EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. *sb0121* SENATE BILL 121 F5, F1 3lr0831 SB 318/22 – EHE (PRE–FILED) By: Senator Rosapepe Requested: November 16, 2022 Introduced and read first time: January 11, 2023 Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment A BILL ENTITLED AN ACT concerning 1 More Opportunities for Career–Focused Students Act of 2023 2 FOR the purpose of requiring certain county boards of education to consider the pursuit of 3 certain certificates, certifications, or apprenticeships as the equivalent of pursuing 4 postsecondary education and provide a method for certain individuals to authorize 5 the release of certain student information to certain apprenticeship sponsors and 6 employers; requiring each public high school to inform students of certain 7 employment and skills training opportunities in a certain manner; requiring a 8 county board to pay for a student to take an apprenticeship entrance exam or 9 industrial certification exam under certain circumstances; and generally relating to 10 career education and apprenticeships. 11 BY adding to 12 Article – Education 13 Section 4–142 14 Annotated Code of Maryland 15 (2022 Replacement Volume) 16 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17 Article – Education 18 Section 7–203.1 19 Annotated Code of Maryland 20 (2022 Replacement Volume) 21 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23 Article – Education 24 2 SENATE BILL 121 4–142. 1 (A) IN THIS SECTION , “PLATFORM” MEANS A COLLEGE AND CARE ER 2 READINESS SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT HELPS SCHOOL SY STEMS AND SCHOOLS 3 ALIGN STUDENT STRENG THS AND INTERESTS TO POSTSECONDARY GOALS AND 4 CAREERS. 5 (B) A COUNTY BOARD THAT US ES A PLATFORM SHALL : 6 (1) CONSIDER THE PURSUIT OF A VOCATIONAL CERTIFICATE, AN 7 INDUSTRY CERTIFICATI ON, OR AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AS THE EQUIV ALENT 8 OF PURSUING POSTSECO NDARY EDUCATION ; AND 9 (2) PROVIDE IN THE PLATFO RM A METHOD FOR A ST UDENT OR A 10 STUDENT’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO CHOOSE TO AUTHORI ZE THE RELEASE OF TH E 11 STUDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATI ON AND PLATFORM RESU LTS TO: 12 (I) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE 13 DIVISION OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 14 OF THE LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND 15 (II) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND 16 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFO RCE DEVELOPMENT BOAR DS. 17 (C) EACH PUBLIC HIGH SCHO OL SHALL, IN THE SAME MANNER I N WHICH 18 THE SCHOOL INFORMS S TUDENTS OF POSTSECON DARY EDUCATIONAL OPT IONS, 19 INFORM STUDENTS OF E MPLOYMENT AND SKILLS TRAINING OPP ORTUNITIES 20 AVAILABLE THROUGH : 21 (1) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE DIVISION 22 OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 OF THE 23 LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND 24 (2) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT 25 OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFORCE D EVELOPMENT BOARDS . 26 7–203.1. 27 (a) (1) [For fiscal years 2003 and 2004, the Department shall distribute grants 28 to Tier I counties, as defined in § 1–101 of the Economic Development Article, for the 29 administration of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. 30 (2)] For fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year, the Department 31 shall distribute grants to each county for the administration of the Preliminary Scholastic 32 Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. 33 SENATE BILL 121 3 [(b)] (2) Subject to the availability of funding in the State budget, the amount of 1 each county’s grant shall be in an amount sufficient for the administration of the test to all 2 10th grade students in the county. 3 (B) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE TH E 4 MEANINGS INDICATED . 5 (II) “APPRENTICESHIP ENTRAN CE EXAM ” MEANS THE 6 TRADE–SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT USED TO EVALUATE A S TUDENT’S BASIC APTITUDE 7 BEFORE THE STUDENT B EGINS THE PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL TRAINI NG PHASE 8 OF AN APPRENTICESHIP . 9 (III) “INDUSTRIAL CERTIFICAT ION EXAM ” MEANS THE 10 INDUSTRY–RECOGNIZED ASSESSMEN T THAT DOCUMENTS A S TUDENT’S 11 PERFORMANCE AND ACHI EVEMENT OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND RESULT S IN THE 12 RECEIPT OF A CERTIFI CATE, A LICENSE, OR ANY OTHER CREDENT IAL. 13 (2) IF A COUNT Y BOARD PAYS FOR ANY STUDENT TO TAKE AN 14 ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION , A PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE 15 TEST/NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST, OR A SCHOLASTIC 16 APTITUDE TEST, THE COUNTY BOARD SHA LL PAY FOR A STUDENT TO TAKE AN 17 APPRENTICESHIP ENT RANCE EXAM OR INDUST RIAL CERTIFICATION E XAM. 18 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 19 1, 2023. 20