Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland HB972: Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund - Establishment ( Charles J. Otto Agricultural Education Promise Act)
Status: Signed into law, April 28, 2026
Establishing the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund to provide grants that advance agricultural fairs and education in the State; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to the Fund; requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $200,000 to the Fund each year; requiring the Comptroller to pay $100,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc, and $100,000 to the Maryland FFA Association from the Fund for agricultural education programs; etc.
What the bill says
An act concerning Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund - Establishment (Maryland Fair and Charles J. Otto Agricultural Education Promise Act) FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund to provide grants that advance agricultural fairs and education in the State; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to the Fund; requiring a certain amount of proceeds from the State lottery, before being allocated to the General Fund of the State, to be allocated to the Fund…
From the enrolled text, May 5, 2026:
AN ACT concerning Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund - Establishment (Maryland Fair and Charles J. Otto Agricultural Education Promise Act) FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund to provide grants that advance agricultural fairs and education in the State; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to the Fund; requiring a certain amount of proceeds from the State lottery, before being allocated to the General Fund of the State, to be allocated to the Fund; repealing the requirement that a certain amount of annual proceeds from the State horse racing Special Fund be used to promote State agricultural fairs and education; and generally relating to the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund. BY adding to Article - Agriculture Section 10-2201 through 10-2203 to be under the new subtitle "Subtitle 22. Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund" Annotated Code of Maryland (2016 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article - Business Regulation Section 11-403 Annotated Code of Maryland (2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, Article - State Finance and Procurement Section 6-226(a)(2)(i) and (ii) Annotated Code of Maryland (2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article - State …