HB 720 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Higher Education - Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship - Repeal of Termination Date

HB 720 repeals the expiration date for the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship, removing the current cutoff of June 30, 2030, for awarding new scholarships and eliminating restrictions on renewing scholarships for recipients who received their initial award before that date. This change directly affects eligible veterans, active service members, or their dependents (spouses, children) who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq conflicts and meet Maryland residency and enrollment requirements at participating institutions. The bill maintains all existing provisions, including the 50% tuition coverage limit, 2.5 GPA requirement, and 5-year full-time renewal period. It ensures the scholarship program continues indefinitely without time-based restrictions on new awards or renewals.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 2, 2026 Signed Apr 14, 2026
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What changed between versions

First - Higher Education - Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship - Repeal of Termination Date Third - Higher Education - Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship - Repeal of Termination Date · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to add two new sponsors (Harrison and Metzgar) and officially move from a House Bill to a Chapter, indicating it has passed the House and is ready for the Senate. The substantive legal text regarding the scholarship program, including eligibility criteria, funding limits, and application rules, remains unchanged from the previous version.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; no new eligibility criteria, funding amounts, or dates were added or removed.
TECHNICAL

Added two new sponsors, Harrison and Metzgar, to the list of bill sponsors.

Changed the document header from 'HOUSE BILL 720' to 'CHAPTER ______', reflecting the bill's progression to the next legislative stage.

Added a committee report noting the bill was favorably amended and adopted by the House.

Removed the original bill introduction date and House action lines, as these were superseded by the new committee report and adoption status.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 27, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Apr 14, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 58
executive
Apr 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Returned Passed
lower
Apr 8, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Apr 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
upper
Apr 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
Mar 12, 2026
Committee
Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
Mar 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Mar 10, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Mar 10, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Appropriations
lower
Feb 27, 2026
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (136-0-6)
house of delegates
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
First Reading Appropriations
lower
41 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors