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Lawmakers Hear Plan to Expand State-Funded Public Service Internships
Summary
The Appropriations Committee heard testimony supporting HB 1114, which would double the statutory number of internships administered through UMBC's Shriver Center and related programs beginning in fiscal 2027; proponents said the program channels students into public-service careers and faces higher demand than current capacity allows.
Delegate Rosenberg introduced House Bill 1114, which would expand Maryland's public-service internship programs and increase the number of state-supported fellowships administered in part through the Shriver Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Proponents told the appropriations subcommittee that Maryland's existing programs place students in state agencies, nonprofits and other public-service sites and include a professional-development component. “During the student's fellowship, they complete … work as an intern at a local state agency or department or with a local nonprofit,” Christina, program director for the Maryland Public Service Scholars (MPSS) program, said in testimony. She said MPSS has a high application-to-slot ratio — 270 applicants for about 30 slots this year — and hosts weekly seminars and culminating policy projects.
Student witnesses described how internships influenced career paths. Brandon Hubel, a University of Baltimore senior who spent a summer as a governor's internship fellow, said his placement in the lieutenant governor’s office led him to pursue public-service work full time and credited the program’s seminars and project work with professional development.
Supporters asked the committee to back a favorable report. Christina and other witnesses asked that the increase not take effect until FY2027 to reflect budget timing. No committee vote or formal amendment was recorded during the hearing.
If advanced, the bill would require adjustments to future fiscal plans and budgeting for stipends and program administration; proponents said the Shriver Center already runs the program infrastructure and can scale with funding. The committee did not take final action during the hearing; legislators asked technical questions about timing and coordination with existing workforce programs.
