Reentry and Reintegration Support Program - Establishment

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0097*

SENATE BILL 97
O1, E4 6lr0017
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 224
By: Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee (By Request – Departmental – Human
Services)
Requested: September 25, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Reentry and Reintegration Support Program – Establishment 2

FOR the purpose of establishing a coordinated, interagency partnership among the 3
Department of Human Services, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional 4
Services, and the Maryland Department of Health to create a voluntary prerelease 5
benefits and identification application process for covered benefits for individuals 6
being released from State correctional facilities ; and generally relating to reentry 7
and reintegration support for individuals being released from State correctional 8
facilities. 9

BY adding to 10
Article – Human Services 11
Section 5–324 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2019 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 – Human Services 17

5–324. 18

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 19
INDICATED. 20

(2) “COVERED BENEFITS” MEANS: 21

2 SENATE BILL 97

(I) THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; 1

(II) TEMPORARY CASH ASSISTANCE; AND 2

(III) THE MARYLAND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 3

(3) “DEPARTMENTS” MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN 4
SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, 5
AND THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. 6

(4) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND REENTRY AND 7
REINTEGRATION SUPPORT PROGRAM. 8

(5) “RELEASING INSTITUTION ” MEANS A STATE CORRECTIONAL 9
FACILITY OPERATED BY OR UNDER THE AUTHORI TY OF THE MARYLAND 10
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES. 11

(6) “RETURNING CITIZEN ” MEANS A N INDIVIDUAL CONFINED IN A 12
STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY WHO IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED WITHIN 90 13
DAYS. 14

(B) (1) THE DEPARTMENTS JOINTLY SHALL ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER 15
THE MARYLAND REENTRY AND REINTEGRATION SUPPORT PROGRAM. 16

(2) THE PROGRAM SHAL L PROVIDE COORDINATED PRERELEASE 17
COVERED BE NEFITS APPLICATION ASSISTANCE TO RETURN ING CITIZENS WHO 18
CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. 19

(C) (1) THE PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE A VOLUNTARY AND 20
STANDARDIZED PRERELEASE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR COVERED BENEFITS. 21

(2) THE DEPARTMENTS JOINTLY SHALL DEVELOP A PROC ESS TO 22
PROVIDE A RETURNING CITIZEN WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR COVERED 23
BENEFITS BEFORE THE RETURNING CITIZEN’S SCHEDULED RELEASE DATE. 24

(3) PROGRAM STAFF WITHIN THE RELEASING INSTIT UTION SHALL 25
ASSIST A PARTICIPATING RETURNING CI TIZEN IN COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING 26
ALL NECESSARY APPLICATIONS AND DOCUMENTATION FOR COVERED BENEFITS. 27

(D) (1) THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL 28
SERVICES SHALL ASSIST EACH PARTICIPATING R ETURNING CITIZEN IN APPLYING 29
FOR COVERED BENEFITS AND OBTAINING REQUIRED VERIFICATIONS AT NO COST TO 30
THE INDIVIDUAL. 31
SENATE BILL 97 3

(2) REQUIRED VERIFICATIONS INCLUDE: 1

(I) A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE RETURNING CITIZE N’S BIRTH 2
CERTIFICATE; 3

(II) A COPY OF THE RETURN ING CITIZEN ’S SOCIAL SECURITY 4
CARD; 5

(III) PROOF OF THE RETURNING CITIZEN’S INCOME AND ASSETS; 6

(IV) PROOF OF THE RETURNING CITIZEN’S SHELTER COSTS; AND 7

(V) OTHER INFORMATION NE CESSARY TO ESTABLISH 8
ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS. 9

(3) ASSISTANCE UNDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE PROVIDED IN A 10
TIMELY MANNER TO ENSURE, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, THAT THE RETURNING 11
CITIZEN POSSESSES TH E REQUIRED VERIFICATIONS ON RELEASE FROM A STATE 12
CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. 13

(E) (1) ON OR BEFORE APRIL 1, 2027, THE DEPARTMENTS JOINTLY 14
SHALL DEVELOP AND ENTER INTO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERS TANDING TO 15
IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION. 16

(2) THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SHALL E STABLISH A 17
SECURE DATA SHARING PROCESS TO: 18

(I) FACILITATE THE TIMEL Y PROCESSING OF APPL ICATIONS 19
FOR COVERED BENEFITS; 20

(II) VERIFY A RETURNING C ITIZEN’S IDENTITY AND 21
ELIGIBILITY; AND 22

(III) ENSURE THAT , TO THE EXTENT PRACTI CABLE, COVERED 23
BENEFITS ARE ACTIVE AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE RETURNING CITIZEN IMMEDIATELY 24
ON RELEASE. 25

(3) DATA SHARED BETWEEN THE DEPARTME NTS UNDER THIS 26
SECTION SHALL BE USE D SOL ELY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADMINISTERING THE 27
PROGRAM AND SHALL BE SUBJECT TO ALL APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS. 28

4 SENATE BILL 97

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