# Maryland HB 0972: Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund - Establishment ( Charles J. Otto Agricultural Education Promise Act)

Maryland HB 0972, Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund - Establishment ( Charles J. Otto Agricultural Education Promise Act), is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by April Miller (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-28 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 163) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0972-2026RS
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland HB 0972
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund - Establishment ( Charles J. Otto Agricultural Education Promise Act)
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-06
- Last action: 2026-04-28, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 163
- Sponsor: April Miller (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 50
- Subjects: Agriculture, Agriculture -see also- Agritourism; Cannabis Prd; Farm; etc., Amusement Parks, Carnivals, and Fairs, Appropriations, Awareness and Outreach, Comptroller, Education -see also- ContEd; DrvEd; HigherEd; etc., Governor, Grants, Horses, Interest, Lottery, Names, Racing, Revenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax), Treasurers, Youth (10-21) -see also- Minors
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (182 yes, 1 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Maryland creates dedicated fair education fund: benefit, low. Beginning June 1, 2026, Maryland creates the Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund, managed by the Comptroller. The Governor must include $200,000 for the fund in each annual budget bill. The Treasurer holds the money separately, and the Comptroller tracks it. Unused money stays in the fund,…
- Maryland State Fair gets larger grant: benefit, low. Beginning June 1, 2026, the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society gets $550,000 annually from the Promise Fund. This replaces its former $500,000 Special Fund grant, raising annual support by $50,000. The money supports the State Agricultural Fair and maintains and develops youth programs. T…
- More funding for agricultural education groups: benefit, low. Beginning June 1, 2026, the Promise Fund provides two annual agricultural education grants. The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation gets $100,000 for statewide education, replacing its former $75,000 Special Fund grant. That is a $25,000 yearly increase. The Maryland FFA Association gets $10…
- Fair board and county lose grants: cost, low. Beginning June 1, 2026, the law ends two annual Special Fund grants. The Maryland Agricultural Fair Board loses $825,000 yearly for promoting State and county agricultural fairs and exhibits. Baltimore County loses a $50,000 yearly grant that replaced earlier county funding. The county's former gra…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: April Miller (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Christopher T. Adams (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Nick Allen (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: H. Kevin Anderson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steven J. Arentz (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Lauren Arikan (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Terry L. Baker (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Barry Beauchamp (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Dylan Behler (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Christopher Eric Bouchat (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Regina T. Boyce (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jason C. Buckel (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brian Chisholm (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Barrie S. Ciliberti (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kris Fair (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Linda Foley (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: David Fraser-Hidalgo (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jefferson L. Ghrist (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mike Griffith (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Michele Guyton (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Wayne A. Hartman (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Anne Healey (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jim Hinebaugh (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Marvin E. Holmes (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kevin B. Hornberger (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Seth A. Howard (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Thomas S. Hutchinson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jeffrie E. Long (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jay A. Jacobs (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Nicholaus R. Kipke (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Marc Korman (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Robbyn Lewis (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Matthew Morgan (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mangione
- Cosponsor: Susan K. McComas (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Ric Metzgar (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: LaToya Nkongolo (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Darrell Odom (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jesse T. Pippy (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Robert B. Long (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Teresa E. Reilly (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: April Rose (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Stuart Michael Schmidt (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Karen Simpson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Dana Stein (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Joshua J. Stonko (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Todd B. Morgan (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Chris Tomlinson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: William Valentine (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: William J. Wivell (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Natalie Ziegler (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-13 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 45 | 0 | 2 |
| 2026-03-23 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 137 | 1 | 1 |

## Actions (14)

- 2026-04-28: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 163
- 2026-04-13: Returned Passed (House)
- 2026-04-13: Third Reading Passed (45-0) (Senate)
- 2026-04-09: Second Reading Passed (Senate)
- 2026-04-09: Favorable Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-04-09: Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate)
- 2026-03-24: Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m. (Education, Energy, and the Environment) (Senate)
- 2026-03-23: Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment Budget and Taxation (Senate)
- 2026-03-23: Third Reading Passed (137-1) (House)
- 2026-03-21: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House)
- 2026-03-21: Favorable with Amendments {973727/1 Adopted (House)
- 2026-03-20: Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation (House)
- 2026-02-10: Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-02-06: First Reading Environment and Transportation (House)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-04-28: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_163_hb0972t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-03-21: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0972t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-02-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0972f.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_163_hb0972t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0972t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0972f.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-HB0972-2026RS (as of 2026-10-19).