# Maryland SB 0309: Department of Veterans and Military Families - Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy Program - Alterations

Maryland SB 0309, Department of Veterans and Military Families - Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy Program - Alterations, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 269) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0309-2025RS
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland SB 0309
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Department of Veterans and Military Families - Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy Program - Alterations
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-13
- Last action: 2025-05-06, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 269
- Sponsor: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: State Government - Agencies, Offices, and Officials, Armed Forces -see also- Military Department; Veterans, Awareness and Outreach, Committees and Commissions, Communications -see also- ElecComm; Intergov; Telecom; etc., Data -see also- Census; Demographics, Electronic Government, Internet -see also- Internet Access, Military Families, Records -see also- Land Records; Vital Records, Registration -see also- Motor Vehicle Registration, Reports, Veterans and Military Families, Department of, Veterans
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (182 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- More benefits help for Maryland veterans: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland’s veterans department must help veterans, service members, and dependents access benefits they qualify for. Its Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy Program helps with tax, health, disability, and pension benefits, including benefit steps and referrals. It must…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Benjamin Brooks (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mary Beth Carozza (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-07 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 140 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-17 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 42 | 0 |   |

## Actions (13)

- 2025-05-06: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 269
- 2025-04-07: Returned Passed (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (140-0) (House)
- 2025-04-03: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House)
- 2025-04-03: Favorable Report by Health and Government Operations (House)
- 2025-03-18: Hearing 3/25 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2025-03-17: Referred Health and Government Operations (House)
- 2025-03-17: Third Reading Passed (42-0) (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments {963322/1 Adopted (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Hearing 2/20 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate)
- 2025-01-13: First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2025-05-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_269_sb0309t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0309t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2025-01-13: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0309f.pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed)
- HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed)
- HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed)
- SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed)
- HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law)
- HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed)

## Sources
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_269_sb0309t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0309t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0309f.pdf)

## Related
- [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS)
- [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS)
- [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS)
- [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS)
- [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS)
- [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS)
- [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills)
- [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0309-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).