Economic Development - Federal Employee-to-Entrepreneur Program - Establishment
HB0960 would create a new Federal Employee-to-Entrepreneur Program within the Maryland Department of Commerce. The program is designed to help former or transitioning federal employees move into entrepreneurship by offering training, tools, and mentorship. The bill specifies that the department would run four cohorts each fiscal year, with 15 participants per cohort, and provide sessions on entrepreneurial exploration, business and capital readiness, one-on-one coaching, and instruction in business planning, compliance, marketing, budgeting, and pitch development.
The bill also requires the Department of Commerce to establish application procedures and develop a curriculum for the program. In addition, it directs the Governor to include a $400,000 annual appropriation in the budget bill to fund the program. The act would take effect October 1, 2026, and would add a new subtitle to the Economic Development Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
HB0960 would amend Maryland’s Economic Development Article by adding a new subtitle establishing a state-run workforce transition and small-business development program. It would create a new responsibility for the Department of Commerce to administer training and mentorship services for a defined group of participants and would require recurring state funding through the annual budget process. The bill would affect former and transitioning federal employees who are interested in starting businesses, as well as the Department of Commerce and the state budget.
The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded floor debate, and the bill was ultimately withdrawn by the sponsor in the House. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to have been framed as a pro-entrepreneurship and workforce-transition initiative, with an emphasis on helping displaced or changing federal workers launch businesses. Because there is no recorded discussion or vote history, there is no documented public sentiment beyond the bill’s introduction and subsequent withdrawal.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials because there are no committee transcripts or votes. Potential areas of debate suggested by the bill itself would likely include the proposed $400,000 annual appropriation, the scope of state involvement in entrepreneurship training, and whether the program should prioritize federal employees over other aspiring entrepreneurs. However, those concerns are not reflected in the available record.