Maryland 2023 2023 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB735 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/09/2023

                     
 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
          *sb0735*  
  
SENATE BILL 735 
F1   	3lr1650 
SB 831/22 – B&T & EHE   	CF 3lr3074 
By: Senators Zucker, Feldman, Guzzone, and King 
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2023 
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation and Education, Energy, and the Environment 
 
A BILL ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Workgroup to Study the Wages of Education Support Professionals 2 
 
FOR the purpose of establishing the Workgroup to Study the Wages of Education Support 3 
Professionals to determine what percentage of education support professionals in the 4 
State earn a living wage and to study increasing the wages of education support 5 
professionals to attract and retain skilled workers; and generally relating to the 6 
Workgroup to Study the Wages of 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 
  2 	SENATE BILL 735  
 
 
 (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 735 	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, 2023, the Workgroup shall submit an 10 
interim report of its findings and recommendations, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 11 
State Government Article, to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate 12 
Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, the House Appropriations 13 
Committee, and the House Ways and Means Committee. 14 
 
 (2) On or before August 31, 2024, 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, Energy, and 17 
the Environment Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Ways 18 
and Means Committee. 19 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 20 
1, 2023. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 4 months and, at the end of 21 
October 31, 2024, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall 22 
be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 23