EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0597*
HOUSE BILL 597
P1, E4 4lr4593
CF SB 470
By: The Speaker (By Request – Administration) and Delegates Allen, Alston,
Amprey, Anderton, Bagnall, Bartlett, Bhandari, Boafo, Bouchat, Boyce,
Conaway, Crutchfield, Davis, Edelson, Fennell, Foley, Forbes,
Fraser–Hidalgo, Griffith, Grossman, Guyton, Harris, Henson, Hill,
Hornberger, Jackson, A. Johnson, S. Johnson, D. Jones, Kaiser, Kaufman,
Lopez, Love, McCaskill, Miller, Mireku–North, Munoz, Pasteur, Patterson,
Phillips, Pruski, Qi, Roberson, Roberts, Ruff, Ruth, Simmons, Simpson,
Solomon, Spiegel, Taveras, Taylor, Toles, Tomlinson, Turner, Watson,
Williams, Wu, and Young
Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2024
Assigned to: Judiciary
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Growing Apprenticeships and the Public Safety Workforce (GAPS) Act 2
FOR the purpose of altering the Law Enforcement Cadet Apprenticeship Program in the 3
Maryland Department of Labor to be the Public Safety Apprenticeship Program; 4
expanding the purpose and scope of the Program to promote careers with certain 5
public safety agencies; increasing the maximum amount of a grant that may be 6
awarded; requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to 7
develop certain mental health wellness policies to be implemented in certain law 8
enforcement agencies; establishing the Workgroup on Growing Engagement in the 9
Law Enforcement Workforce to study and make recommendations on increasing law 10
enforcement employment in the State; and generally relating to the Public Safety 11
Apprenticeship Program, the duties of the Maryland Police Training and Standards 12
Commission, and the Workgroup on Growing Engagement in the Law Enforcement 13
Workforce. 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Labor and Employment 16
Section 11–603 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 20
Article – Public Safety 21 2 HOUSE BILL 597
Section 3–201(a), (b), and (d) 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 3
BY adding to 4
Article – Public Safety 5
Section 3–207(m) 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 8
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 10
Article – Labor and Employment 11
11–603. 12
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 13
[(2) “Cadet Program” means the Law Enforcement Cadet Apprenticeship 14
Program.] 15
[(3)] (2) “Law enforcement agency” means the police department of a 16
county, municipal corporation, [or] university in the State, OR STATE AGENCY . 17
(3) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE PUBLIC SAFETY APPRENTICESHIP 18
PROGRAM. 19
(4) “PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY ” INCLUDES: 20
(I) A CORRECTIONAL UNIT , AS DEFINED IN § 2–401 OF THE 21
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ARTICLE; 22
(II) A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY; AND 23
(III) A PUBLIC SAFETY AGEN CY, AS DEFINED IN § 1–301 OF THE 24
PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 25
(b) There is a [Law Enforcement Cadet] PUBLIC SAFETY Apprenticeship 26
Program in the Department. 27
(c) The purposes of the [Cadet] Program are to: 28
(1) provide young individuals opportunities to begin a career [in law 29
enforcement] WITH A PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY; 30
HOUSE BILL 597 3
(2) foster positive relationships between the public, particularly young 1
individuals, and [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agencies; 2
(3) develop a cohort of individuals qualified to join a [law enforcement] 3
PUBLIC SAFETY agency; 4
(4) encourage [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agencies to hire 5
apprentices; and 6
(5) help [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agencies offset additional 7
costs, if any, associated with hiring apprentices. 8
(d) (1) The Department shall: 9
(i) administer the [Cadet] Program; and 10
(ii) award grants under the [Cadet] Program on a competitive basis 11
to [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agencies that meet the requirements under 12
paragraph (2) of this subsection. 13
(2) A [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agency is eligible to receive a 14
grant if the [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agency employs at least one apprentice 15
who: 16
(i) has been employed by the agency for at least 7 months; AND 17
(ii) is enrolled in the first year of an apprenticeship program 18
registered with the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council under § 11–405(b) of 19
this title[; and 20
(iii) lives in a zip code in which at least 10% of the population is below 21
the poverty level as established by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the 22
Census, in the most recently released data]. 23
(e) [(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the] THE 24
amount of a grant awarded under the [Cadet] Program: 25
[(i)] (1) shall be based on the number of apprentices who meet the 26
description in subsection [(d)(2)(i) through (iii)] (D)(2) of this section who are employed by 27
the eligible [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agency; and 28
[(ii)] (2) may not exceed [$2,000] $5,000 for each apprentice who 29
meets the description in subsection [(d)(2)(i) through (iii)] (D)(2) of this section who is 30
employed by the eligible law enforcement agency. 31
4 HOUSE BILL 597
[(2) The amount of a grant awarded to an eligible university law 1
enforcement agency may not exceed $1,000 for each apprentice who meets the description 2
in subsection (d)(2)(i) through (iii) of this section who is employed by the eligible university 3
