EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0121*
SENATE BILL 121
F5, F1 3lr0831
SB 318/22 – EHE (PRE–FILED) CF 3lr2965
By: Senator Rosapepe
Requested: November 16, 2022
Introduced and read first time: January 11, 2023
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 7, 2023
CHAPTER ______
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
2 SENATE BILL 121
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF M ARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Education 3
4–142. 4
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PLATFORM” MEANS A COLLEGE AND CAREER 5
READINESS SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT HELPS SCHOOL SY STEMS AND SCHOOLS 6
ALIGN STUDENT STRENG THS AND INTERESTS TO POSTSECONDARY GOALS AND 7
CAREERS. 8
(B) A COUNTY BOARD THAT US ES A PLATFORM SHALL : 9
(1) CONSIDER THE PURSUIT OF A VOCATIONAL CERT IFICATE, AN 10
INDUSTRY CERTIFICATI ON, OR AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AS THE EQUIV ALENT 11
OF PURSUING POSTSECO NDARY EDUCATION ; AND 12
(2) PROVIDE IN THE PLATFO RM A METHOD FOR A ST UDENT OR A 13
STUDENT’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO CHOOSE TO AUTHORI ZE THE RELEASE OF TH E 14
STUDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATI ON AND PLATFORM RESU LTS TO: 15
(I) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE 16
DIVISION OF WORKFORC E DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 17
OF THE LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND 18
(II) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND 19
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFO RCE DEVELOPMENT BOAR DS. 20
(C) EACH PUBLIC HIGH SCHO OL SHALL, IN THE SAME MANNER I N WHICH 21
THE SCHOOL INFORMS S TUDENTS OF POSTSECON DARY EDUCATIONAL OPT IONS, 22
INFORM STUDENTS OF E MPLOYMENT AND SKILLS TRAINING OPPORTUNITI ES 23
AVAILABLE THROUGH : 24
(1) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE DIVISION 25
OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 OF THE 26
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND 27
(2) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT 28
OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFO RCE DEVELOPMENT BOAR DS. 29
7–203.1. 30
SENATE BILL 121 3
(a) (1) [For fiscal years 2003 and 2004, the Department shall distribute grants 1
to Tier I counties, as defined in § 1–101 of the Economic Development Article, for the 2
administration of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. 3
(2)] For fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year, the Department 4
shall distribute grants to each county for the administration of the Preliminary Scholastic 5
Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. 6
[(b)] (2) Subject to the availability of funding in the State budget, the amount of 7
each county’s grant shall be in an amount sufficient for the administration of the test to all 8
10th grade students in the county. 9
(B) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HA VE THE 10
MEANINGS INDICATED . 11
(II) “APPRENTICESHIP ENTRAN CE EXAM ” MEANS THE 12
TRADE–SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT USED TO EVA LUATE A STUDENT ’S BASIC APTITUDE 13
BEFORE THE STUDENT B EGINS THE PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL TRAINI NG PHASE 14
OF AN APPRENTICESHIP . 15
(III) “INDUSTRIAL CERTIFICAT ION EXAM ” MEANS THE 16
INDUSTRY–RECOGNIZED ASSESSMEN T THAT DOCUMENTS A S TUDENT’S 17
PERFORMANCE AND ACHIEV EMENT OF INDUSTRY ST ANDARDS AND RESULTS IN THE 18
RECEIPT OF A CERTIFI CATE, A LICENSE, OR ANY OTHER CREDENT IAL. 19
(2) IF A COUNTY BOARD PAY S FOR ANY STUDENT TO TAKE AN 20
ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION , A PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE 21
TEST/NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST, OR A SCHOLASTIC 22
APTITUDE TEST, THE COUNTY BOARD SHA LL PAY FOR A STUDENT TO TAKE AN 23
APPRENTICESHIP ENTRA NCE EXAM OR INDUSTRI AL CERTIFICATION EXA M. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 25
1, 2023. 26
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.