General Provisions - Commemorative Months - Water Safety Month
HB0458 authorizes the Governor, beginning in fiscal year 2027, to include a $350,000 appropriation in the annual budget bill for the University of Maryland, College Park’s TerpsEXCEED program. TerpsEXCEED is a postsecondary education and employment program designed to provide educational and career opportunities to students with intellectual disabilities. The bill does not mandate an appropriation, but permits the Governor to propose funding in the state budget each year.
The bill also specifies how the funding may be used. Eligible uses include academic advising and counseling, class scheduling and registration support, outreach to professors, course modifications, in-class accommodations, peer tutoring and mentorship, calendar management, student activities advising, resident assistant and resident director training, career development courses, internship and job placement support, coordination with state disability agencies, management of self-directed waiver budgets and financial aid systems, post-program support, and cross-agency resource coordination. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB0458 adds a new section to the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, creating a statutory framework for potential state support of the TerpsEXCEED program at the University of Maryland, College Park. It gives the Governor discretion to include a recurring $350,000 line item in the annual budget beginning in fiscal 2027, and it identifies programmatic purposes for which the money may be spent. The bill primarily affects the University of Maryland, students with intellectual disabilities, and the state agencies or campus offices that coordinate disability services, financial aid, and employment supports.
The bill appears broadly supportive and noncontroversial in nature, focused on expanding access to higher education and employment opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. Because the available record contains no committee transcript, recorded votes, or opposition statements, there is no evidence of significant debate or organized resistance in the provided materials. The legislative framing suggests a positive reception toward sustained funding for inclusive postsecondary programming.
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided bill history or transcripts. The main policy choice embedded in the bill is whether the state should provide recurring funding for a specialized university program, and the Governor is only authorized, not required, to include the appropriation. Any potential concern would likely center on budget priorities, the use of state funds for a single campus program, or the scope of services covered, but none of those concerns are documented in the supplied materials.