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SENATE BILL 101
F2 6lr1046
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 1505
By: Senator Bailey Senators Bailey, Attar, Brooks, Carozza, and Watson
Requested: October 1, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings and Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Higher Education – Loan Repayment and Scholarships for Correctional Officers 2
FOR the purpose of adding correctional officers as eligible recipients in the Maryland Loan 3
Assistance Repayment Program for Police Officers and Probation Agent s and the 4
Maryland Police Officers and Probation Agents Scholarship Program; and generally 5
relating to loan repayment and scholarships for correctional officers. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Education 8
Section 18 –3701 and 18 –3702 to be under the amended subtitle “Subtitle 37. 9
Maryland Loan Assistance Repayment Program for Police Officers, Probation 10
Agents, and Correctional Officers”; and 18 –3801 through 18 –3804 and 11
18–3807 to be under the amended subtit le “Subtitle 38. Maryland Police 12
Officers, Probation Agents, and Correctional Officers Scholarship Program” 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Education 18
Subtitle 37. Maryland Loan Assistance Repayment Program for Police Officers [and], 19
Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS. 20
2 SENATE BILL 101
18–3701. 1
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 2
(B) “CORRECTIONAL OFFICER” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 8–201 OF 3
THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ARTICLE. 4
[(b)] (C) “Eligible employment” means to work as: 5
(1) A police officer OR CORRECTIONAL OFFICER in the State for at least 6
2 years; or 7
(2) A parole and probation agent, supervisor, or regional director in the 8
State for at least 2 years. 9
[(c)] (D) “Higher education loan” means a loan that is obtained for tuition for 10
undergraduate study. 11
[(d)] (E) “Police officer” has the meaning stated in § 3–201 of the Public Safety 12
Article. 13
[(e)] (F) “Probation agent” means an individual serving as a parole and 14
probation agent, supervisor, or regional administrator for the Department of Public Safety 15
and Correctional Services. 16
[(f)] (G) “Program” means the Maryland Loan Assistance Repayment Program 17
for Police Officers [and], Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS. 18
18–3702. 19
(a) There is a Maryland Loan Assistance Repayment Program for Police Officers 20
[and], Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS in the State. 21
(b) The Office shall distribute funds from the Program to assist in the repayment 22
of a higher education loan owed by a police officer [or], probation agent , OR 23
CORRECTIONAL OFFICER who: 24
(1) Receives a graduate, professional, or undergraduate degree from a 25
public college or university in the State; 26
(2) Obtains eligible employment; and 27
(3) Satisfies any other criteria established by the Office. 28
SENATE BILL 101 3
Subtitle 38. Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL 1
OFFICERS Scholarship Program. 2
18–3801. 3
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 4
(B) “CORRECTIONAL OFFICER” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 8–201 OF 5
THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ARTICLE. 6
[(b)] (C) “Eligible institution” means: 7
(1) A public senior higher education institution in the State; or 8
(2) A community college in the State. 9
[(c)] (D) “Police officer” has the meaning stated in § 3 –201 of the Public Safety 10
Article. 11
[(d)] (E) “Probation agent” means an individual servi ng as a parole and 12
probation agent, supervisor, or regional administrator for the Department of Public Safety 13
and Correctional Services. 14
[(e)] (F) “Service obligation” means to work as a police officer [or], probation 15
agent, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFICER in the State not less than 5 years during the 8–year 16
period after graduation. 17
18–3802. 18
(a) There is a Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents , AND 19
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship Program. 20
(b) The purpose of the program is to provide tuitio n assistance for students who 21
are: 22
(1) Attending an eligible institution and enrolled in a degree program that 23
would further the student’s intent to become a police officer [or], probation agent , OR 24
CORRECTIONAL OFFICER after graduation; or 25
(2) Employed as a police officer [or], probation agent, OR CORRECTIONAL 26
OFFICER, attending an eligible institution, and enrolled in a degree program that would 27
further the police officer’s [or], probation officer’s, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFICER’S career. 28
(c) The Office shall publicize the availability of the Maryland Police Officers 29
[and], Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship. 30
4 SENATE BILL 101
18–3803. 1
(a) Each year, the Office shall select eligible students and offer a scholarship to 2
each student selected to be used at an eligible institution of the student’s choice. 3
(b) A recipient of the Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents , AND 4
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship shall: 5
(1) Be a Maryland resident or have graduated from a Maryland high 6
school; 7
(2) Be accepted for admission or currently enrolled at an eligible institution 8
as a full–time or part–time undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a course of study 9
or program that would further the recipient’s career; 10
(3) Sign a letter of intent to perform the service obligation on completion of 11
the recipient’s required studies; and 12
(4) Satisfy any additional criteria the Commission may establish. 13
(c) A current police officer [or], probation agent, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFICER 14
shall be eligible for a Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents , AND 15
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship if they meet the eligibility criteria under 16
subsection (b) of this section. 17
18–3804. 18
The recipient of a Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation Agents , AND 19
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship shall repay the Commission the funds received 20
as set forth in § 18–112 of this title if the recipient does not: 21
(1) Satisfy the degree requirements of the eligible course of study or 22
program or fulfill other requirements as provided in this subtitle; or 23
(2) Perform the service obligation to work as a police officer [or], probation 24
agent, OR CORRECTIONAL OFFICER for at least 5 years during the 8 –year period after 25
graduation. 26
18–3807. 27
The Office shall: 28
(1) Publicize the availability of Maryland Police Officers [and], Probation 29
Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarships; and 30
SENATE BILL 101 5
(2) To the extent practicable, award scholarships under this subtitle in a 1
manner that reflects ethnic, gender, racial, and geographic diversity. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 3
1, 2026. 4
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.