EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0831*
SENATE BILL 831
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By: Senators Zucker and King
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation and Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Education Support Professionals – Workgroup and Bonus 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Workgroup to Study the Wages of Education Support 3
Professionals; requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill an 4
appropriation sufficient to provide a certain bonus to certain public school employees 5
in a certain fiscal year; and generally relating to the study of the wages of, and the 6
payment of a bonus to, education support professionals. 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
That: 9
(a) There is a Workgroup to Study the Wages of Education Support Professionals. 10
(b) The purpose of the Workgroup is to determine what percentage of education 11
support professionals in the State earn a living wage and to study increasing the wages of 12
education support professionals to attract and retain skilled workers. 13
(c) The Workgroup consists of the following members: 14
(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 15
the Senate; 16
(2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 17
the House; 18
(3) one member of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, 19
appointed by the Executive Director of the Association; 20
(4) the President of the Maryland State Education Association, or the 21
President’s designee; 22
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(5) the President of the Service Employees International Union Local 500, 1
or the President’s designee; 2
(6) the President of the American Federation of State, County and 3
Municipal Employees Local 2250, or the President’s designee; 4
(7) the President of the American Federation of Teachers–Maryland, or 5
the President’s designee; and 6
(8) the Executive Director of the American Federation of State, County and 7
Municipal Employees Council 67, or the Executive Director’s designee. 8
(d) The Workgroup shall elect the chair of the Workgroup by a majority vote at 9
the first meeting. 10
(e) The Maryland State Department of Education shall provide staff for the 11
Workgroup. 12
(f) A member of the Workgroup: 13
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 14
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 15
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 16
(g) In determining what percentage of education support professionals earn a 17
living wage in the State and to study increasing the wages of education support 18
professionals to attract and retain skilled workers, the Workgroup shall consider: 19
(1) the role of local education systems and the State in hiring education 20
support professionals; 21
(2) the number of education support professionals employed by the State 22
or a local school system, or as a contractor; 23
(3) any cost–sharing between the State and the local school systems with 24
regard to the wages and salaries of education support professionals; 25
(4) the total number of part–time and full–time education support 26
professionals in the State; 27
(5) the number of hours required to work, according to the policies of each 28
jurisdiction, to be considered a full–time employee; 29
(6) a complete list of education support professional classifications by 30
jurisdiction; 31
SENATE BILL 831 3
(7) the average hourly wage of education support professionals in the State 1
and by jurisdiction; 2
(8) an analysis of the wage scale for education support professionals; 3
(9) information on increased wages or bonuses by jurisdiction within the 4
last 5 years; 5
(10) the amount of vacancies in the State and by jurisdiction for education 6
support professional jobs; and 7
(11) information on the future of education support professional jobs in the 8
State. 9
(h) (1) On or before November 30, 2022, the Workgroup shall submit an 10
interim report of its findings and recommendations to, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 11
State Government Article, the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate 12
Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, the House Appropriations 13
Committee, and the House Committee on Ways and Means. 14
(2) On or before August 31, 2023, the Workgroup shall submit a final report 15
of its findings and recommendations, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government 16
Article, to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate Education, Health, and 17
Environmental Affairs Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House 18
Committee on Ways and Means. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENA CTED, That: 20
(a) If the fiscal year 2023 budget includes an appropriation sufficient to provide a 21
$500 bonus to each noncertificated education support professional in fiscal year 2023, the 22
Governor shall include in the annual budget bill for fiscal year 2024 an appropriation 23
sufficient to provide a $500 bonus to each noncertificated education support professional in 24
fiscal year 2024. 25
(b) If the fiscal year 2023 budget does not include an appropriation sufficient to 26
provide a $500 bonus to each noncertificated education support professional in fiscal year 27
2023, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill for fiscal year 2024 an 28
appropriation sufficient to provide a $1,000 bonus to each noncertificated education support 29
professional in fiscal year 2024. 30
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 31
1, 2022. Section 1 of this this Act shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 4 months 32
and, at the end of October 31, 2023, Section 1 of this Act, with no further action required 33
by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 34