EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0642*
HOUSE BILL 642
C3, C2, J2 EMERGENCY BILL 4lr3280
CF 4lr0691
By: Delegate Harrison
Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2024
Assigned to: Economic Matters
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Apprenticeships in Licensed Occupations Act of 2024 2
FOR the purpose of requiring professional and occupational regulatory boards to issue 3
licenses, certifications, and registrations to individuals who complete an 4
apprenticeship program that is established under certain provisions of this Act, pass 5
a certain examination, and pay a certain fee; authorizing the Maryland Department 6
of Labor to develop a standard apprenticeship program for a licensed occupation or 7
profession; requiring the Department to establish a workgroup to establish 8
group–sponsored apprenticeships in each occupation or profession for which a 9
standard apprenticeship program is established; and generally relating to 10
occupational and professional apprenticeships. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Agriculture 13
Section 1–202 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 18
Section 1–209 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 21
BY adding to 22
Article – Business Regulation 23
Section 1–211 24
Annotated Code of Maryland 25
(2015 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 26
BY adding to 27 2 HOUSE BILL 642
Article – Environment 1
Section 1–206 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2013 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 4
BY adding to 5
Article – Health Occupations 6
Section 1–229 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Labor and Employment 11
Section 11–1601 through 11–1605 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 16. 12
Maryland Apprenticeships in Licensed Occupations Act” 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Agriculture 18
1–202. 19
NOTWITHSTANDING THE Q UALIFICATIONS REQUIR ED FOR OCCUPATIONAL OR 20
PROFESSIONAL LICENSU RE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDE R THIS 21
ARTICLE, THE ISSUING AUTHORIT Y SHALL ISSUE A LICE NSE, CERTIFICATION, OR 22
REGISTRATION TO AN I NDIVIDUAL WHO : 23
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENTI CESHIP PROGRAM THAT IS 24
ESTABLISHED UNDER TH E MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 25
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABL E OCCUPATION OR PROF ESSION; 26
(2) PASSES AN EXAMINATION REQUIRED BY THE ISSUING 27
AUTHORITY; AND 28
(3) PAYS THE APPLICABLE L ICENSING, CERTIFICATION , OR 29
REGISTRATION FEE . 30
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 31
1–209. 32
NOTWITHSTANDING THE Q UALIFICATIONS REQUIR ED FOR OCCUPATIONAL OR 33 HOUSE BILL 642 3
PROFESSIONAL LICENSU RE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDE R THIS 1
ARTICLE, THE ISSUING AUTHORIT Y SHALL ISSUE A LICE NSE, CERTIFICATION , OR 2
REGISTRATION TO AN I NDIVIDUAL WHO : 3
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENT ICESHIP PROGRAM THAT IS 4
ESTABLISHED UNDER TH E MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 5
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABL E OCCUPATION OR PROF ESSION; 6
(2) PASSES AN EXAMINATIO N REQUIRED BY THE IS SUING AUTHORITY ; 7
AND 8
(3) PAYS THE APPLICABLE LICENSING, CERTIFICATION , OR 9
REGISTRATION FEE . 10
Article – Business Regulation 11
1–211. 12
NOTWITHSTANDING THE QUALIFICA TIONS REQUIRED FOR O CCUPATIONAL OR 13
PROFESSIONAL LICENSU RE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDE R THIS 14
ARTICLE, THE ISSUING AUTHORIT Y SHALL ISSUE A LICE NSE, CERTIFICATION , OR 15
REGISTRATION TO AN I NDIVIDUAL WHO : 16
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENT ICESHIP PROGRAM THAT IS 17
ESTABLISHED UNDER TH E MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 18
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABL E OCCUPATION OR PROF ESSION; 19
(2) PASSES AN EXAMINATIO N REQUIRED BY THE IS SUING AUTHORITY ; 20
AND 21
(3) PAYS THE APPLICABLE LICENSING, CERTIFICATION, OR 22
REGISTRATION FEE . 23
Article – Environment 24
1–206. 25
NOTWITHSTANDING THE Q UALIFICATIONS REQUIR ED FOR OCCUPATIONAL OR 26
PROFESSIONAL LICENSU RE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDE R THIS 27
ARTICLE, THE ISSUING AUTHORIT Y SHALL ISSUE A LICE NSE, CERTIFICATION , OR 28
REGISTRATION TO AN I NDIVIDUAL WHO : 29
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENTI CESHIP PROGRAM THAT IS 30
ESTABLISHED UNDER TH E MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 31 4 HOUSE BILL 642
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABL E OCCUPATION OR PROF ESSION; 1
(2) PASSES AN EXAMINATION REQUIRED BY THE ISSUING 2
AUTHORITY; AND 3
(3) PAYS THE APPLICABLE L ICENSING, CERTIFICATION , OR 4
REGISTRATION FEE . 5
Article – Health Occupations 6
1–229. 7
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “HEALTH OCCUPATIONS B OARD” MEANS A BOARD 8
AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE A LICENSE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDE R THIS 9
ARTICLE. 10
(B) NOTWITHSTANDING THE Q UALIFICATIONS REQUIR ED FOR LICENSURE , 11
CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDE R THIS ARTICLE, A HEALTH OCCUPATIONS 12
BOARD SHALL ISSUE A LICENSE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION TO A N 13
INDIVIDUAL WHO : 14
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENTI CESHIP PROGRAM THAT IS 15
ESTABLISHED UNDER TH E MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 16
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABL E HEALTH OCCUPATION ; 17
(2) PASSES AN EXAMINATION REQUIRED BY THE HEAL TH 18
OCCUPATIONS BOARD ; AND 19
(3) PAYS THE APPLICABLE LICENSING , CERTIFICATION , OR 20
REGISTRATION FEE . 21
Article – Labor and Employment 22
SUBTITLE 16. MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED OCCUPATIONS ACT. 23
11–1601. 24
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 25
INDICATED. 26
(B) “APPRENTICESHIP ” MEANS AN APPRENTICES HIP PROGRAM THAT 27
MEETS THE FEDERAL GU IDELINES AS SET FORT H IN 29 C.F.R. PART 29. 28
(C) “BOARD” MEANS A BOARD OR COM MISSION IN THE DEPARTMENT , THE 29 HOUSE BILL 642 5
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT , 1
OR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE THAT REGU LATES AN OCCUPATION OR 2
PROFESSION AND THAT ISSUES OCCUPATIONAL OR PROFESSIONAL LICE NSES, 3
CERTIFICATIONS , OR REGISTRATIONS TO INDIVIDUALS. 4
(D) “LICENSE” MEANS A LICENSE , CERTIFICATE, OR REGISTRATION THAT 5
AN INDIVIDUAL IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN U NDER THIS ARTICLE , THE AGRICULTURE 6
ARTICLE, THE BUSINESS OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS ARTICLE, THE 7
BUSINESS REGULATION ARTICLE, THE ENVIRONMENT ARTICLE, OR THE HEALTH 8
OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE BEFORE ENGAGI NG IN AN OCCUPATION OR A PROFESSION . 9
11–1602. 10
(A) (1) THE DEPARTMENT MAY ESTABL ISH A STANDARD 11
APPRENTICESHIP PROGR AM FOR A LICENSED OC CUPATION OR PROFESSI ON THAT 12
INCLUDES: 13
(I) THE MINIMUM AMOUNT O F TIME THAT AN APPRE NTICE 14
MUST SPEND PRACTICIN G UNDER A LICENSED P ROFESSIONAL BEFORE T AKING AN 15
EXAMINATION FOR LICE NSURE; 16
(II) A MINIMUM DEMONSTRAT ED KNOWLEDGE OF THE 17
PROCEDURES , ACTIONS, PROCESSES, AND WORK THAT AN IND IVIDUAL MAY 18
PERFORM UNDER AN OCC UPATIONAL OR PROFESS IONAL LICENSE IN THE STATE 19
FOR THE OCCUPATION O R PROFESSION FOR WHI CH AN APPLICANT IS SEEK ING 20
LICENSURE; AND 21
(III) THE MINIMUM AMOUNT T HAT A LICENSED PROFE SSIONAL 22
MAY PAY AN APPRENTIC E DURING THE COURSE OF THE APPRENTICESHI P. 23
(2) THE DEPARTMENT MAY CONSID ER INPUT FROM THE AP PLICABLE 24
BOARD IN ESTABLISHIN G A STANDARD AP PRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FOR AN 25
OCCUPATION OR A PROF ESSION. 26
(3) A STANDARD APPRENTICES HIP PROGRAM ESTABLIS HED UNDER 27
THIS SECTION MAY NOT REQUIRE A MINIMUM AG E FOR PARTICIPATION THAT IS 28
GREATER THAN THE LEG AL MINIMUM AGE TO WO RK IN THE STATE. 29
(B) (1) A BOARD MAY REQUIRE AN EXAMINATION FOR AN A PPRENTICE TO 30
OBTAIN LICENSURE ONL Y IF THE BOARD REQUI RES ALL APPLICANTS F OR 31
LICENSURE TO PASS AN EXAMINATION . 32
(2) A BOARD MAY NOT REQUIR E AN APPRENTICE TO A CHIEVE A 33 6 HOUSE BILL 642
HIGHER SCORE ON A LI CENSURE EXAMINATION THAN IT REQUIRES FOR ALL OTH ER 1
APPLICANTS. 2
(3) (I) SUBJECT TO SUBPARAGRA PH (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , A 3
BOARD MAY REQUIRE A FEE FOR AN APPRENTIC E TO OBTAIN A LICENS E ONLY IF THE 4
BOARD REQUIRES ALL A PPLICANTS FOR LICENS URE TO PAY A FEE. 5
(II) THE FEE REQUIRED U NDER THIS PARAGRAPH MAY NOT 6
EXCEED THE FEE THE B OARD REQUIRES ALL AP PLICANTS FOR THE LIC ENSE TO PAY. 7
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS NECESS ARY TO CARRY 8
OUT THIS SUBTITLE . 9
11–1603. 10
A STANDARD APPRENTICES HIP PROGRAM ESTABLIS HED UNDER THIS 11
SUBTITLE SHALL BE DESIG NED TO ISSUE A TARGE TED NUMBER OF OCCUPA TIONAL 12
OR PROFESSIONAL LICE NSES AS DETERMINED B Y THE DEPARTMENT . 13
11–1604. 14
ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2024, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH A 15
WORKGROUP , IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMEN T OF HEALTH, 16
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT , AND THE DEPARTMENT OF 17
AGRICULTURE , TO ESTABLISH GROUP –SPONSORED APPRENTICE SHIPS IN EACH 18
OCCUPATION OR PROFES SION FOR WHICH A STA NDARD APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM 19
IS ESTABLISHED UNDER § 11–1602(A) OF THIS SUBTITLE. 20
11–1605. 21
THIS SUBTITLE MAY BE CITED AS THE MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN 22
LICENSED OCCUPATIONS ACT. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 24
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 25
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 26
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 27
enacted. 28