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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1458*
HOUSE BILL 1458
O1 6lr3369
By: Delegates Shetty, D. Jones, Acevero, Bagnall, Charkoudian, Cullison, Hill,
Kaufman, Lehman, Lewis, McCaskill, Palakovich Carr, Rosenberg, Ruff,
Smith, Solomon, Taveras, Williams, and Wolek
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Refugees and Asylees – 2
Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for 4
Refugees and Asylees; requiring the Department of Human Services to administer 5
the Program; establishing that certain individual s are eligible to receive a certain 6
benefit under the Program ; and generally relating to the State Supplemental 7
Nutrition Assistance Program for Refugees and Asylees. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Human Services 10
Section 5–507 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Human Services 16
5–507. 17
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 18
INDICATED. 19
(2) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE STATE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION 20
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR REFUGEES AND ASYLEES. 21
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(3) “REFUGEE” MEANS: 1
(I) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS NOT A UNITED STATES CITIZEN; 2
(II) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES FOR 3
60 MONTHS OR LESS; AND 4
(III) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: 5
1. A REFUGEE ADMITTED UNDER 8 U.S.C. § 1157; 6
2. AN ASYLEE ADMITTED UNDER 8 U.S.C. § 1158; 7
3. A CUBAN OR HAITIAN ENTRANT AS DE FINED IN 45 8
C.F.R. § 401.2; 9
4. AN INDIVIDUAL GRANTE D WITHHOLDING OF 10
REMOVAL UNDER 8 U.S.C. § 1231(B)(3) OR PROTECTION UNDER THE CONVENTION 11
AGAINST TORTURE; 12
5. A PAROLEE WHO HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY FEDERAL 13
LAW AS ELIGIBLE FOR REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT SERVICES, INCLUDING: 14
A. AFGHAN HUMANITARIAN PAROLEES ADMITTED 15
UNDER THE AFGHANISTAN SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2022 AND 16
RELATED STATUTES; 17
B. UKRAINIAN HUMANITARIAN PAROLEES ADMITTED 18
UNDER THE UKRAINE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2022; 19
C. LAUTENBERG PAROLEES; AND 20
D. ANY OTHER PAROLEE CATEGORY THAT CONGRESS OR 21
THE OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT DESIGNATES AS ELIGIBLE FOR REFUGEE 22
BENEFITS; 23
6. AN AMERASIAN IMMIGRANT LAWFULLY ADMITTED TO 24
THE UNITED STATES WHO IS DESCRIBED IN 8 U.S.C. § 1612(A)(2)(A)(V); 25
7. A VICTIM OF A SEVERE FORM OF TRAFFICKING IN 26
PERSONS AND THE VICT IM’S FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BEN EFITS 27
AND SERVICES FROM FE DERAL AND STATE PROG RAMS UNDER 22 U.S.C. § 28
7105(B)(1)(A); 29
HOUSE BILL 1458 3
8. AN IRAQI OR AFGHAN NATIONAL GRANT ED SPECIAL 1
IMMIGRANT STATUS, INCLUDING: 2
A. AN IRAQI GRANTED A SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA 3
UNDER SECTION 1059 OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR 4
FISCAL YEAR 2006; 5
B. AN AFGHAN GRANTED A SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA 6
UNDER SECTION 602(B) OF THE AFGHAN ALLIES PROTECTION ACT OF 2009; AND 7
C. SPOUSES AND CHILDREN GRANTED DERIVATIVE 8
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT STATUS; AND 9
9. ANY OTHER NONCITIZEN POPULATION THAT THE 10
OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT DETERMINES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR REFUGEE 11
RESETTLEMENT SERVICES UNDER THE REFUGEE ACT OF 1980. 12
(4) “SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM” MEANS 13
THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED I N 14
ACCORDANCE WITH § 5–501 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 15
(B) (1) THERE IS A STATE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 16
PROGRAM FOR REFUGEES AND ASYLEES. 17
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 18
(3) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO EXPAND FOOD ACCESS TO 19
HOUSEHOLDS UNDER THE ELIGIBILIT Y REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL 20
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS IN EFFECT ON JULY 3, 2025. 21
(C) A HOUSEHOLD IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM IF THE 22
HOUSEHOLD INCLUDES AN INDIVIDUAL WHO: 23
(1) WAS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIV E SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION 24
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL LAW ON JULY 3, 25
2025; 26
(2) IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO R ECEIVE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION 27
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS AFTER JULY 3, 2025; AND 28
(3) IS: 29
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(I) A REFUGEE; 1
(II) A LAWFUL PERMANENT RES IDENT WHO SATISFIED THE 2
RESIDENT REQUIREMENTS IN EFFECT ON JULY 3, 2025; 3
(III) A NONCITIZEN LAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES 4
PREVIOUSLY ELIGIBLE FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 5
PROGRAM UNDER THE “QUALIFIED ALIEN ” FRAMEWORK UNDER THE PERSONAL 6
RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK OPPORTUNITY RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1996; 7
(IV) A PAROLEE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION 8
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ON JULY 3, 2025, INCLUDING AN INDIVIDUAL PAROLED 9
INTO THE UNITED STATES UNDER SECTION 212(D)(5) OF THE IMMIGRATION AND 10
NATIONALITY ACT WHO MET THE RESIDE NCY OR EXEMPTION REQ UIREMENTS IN 11
EFFECT ON JULY 3, 2025; 12
(V) A NONCITIZEN WITH WORK AUTHORIZATION WHO MET THE 13
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA IN EFFECT ON JULY 3, 2025; 14
(VI) A NONCITIZEN ELIGIBLE UNDER MILITARY –RELATED OR 15
DISABILITY–RELATED EXEMPTIONS U NDER THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND 16
WORK OPPORTUNITY RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1996 ON JULY 3, 2025; OR 17
(VII) A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER NONCITIZEN POPULATION 18
ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS 19
UNDER FEDERAL LAW ON JULY 3, 2025. 20
(D) A HOUSEHOLD THAT INCLUDES AN INDIVIDU AL IDENTIFIED UNDER 21
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A BENEFIT UNDER THE 22
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UNDER ELIGIBI LITY 23
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROGRAM IN EFFECT ON JULY 3, 2025. 24
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS TO: 25
(1) VERIFY HOUSEHOLD ELI GIBILITY FOR PARTICI PATION IN THE 26
PROGRAM; AND 27
(2) CARRY OUT THIS SECTION. 28
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 29
1, 2026. 30