Maryland 2024 2024 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1162 Enrolled / Bill

Filed 04/08/2024

                     
 
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. 
         Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments. 
          *hb1162*  
  
HOUSE BILL 1162 
E4   	(4lr3265) 
ENROLLED BILL 
— Health and Government Operations/Education, Energy, and the Environment — 
Introduced by Delegate Rogers Delegates Rogers, Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, 
Chisholm, Cullison, Guzzone, Hill, Hutchinson, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kerr, 
Kipke, R. Lewis, Martinez, M. Morgan, Pena–Melnyk, Reilly, Rosenberg, 
Szeliga, Taveras, White Holland, and Woods 
 
Read and Examined by Proofreaders: 
 
_______________________________________________ 
Proofreader. 
_______________________________________________ 
Proofreader. 
 
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this 
  
_______ day of _______________ at _____________ ___________ o’clock, ________M. 
  
______________________________________________ 
Speaker.  
 
CHAPTER ______ 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
9–1–1 Specialist Recruitment and Retention Workgroup 2 
 
FOR the purpose of establishing the 9–1–1 Specialist Recruitment and Retention 3 
Workgroup; and generally relating to the 9–1–1 Specialist Recruitment and 4 
Retention Workgroup.  5 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6 
That: 7 
 
 (a) There is a 9–1–1 Specialist Recruitment and Retention Workgroup. 8 
 
 (b) The Workgroup consists of: 9  2 	HOUSE BILL 1162  
 
 
 
 (1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 1 
the Senate; 2 
 
 (2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 3 
the House; 4 
 
 (3) the Secretary of State Police, or the Secretary’s designee; 5 
 
 (4) the Secretary of Emergency Management, or the Secretary’s designee; 6 
 
 (5) the Executive Director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency 7 
Medical Services Systems, or the Executive Director’s designee; 8 
 
 (6) one representative of an urban county, designated by the Maryland 9 
Association of Counties; 10 
 
 (7) one representative of a rural county, designated by the Maryland 11 
Association of Counties; and 12 
 
 (8) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 13 
 
 (i) two individuals who are employed as 9–1–1 specialists in the 14 
State; 15 
 
 (ii) two individuals who are employed as Public Safety Answering 16 
Point Directors in the State; 17 
 
 (iii) a member of the Maryland chapter of the National Emergency 18 
Number Association; 19 
 
 (iv) an expert on Maryland Next Generation 9–1–1 education and 20 
training; 21 
 
 (v) a member of the Maryland 9–1–1 Board; 22 
 
 (vi) a representative of the Maryland Association of Counties; and 23 
 
 (vii) a representative of the Maryland Municipal League. 24 
 
 (c) The members of the Workgroup shall elect a chair from among the 25 
Workgroup’s members. 26 
 
 (d) The Department of Legislative Services and the Maryland Department of 27 
Emergency Management shall provide staff for the Workgroup. 28 
 
 (e) A member of the Workgroup: 29   	HOUSE BILL 1162 	3 
 
 
 
 (1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 1 
 
 (2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 2 
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 3 
 
 (f) The Workgroup shall: 4 
 
 (1) review the reports submitted by the Commission to Advance Next 5 
Generation 9–1–1 Across Maryland, established by Chapters 301 and 302 of the Acts of the 6 
General Assembly of 2018, as amended by Chapter 506 of the Acts of the General Assembly 7 
of 2020;  8 
 
 (1) (2) identify and examine recruitment and retention challenges that affect 9 
9–1–1 specialists in the State, including: 10 
 
 (i) the number of 9–1–1 specialists who retire annually; 11 
 
 (ii) the number of 9–1–1 specialists who are hired annually; 12 
 
 (iii) current salary ranges for 9–1–1 specialists; 13 
 
 (iv) current offerings of retirement benefits, health benefits, pension 14 
programs, WORKERS’ COMPENSATION , and other benefits available to 9–1–1 specialists; 15 
 
 (v) training hour requirements for 9–1–1 specialists; 16 
 
 (vi) recruitment techniques; 17 
 
 (vii) requirements for promotion and advancement within the 18 
emergency response field; 19 
 
 (viii) the impact of current State and local laws on 9–1–1 specialists; 20 
and 21 
 
 (ix) to the extent that information is available: 22 
 
 1. the migration of 9–1–1 specialists between departments; 23 
 
 2. the attrition rates of newly recruited 9–1–1 specialists; 24 
 
 3. the average length of active service for 9–1–1 specialists; 25 
 
 4. the amount and types of workers’ compensation claims 26 
made by 9–1–1 specialists; and 27 
  4 	HOUSE BILL 1162  
 
 
 5. perceptions of the occupation among potential 9–1–1 1 
specialist recruits; and 2 
 
 (2) (3) make recommendations regarding: 3 
 
 (i) the effectiveness and viability of uniform incentives, offerings, or 4 
practices employed in other states to attract, support, and retain individuals in 9–1–1 5 
specialist roles; 6 
 
 (ii) the feasibility of, and any barriers to, incorporating 9–1–1 7 
specialists into the Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System; and 8 
 
 (iii) any other issues the Workgroup considers relevant to enhancing 9 
and supporting career 9–1–1 specialists in the State. 10 
 
 (g) (1) On or before December 1, 2024, the Workgroup shall submit an interim 11 
report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with §  12 
2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly. 13 
 
 (2) On or before December 1, 2025, the Workgroup shall submit a final 14 
report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with §  15 
2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly. 16 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 17 
1, 2024. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 7 months and, at the end of 18 
December 31, 2025, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall 19 
be abrogated and of no further force and effect.  20 
 
 
 
 
Approved: 
________________________________________________________________________________  
 Governor. 
________________________________________________________________________________  
  Speaker of the House of Delegates. 
________________________________________________________________________________  
         President of the Senate.