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Bill would create Positive Youth Development Commission and fund for settlement proceeds
Summary
Delegate Stephanie Smith told the committee HB 12-78 would create a Maryland Positive Youth Development Commission and a dedicated fund to invest potential litigation or settlement proceeds into after‑school, summer and mentoring programs, with sponsor amendments to align with MSDE and the attorney general’s recovery framework.
Delegate Stephanie Smith presented House Bill 12-78, proposing the Maryland Positive Youth Development Commission and a special fund intended to direct any future settlement or judgment proceeds related to harms to youth (for example, litigation tied to social media harms) into evidence-based after‑school, summer, mentoring and community-based programs.
"Should Maryland receive funds related to harm experienced by young people because of social media use, House Bill 12-78 ensures that Maryland already has a thoughtful structure in place to invest those resources," Smith said, describing a commission that would develop grant priorities and a fund with caps on administrative costs.
Ellie Mitchell, director of the Maryland Out of School Time Network, told the committee the bill asks a different question than platform regulation: "What are young people doing outside of school, and do they have real alternatives to screens?" Mitchell said the state currently has virtually no dedicated funding stream for these out‑of‑school supports and compared Maryland’s funding to larger dedicated investments in other states.
Multiple nonprofit and local-government witnesses, including Code in the Schools and the Maryland Association of Local Management Boards, urged the committee to issue a favorable report and highlighted the bill’s emphasis on youth engagement, evidence-based grants, and prevention-oriented spending.
Committee members asked about the bill’s dependency on litigation proceeds and alternatives for funding; the sponsor noted the bill contains a sunset clause if no recovery occurs by 2030 and clarified that appropriations or other funds could also seed the special fund.
The hearing ended without a committee vote.
