Education - Certification of Scholarship Granting Organizations (Opting in on Opportunity Act)

SB 329 (Opting in on Opportunity Act) requires Maryland’s State Department of Education to certify nonprofit organizations as scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) if they meet specific criteria, such as being organized under Maryland law and providing scholarships to eligible students. It mandates the Department to annually submit a list of certified SGOs to the U.S. Treasury starting in 2027 and directs the Comptroller to provide online guidance helping taxpayers claim federal tax credits for donations to these SGOs. The bill directly affects nonprofit scholarship organizations seeking certification and Maryland taxpayers who contribute to them. Key provisions include standardized certification rules, annual reporting requirements, and public reporting of scholarship data (e.g., numbers awarded, amounts, schools attended). It aims to align Maryland’s process with the federal tax credit program under Section 25F of the Internal Revenue Code.