law enforcement agency.] 4
(f) For fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor shall include 5
in the State budget an appropriation of at least $750,000 for the [Cadet] Program to: 6
(1) provide grants to eligible [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agencies; 7
and 8
(2) cover the administrative costs of operating the [Cadet] Program. 9
(g) The Department shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out this section, 10
including regulations to: 11
(1) develop requirements for grant applications; 12
(2) develop a process for reviewing grant applications and awarding grants 13
to eligible [law enforcement] PUBLIC SAFETY agencies; and 14
(3) determine the maximum amount that an eligible [law enforcement] 15
PUBLIC SAFETY agency may be awarded under the [Cadet] Program each fiscal year. 16
Article – Public Safety 17
3–201. 18
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 19
(b) “Commission” means the Maryland Police Training and Standards 20
Commission. 21
(d) (1) “Law enforcement agency” means a governmental police force, sheriff’s 22
office, or security force or law enforcement organization of the State, a county, or a 23
municipal corporation that by statute, ordinance, or common law is authorized to enforce 24
the general criminal laws of the State. 25
(2) “Law enforcement agency” does not include members of the Maryland 26
National Guard who: 27
(i) are under the control and jurisdiction of the Military 28
Department; 29
(ii) are assigned to the military property designated as the Martin 30
State Airport; and 31 HOUSE BILL 597 5
(iii) are charged with exercising police powers in and for the Martin 1
State Airport. 2
3–207. 3
(M) (1) THE COMMISSION SHALL DEVE LOP MENTAL HEALTH WE LLNESS 4
POLICIES TO BE IMPLE MENTED IN LAW ENFORC EMENT AGENCIES IN TH E STATE BY: 5
(I) DETERMINING WAYS T O PROMOTE SAFETY AND WELLNESS 6
AT EVERY LEVEL OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY; 7
(II) INCORPORATING INTO T RAININGS STRESS MANA GEMENT 8
TECHNIQUES DESIGNED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT O FFICERS; 9
(III) ESTABLISHING PEER SU PPORT PROGRAMS ; 10
(IV) OFFERING PSYCHOLOGIC AL PROGRAMMING TO HELP 11
OFFICERS MANAGE STRE SS; AND 12
(V) UTILIZING MEASURING TOOLS TO TRACK EFFEC TIVENESS. 13
(2) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2025, AND EACH JANUARY 1 14
THEREAFTER , THE COMMISSION SHALL REPO RT TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN 15
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL 16
ASSEMBLY ON THE STATU S OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION O F THE 17
POLICIES DESCRIBED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION A ND THE 18
EFFECTS OF THE POLIC IES. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 20
(a) There is a Workgroup on Growing Engagement in the Law Enforcement 21
Workforce. 22
(b) The Workgroup consists of the following members: 23
(1) the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, or the 24
Secretary’s designee; 25
(2) the Secretary of Higher Education, or the Secretary’s designee; 26
(3) the Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Counties, or the 27
Executive Director’s designee; 28
(4) the Chief Executive Officer of the Maryland Municipal League, or the 29 6 HOUSE BILL 597
Chief Executive Officer’s designee; 1
(5) the Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Community 2
Colleges, or the Executive Director’s designee; 3
(6) the State Superintendent of Schools, or the Superintendent’s designee; 4
(7) the Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee; 5
(8) the Secretary of State Police, or the Secretary’s designee; 6
(9) the President of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, or the 7
President’s designee; 8
(10) the President of the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association, or the President’s 9
designee; and 10
(11) the President of the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police, or the 11
President’s designee. 12
(c) The Governor shall designate the Chair of the Workgroup. 13
(d) The Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission shall staff the 14
Workgroup. 15
(e) A member of the Workgroup or any subgroup established under subsection (g) 16
of this section: 17
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup or 18
subgroup; but 19
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 20
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 21
(f) The Workgroup shall: 22
(1) identify and study the shortage of employees in the law enforcement 23
fields; 24
(2) determine ways to advertise and promote law enforcement employment 25
opportunities across the State; and 26
(3) make recommendations on incentives or other methods to increase the 27
number of employees in the law enforcement workforce. 28
(g) (1) The Workgroup may establish a subgroup within the Workgroup to 29
assist the Workgroup in carrying out its duties, including by conducting research and 30 HOUSE BILL 597 7
producing reports. 1
(2) A subgroup established under paragraph (1) of this subsection may 2
include an individual who is not a member of the Workgroup. 3
(h) On or before January 1, 2025, the Workgroup shall report its findings and 4
recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 5
Government Article, the General Assembly. 6
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 7
1, 2024. Section 2 of this Act shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 1 month and, 8
at the end of June 30, 2025, Section 2 of this Act, with no further action required by the 9
General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 10