Bill > SB284

This bill, the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2026, makes numerous adjustments to state funding and programs. It alters appropriations for various programs, including the Maryland Healthy Soils Program, the Maryland Native Plants Program, and the Lacrosse Opportunities Program, by modifying the required funding levels and fiscal years for these initiatives. The bill also adjusts the authorized uses of the Cannabis Business Assistance Fund, allowing for operating costs for the Department of Social and Economic Mobility in specific fiscal years, and modifies the distribution of funds from the Cigarette Restitution Fund to the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland. Additionally, it changes the funding amounts and timelines for the Coordinated Community Supports Partnership Fund, the Joseph A. Sellinger Program for private higher education institutions, and the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarships. The bill also modifies the appropriation for the Maryland Loan Assistance Repayment Program for Police Officers and Probation Agents and the Maryland Police Officers and Probation Agents Scholarship Program. It allows for a portion of the Advance Directive Program Fund to be used for maternal and child health quality initiatives in fiscal year 2027 only, and establishes a reimbursement schedule for counties participating in assisted outpatient treatment programs. The bill also adjusts the annual appropriation for tobacco use reduction programs and allows for a portion of the Board of Physicians Fund and the State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists Fund to be used for specific public health and behavioral health programs in fiscal year 2027. Funding for the Public Safety Apprenticeship Program and the Career Pathways for Health Care Workers Program are also modified. The bill details specific grant amounts for certain counties and Baltimore City for fiscal years 2027 through 2029, and adjusts funding for the Prince George’s County Reentry Employment Incentive Program. It also modifies the distribution of funds from the Waterway Improvement Fund for historic preservation and allows for the use of money in the Maryland Emergency Medical System Operations Fund for general operations of the Department of State Police. The bill alters the appropriation timeline for the Historic Revitalization Tax Credit Reserve Fund and adjusts the required contributions to the Revenue Stabilization Account. It also modifies the use of funds from the Cigarette Restitution Fund, including provisions for historically black colleges and universities and Medicaid expenses, and allows for specific uses of compliance fees for clean energy projects in fiscal year 2027. The bill adjusts participation targets for the Maryland Corps Program and makes changes to the allocation of penalties for vehicle security lapses, including removing the Driver Education in Public High Schools Fund from this allocation. It also modifies the distribution of transfer tax revenue and makes changes to the allocation of funds for Program Open Space, the Agricultural Land Preservation Fund, and the Rural Legacy Program. The bill also adjusts the appropriation for the Urban Agriculture Water and Power Infrastructure Grant Fund and modifies the State's obligation for employer contributions to the Teachers' Retirement and Pension Systems, shifting a greater portion to county governments. Finally, it amends tax provisions related to depreciation deductions for certain vehicles and for manufacturing entities, and makes changes to the distribution of unallocated individual income tax revenue.

Budget and Finance

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0284?ys=2026RS