Maryland 2023 2023 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB735 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 03/20/2023

                     
 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. 
        [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. 
          *sb0735*  
  
SENATE BILL 735 
F1   	3lr1650 
SB 831/22 – B&T & EHE   	CF HB 1234 
By: Senators Zucker, Feldman, Guzzone, and King King, Benson, Elfreth, Hester, 
Hettleman, Jackson, and McCray 
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2023 
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation and Education, Energy, and the Environment 
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments 
Senate action: Adopted 
Read second time: March 11, 2023 
 
CHAPTER ______ 
 
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  2 	SENATE BILL 735  
 
 
 
 (3) one member of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, 1 
appointed by the Executive Director of the Association; 2 
 
 (4) the President of the Maryland State Education Association, or the 3 
President’s designee; 4 
 
 (5) the President of the Service Employees International Union Local 500, 5 
or the President’s designee; 6 
 
 (6) the President of the American Federation of State, County and 7 
Municipal Employees Local 2250, or the President’s designee; 8 
 
 (7) the President of the American Federation of Teachers–Maryland, or the 9 
President’s designee; and  10 
 
 (8) the Executive Director of the American Federation of State, County and 11 
Municipal Employees Council 67, or the Executive Director’s designee. 12 
 
 (d) The Workgroup shall elect the chair of the Workgroup by a majority vote at 13 
the first meeting.  14 
 
 (e) The Maryland State Department of Education shall provide staff for the 15 
Workgroup.  16 
 
 (f) A member of the Workgroup: 17 
 
 (1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but  18 
 
 (2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 19 
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 20 
 
 (g) In determining what percentage of education support professionals earn a 21 
living wage in the State and to study increasing the wages of education support 22 
professionals to attract and retain skilled workers, the Workgroup shall consider: 23 
 
 (1) the role of local education systems and the State in hiring education 24 
support professionals; 25 
 
 (2) the number of education support professionals employed by the State 26 
or a local school system, or as a contractor; 27 
 
 (3) any cost–sharing between the State and the local school systems with 28 
regard to the wages and salaries of education support professionals; 29 
 
 (4) the total number of part–time and full–time education support 30 
professionals in the State; 31   	SENATE BILL 735 	3 
 
 
 
 (5) the number of hours required to work, according to the policies of each 1 
jurisdiction, to be considered a full–time employee; 2 
 
 (6) a complete list of education support professional classifications by 3 
jurisdiction; 4 
 
 (7) the average hourly wage of education support professionals in the State 5 
and by jurisdiction; 6 
 
 (8) an analysis of the wage scale for education support professionals; 7 
 
 (9) information on increased wages or bonuses by jurisdiction within the 8 
last 5 years; 9 
 
 (10) the amount of vacancies in the State and by jurisdiction for education 10 
support professional jobs; and 11 
 
 (11) information on the future of education support professional jobs in the 12 
State. 13 
 
 (h) (1) On or before November 30, 2023, the Workgroup shall submit an 14 
interim report of its findings and recommendations, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 15 
State Government Article, to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate 16 
Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, the House Appropriations 17 
Committee, and the House Ways and Means Committee. 18 
 
 (2) On or before August 31, 2024, the Workgroup shall submit a final report 19 
of its findings and recommendations, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government 20 
Article, to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate Education, Energy, and 21 
the Environment Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Ways 22 
and Means Committee. 23 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24 
1, 2023. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 4 months and, at the end of 25 
October 31, 2024, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall 26 
be abrogated and of no further force and effect.  27