Military Family Inclusion Act

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0192*

SENATE BILL 192
P1 6lr0087
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 270
By: Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee (By Request –
Departmental – Veterans and Military Families)
Requested: September 16, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 7, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Military Family Inclusion Act 2

FOR the purpose of altering the membership of the Maryland Trust Fund Board of 3
Trustees, the Maryland Veterans Commission , the Maryland Commission on 4
Caregiving, and the Maryland Youth Advisory Council; and generally relating to 5
military membership on councils and commissions. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Human Services 8
Section 7–302(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Human Services 13
Section 7–303(a)(1) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – State Government 18
Section 9–914(a) and 9–2701(b) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
2 SENATE BILL 192

(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 2
Article – State Government 3
Section 9–914(b), 9–914.1, 9–917, and 9–2701(c)(1) 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 6

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 8

Article – Human Services 9

7–302. 10

(a) There is a Maryland Commission on Caregiving in the Department. 11

7–303. 12

(a) (1) The Commission consists of the following members: 13

(i) one member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the 14
President of the Senate; 15

(ii) one member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker 16
of the House; and 17

(iii) the following members appointed by the Governor: 18

1. two representatives from the Department of Human 19
Services; 20

2. three representatives from the Maryland Department of 21
Health; 22

3. one representative from the Department of Aging; 23

4. one representative from an area agency on aging; 24

5. one representative from the Department of Disabilities; 25

6. one representative from the Maryland Respite Care 26
Coalition; 27

7. two consumers of respite care services; 28

8. three family caregivers; [and] 29
SENATE BILL 192 3

9. three representatives of organizations that provide or 1
have interest or expertise in respite care services; AND 2

10. ONE FAMILY CAREGIVER OF A SERVICE –DISABLED 3
VETERAN. 4

Article – State Government 5

9–914. 6

(a) The powers and duties of the Trust shall rest in and be exercised by a Board 7
of Trustees. 8

(b) The Board of Trustees shall consist of the following 12 members: 9

(1) the Secretary, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee, who shall serve as 10
the chair; 11

(2) the Secretary of Aging, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 12

(3) the Secretary of Labor, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 13

(4) the Secretary of Health, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 14

(5) the Secretary of Human Services, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 15

(6) the Secretary of Disabilities, ex officio, or the Secretary’s designee; 16

(7) the Adjutant General of the Military Department, ex officio, or the 17
Adjutant General’s designee; 18

(8) one representative of each of the following organizations, appointed by 19
the Governor: 20

(i) a veterans service organization; 21

(ii) a nonprofit organization that serves veterans; and 22

(iii) the business community; 23

(9) AS AN EX OFFICIO TRU STEE, a member of the House of Delegates 24
appointed by the Speaker of the House; and 25

(10) AS AN EX OFFICIO TRUSTEE, a member of the Senate appointed by the 26
President of the Senate. 27

4 SENATE BILL 192

9–914.1. 1

(a) The Board shall meet at places and dates to be determined by t he Board, but 2
not less than 2 times a year. 3

(b) A majority of the VOTING trustees is a quorum. 4

(c) A trustee: 5

(1) may not receive compensation as a trustee; but 6

(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 7
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 8

(d) The Department shall provide staff, supplies, and office space for the Board. 9

9–917. 10

(a) (1) The Commission consists of the following members appointed by the 11
Governor. 12

(2) Of the members: 13

(i) 1 shall be appointed from each of the 8 congressional districts in 14
the State; 15

(ii) 1 shall be a veteran appointed from the State at large; 16

(iii) 1 shall be a woman veteran appointed from the State at large; 17

(iv) 1 shall be a representative of a retired enlisted organization; 18

(v) 1 shall be a veteran of the Iraq or Afghanistan conflict, as defined 19
in § 1–202(a–1) of the Public Safety Article; AND 20

(vi) 1 shall be appointed from a list of individuals submitted to the 21
Governor by each of the following organizations: 22

1. [the American Ex–Prisoners of War, Inc.; 23

2.] the American Legion; 24

[3.] 2. the AMVETS; 25

[4.] 3. the Catholic War Veterans; 26

SENATE BILL 192 5

[5.] 4. the Disabled American Veterans; 1

[6.] 5. the Fleet Reserve Association; 2

[7.] 6. the Jewish War Veterans; 3

[8.] 7. the Marine Corps League; 4

[9.] 8. the Maryland Military Officers Association of America; 5

[10.] 9. the Military Order of the Purple Heart; 6

[11. the Polish Legion of American Veterans; 7

12.] 10. the Veterans of Foreign Wars; 8

[13.] 11. the Vietnam Veterans of America; 9

[14.] 12. the Korean War Veterans Association, Inc.; 10

[15.] 13. the National Association for Black Veterans; 11

[16.] 14. the Colonial Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of 12
America; [and] 13

[17.] 15. the Reserve Organization of America; and 14

16. AN ORGANIZATION REPRE SENTING MILITARY 15
FAMILIES. 16

[(vii) 1 shall be an honorary nonvoting member appointed from a list 17
of individuals submitted to the Governor by the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.] 18

(b) Each member must be a resident of the State and a veteran. 19

(c) (1) The term of an appointed member is 5 years. 20

(2) The terms of the appointed members are staggered as required by the 21
terms provided for members of the Commission on October 1, 1984. 22

(3) At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is 23
appointed and qualifies. 24

(4) A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the 25
rest of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 26
6 SENATE BILL 192

(5) When an organization is no longer a part of the Commission, the 1
appointment shall terminate at the end of the current member’s term. 2

(6) AN ORGANIZATION’S REPRESENTATIVE SEAT MAY BE REMOVED IF 3
THE ORGANIZATION FAILS TO APPOINT A NEW COMMISSIONER FOR 2 CONTINUOUS 4
YEARS. 5

(7) AN ORGANIZATION MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE COMMISSION IF 6
A REPRESENTATIVE FRO M THE ORGANIZATION I S NOT RECOMMENDED BY THAT 7
ORGANIZATION. 8

[(d) A new organization may not be eligible for representation on the Commission, 9
by appointment of the Governor, unless it is congressionally chartered.] 10

9–2701. 11

(b) There is a Maryland Youth Advisory Council. 12

(c) (1) The Council consists of: 13

(i) four youths appointed by the President of the Senate; 14

(ii) four youths appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; 15

(iii) four youths appointed by the Governor; and 16

(iv) the following members appointed by the Governor’s Office for 17
Children: 18

1. four youths nominated by the local management boards 19
established under § 8–301 of the Human Services Article; 20

2. four youths nominated by the Maryland Association of 21
Student Councils; 22

3. two youths nominated by the University System of 23
Maryland Student Council; [and] 24

4. the following youths nominated by the Student Advisory 25
Council to the Maryland Higher Education Commission: 26

A. one youth who is enrolled in a community college; and 27

B. one youth who is enrolled in a private college or university; 28
AND 29
SENATE BILL 192 7

5. ONE YOUTH WHO HAS AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY 1
MEMBER WHO IS A SERV ICE MEMBER , APPOINTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF 2
VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES. 3

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED , That this Act shall take effect 4
October 1, 2026. 5

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.