Individuals With Disabilities and Service-Disabled Veterans Boating Fund - Eligible Companions

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.
*sb0199*

SENATE BILL 199
O1, O3 6lr1273
(PRE–FILED)
By: Senator Simonaire Senators Simonaire and Guzzone
Requested: October 21, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: February 7, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Individuals With Disabilities and Service–Disabled Veterans Boating Fund – 2
Eligible Companions 3

FOR the purpose of requiring a grant from the Individuals With Disabilities and 4
Service–Disabled Veterans Boating Fund to provide opportunities to participate in 5
certain water –dependent activities for eligible compani ons of individuals with 6
disabilities or service –disabled veterans; and generally relating to the Individuals 7
With Disabilities and Service–Disabled Veterans Boating Fund. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Human Services 10
Section 7–1101 and 7–1102 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

7–1101. 17

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 18

2 SENATE BILL 199

(b) “Department” means the Department of Disabilities. 1

(c) “ELIGIBLE COMPANION” MEANS AN ACCOMPANYIN G FAMILY MEMBER 2
OR DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH DISABILITIES OR OF 3
A SERVICE–DISABLED VETERAN PARTICI PATING IN SAILING , BOATING, KAYAKING, 4
CANOEING, PADDLEBOARDING, OR SURFING ACTIVITIES. 5

(D) “Fund” means the Individuals With Disabilities and Service –Disabled 6
Veterans Boating Fund. 7

[(d)] (E) (1) “Individuals with disabilities” mean s individuals considered 8
disabled in accordance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. 9
§ 12102. 10

(2) “Individuals with disabilities” includes individuals with learning 11
disabilities. 12

[(e)] (F) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Disabilities. 13

[(f)] (G) “Service–disabled veteran” means a veteran with a disability that is 14
service–connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. § 101(16). 15

7–1102. 16

(a) There is an Individuals With Disabilities and Service –Disabled Veterans 17
Boating Fund. 18

(b) The purpose of the Fund is to provide sailing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, 19
paddleboarding, and surfing opportunities for individuals with disabilities [and], 20
service–disabled veterans, AND THEIR ELIGIBLE COMPANIONS. 21

(c) The Department shall administer the Fund. 22

(d) (1) The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of 23
the State Finance and Procurement Article. 24

(2) The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the 25
Comptroller shall account for the Fund. 26

(e) The Fund consists of: 27

(1) money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; and 28

(2) any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the 29
Fund. 30

SENATE BILL 199 3

(f) The Fund may be used only for: 1

(1) providing State grants under this section; and 2

(2) administrative expenses of the Department in administering the Fund. 3

(g) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Department may 4
provide a grant of not more than $40,000 in a fiscal year to a grantee to provide sailing, 5
boating, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, or surfing opportunities for individuals with 6
disabilities AND THEIR ELIGIBLE COMPANIONS or service–disabled veterans AND THEIR 7
ELIGIBLE COMPANIONS. 8

(2) The Department may provide grants under this section only to a 9
nonprofit organization in good standing that: 10

(i) is qualified under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; 11

(ii) has been in operation for at least 3 years, notwithstanding a 12
cessation of operations during a national or public health emergency issued: 13

1. by the President of the United States under § 201, § 202(d), 14
or § 301 of the federal National Emergencies Act; or 15

2. by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the 16
federal Public Health Service Act; and 17

(iii) has engaged in dividuals with disabilities or service –disabled 18
veterans in sailing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, or surfing activities on 19
State waters at least 25 times in each of the past 3 years. 20

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 21
October 1, 2026. 22

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