MarylandSB 02762025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Educational Equality for Service Members Act

Sponsored By: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Education - MiscellaneousState Government - Agencies, Offices, and OfficialsArmed Forces -see also- Military Department; VeteransCommunity CollegesEducation -see also- ContEd; DrvEd; HigherEd; etc.Higher Education -see also- Comm Colleges; Med Schools; etc.Licenses -see also- AB Lic; Certifications; DrLic; PermitsMilitary FamiliesRules and RegulationsScholarships and Student Financial AidVeterans

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

12 provisions identified: 11 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

College scholarships for Afghanistan and Iraq families

Maryland’s conflict scholarship covers qualifying veterans, active service members, reserves activated because of the conflicts, and eligible children and spouses. Applicants must be Maryland residents accepted or enrolled in an eligible undergraduate program or qualifying two-year terminal certificate program. Afghanistan service must be on or after October 24, 2001, including service in its adjoining airspace. Iraq service must be on or after March 19, 2003, including service in adjoining waters or airspace. The scholarship can add to federal education benefits.

Broader employment coverage for military workers

County school boards must follow state return-to-work protections for employees returning from uniformed service. The law also expands who counts as a qualified employee with a disability. This includes people discharged or released from active uniformed service because of a service-connected disability. Maryland’s Labor Department must make that determination in consultation with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The supplied provisions do not detail the benefits attached to that disability classification.

Easier school moves for military families

Beginning July 1, 2025, counties must let school-age dependents of active service members relocating on official orders apply before establishing county residence. This covers natural children, stepchildren, adopted children, and financially dependent children. Families must provide dependent-status proof, relocation orders, and county-residence proof within 10 days of the orders’ published arrival date. A parent or guardian’s active-duty assignment also counts as a serious family hardship under school law. The State Board of Education must seek interstate school-transfer agreements, but other states are not required to agree.

Faster teaching licenses for military families

Maryland must speed up educator licensing for active service members, eligible veterans, and eligible spouses. Veterans must have left active duty within one year before applying; eligible surviving spouses face a one-year deadline after the member’s death. Applicants need an out-of-state educator license in good standing, Maryland’s required qualifications, an application, and the applicable fee. The Department of Education must publish the faster process. It may also issue temporary licenses allowing work while applicants finish Maryland requirements.

In-state tuition access for military families

Eligible military-connected students are exempt from nonresident tuition at Maryland public colleges. Active service members qualify when stationed in Maryland, living there, or maintaining Maryland as their legal home. Their spouses and financially dependent children must document entering-student enrollment or acceptance while the member meets that location test. Veterans must document an honorable discharge and either Maryland residence or Maryland as their legal home.

Military training counts toward emergency credentials

Maryland’s emergency medical services board must count active service members’ relevant experience toward occupational or professional experience requirements. It must also credit uniformed-services training or education toward licensing or certification when substantially equivalent to required training. That credit cannot conflict with another licensing requirement.

Scholarships reach more service-connected military families

Conroy scholarships cover eligible children and surviving spouses of uniformed-services members who died from service or sustained a 100% permanent service-connected disability. The death or disability must have occurred after December 7, 1941. Another category covers children of Vietnam-conflict prisoners of war or missing members from January 1, 1960, onward, born before or during that status. Veterans with at least a 25% service-connected disability qualify after exhausting or losing eligibility for federal veterans’ education benefits. Applicants must meet the applicable Maryland-residency requirement at application or at the disabling or fatal event.

Military scholarships travel, but funding stays capped

Active service members whose legal home is Maryland can qualify for senatorial scholarships at accredited schools outside Maryland. Eligible study includes undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Each senator can award no more than 10% of available scholarship funds to applicants attending out-of-state schools. The provisions do not state individual award amounts.

Active-duty reservists count under veterans trust

Beginning July 1, 2025, Maryland Veterans Trust rules count reserve-component members on active-duty orders as active service members. The definition also includes active-duty members of the uniformed services. This applies where the trust’s rules use that term; the provision does not create a separate payment.

Broader college-program eligibility for military members

One higher-education provision includes active service members and veterans with an honorable discharge or certificate of satisfactory service. A separate program’s discharge-based eligibility covers people honorably discharged from uniformed service or reserves within 18 months before applying. Those applicants must live in Maryland and have graduated from a public or private nonprofit college. The supplied provisions do not identify the specific benefits attached to these eligibility routes.

Military families get more education-benefit time

Maryland must postpone covered student-aid service obligations for active service members assigned outside Maryland and their spouses. This includes the scholarship service obligation addressed separately by the law. The supplied provisions do not set the deferment’s length. Qualified prepaid college beneficiaries also get extra time to use their benefits equal to their time on active uniformed service.

School liaisons help military families settle

Purple Star schools must name a uniformed-services liaison to help newly enrolled or soon-to-enroll military-connected students and their families. The program covers dependents of active-duty members, reserve-component members, and qualifying members killed in the line of duty. These school supports help families manage enrollment and school transitions.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Bryan W. Simonaire
Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

Jack Bailey
Republican • Senate
Jason C. Gallion
Republican • Senate
J.B. Jennings
Republican • Senate
Johnny Mautz
Republican • Senate
Johnny Ray Salling
Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 184 • No: 0

House vote • 4/7/2025

Third Reading Passed

Yes: 140 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/6/2025