# Maryland HB 0721: Uniformed Services Spouses Act

Maryland HB 0721, Uniformed Services Spouses Act, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Edith J. Patterson (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-12 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 490); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0721-2026RS
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland HB 0721
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Uniformed Services Spouses Act
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-02
- Last action: 2026-05-12, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 490
- Sponsor: Edith J. Patterson (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 44
- Subjects: State Government - Agencies, Offices, and Officials, Higher Education, Private Sector Labor and Industry, State Government - Personnel, Utility Regulation, Armed Forces and Uniformed Services, Community Colleges, Higher Education -see also- Comm Colleges; Med Schools; etc., Registration -see also- Motor Vehicle Registration, Spouses, State Universities and Colleges, Veterans
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (166 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 5

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Broader eligibility for veterans and spouses: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, the law defines an eligible spouse as the spouse of an eligible service member. It also accepts an “other than dishonorable” discharge or a certificate of satisfactory completion of service when defining eligible veterans and service members. These definitions apply acros…
- Extra hiring test points for veterans and spouses: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, Maryland must add 10 points to State selection test scores for eligible spouses, eligible veterans, spouses of veterans with service‑connected disabilities, and surviving spouses. A former prisoner of war gets 2 extra points. Current State employees cannot claim these cre…
- Priority registration and campus support for military families: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, public colleges must give priority course registration to eligible service members and eligible spouses. The priority lasts up to 15 years after the member’s last active duty and ends after four academic years of use. Community colleges must also serve spouses of veterans…
- More scholarship options for military families: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, a Senator may use up to 10% of senatorial scholarship funds for students who study outside Maryland if they are active service members or their spouses and are domiciled in Maryland. A Delegate Scholarship can also be used at schools outside Maryland for these domiciled s…
- Optional hiring preference for military spouses: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, employers in Maryland, including local governments, may give hiring or promotion preference to spouses of active service members. Employers may also prefer eligible veterans, spouses of eligible veterans with service‑connected disabilities, and surviving spouses of deceas…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Edith J. Patterson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Andre V. Johnson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Gabriel Acevero (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Nick Allen (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Steven J. Arentz (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Heather Bagnall (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Dylan Behler (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Adrian Boafo (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jason C. Buckel (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jon S. Cardin (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Derrick Coley (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Charlotte Crutchfield (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kris Fair (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Diana M. Fennell (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Mike Griffith (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kevin B. Hornberger (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Seth A. Howard (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Julian Ivey (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jeffrie E. Long (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Aaron M. Kaufman (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Robbyn Lewis (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Susan K. McComas (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: April Miller (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Darrell Odom (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Cheryl E. Pasteur (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Andrew C. Pruski (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Pam Queen (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Teresa E. Reilly (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kent Roberson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Denise Roberts (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Mike Rogers (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: April Rose (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steve Johnson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Stuart Michael Schmidt (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Gary Simmons (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jared Solomon (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Ryan Spiegel (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Sean A. Stinnett (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Todd B. Morgan (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Deni Taveras (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Karen Toles (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Veronica Turner (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Greg Wims (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Sarah Wolek (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jamila J. Woods (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-09 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 33 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-12 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 133 | 0 | 3 |

## Actions (15)

- 2026-05-12: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 490
- 2026-04-10: Returned Passed (House)
- 2026-04-09: Third Reading Passed (33-0) (Senate)
- 2026-04-08: Second Reading Passed (Senate)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Third Reading Passed (133-0) (House)
- 2026-03-10: Second Reading Passed (House)
- 2026-03-10: Favorable Adopted (House)
- 2026-03-10: Favorable Report by Appropriations (House)
- 2026-02-20: Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-02-20: Hearing canceled (House)
- 2026-02-17: Hearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-02-02: First Reading Appropriations (House)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-05-12: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_490_hb0721t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-03-10: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0721t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-02-02: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0721f.pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - Authorization (became law)
- SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishment (became law)
- SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law)
- SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-1 Specialists Act) (became law)
- SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits (became law)
- HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law)

## Sources
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_490_hb0721t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0721t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0721f.pdf)

## Related
- [SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - A…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0496-2026RS)
- [SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishm…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0366-2026RS)
- [SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0244-2026RS)
- [SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0148-2026RS)
- [SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0016-2026RS)
- [HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0529-2026RS)
- [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills)
- [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0721-2026RS (as of 2026-10-11).