EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb1185*
SENATE BILL 1185
C3, C2, J2 EMERGENCY BILL 4lr0691
CF HB 642
By: Senator Rosapepe
Introduced and read first time: February 21, 2024
Assigned to: Rules
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 SENATE BILL 1185
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 LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDER THIS 21
ARTICLE, THE ISSUING AUTHORIT Y SHALL ISSUE A LICENS E, CERTIFICATION , OR 22
REGISTRATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO : 23
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENTI CESHIP PROGRAM THAT IS 24
ESTABLISHED UNDER THE MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 25
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABLE O CCUPATION OR PROFESS ION; 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 SENATE BILL 1185 3
PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDER THIS 1
ARTICLE, THE ISSUING AUTHORIT Y SHALL ISSUE A LICENS E, CERTIFICATION , OR 2
REGISTRATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO : 3
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENT ICESHIP PROGRAM THAT IS 4
ESTABLISHED UNDER THE MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 5
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABLE O CCUPATION OR PROFESS ION; 6
(2) PASSES AN EXAMINATIO N REQUIRED BY THE ISSUING AUTHORITY ; 7
AND 8
(3) PAYS THE APPLICABLE LICENSING, CERTIFICATION , OR 9
REGISTRATION FEE. 10
Article – Business Regulation 11
1–211. 12
NOTWITHSTANDING THE Q UALIFICATIONS REQUIR ED FOR OCCUPATIONAL OR 13
PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDER THIS 14
ARTICLE, THE ISSUING AUTHORIT Y SHALL ISSUE A LICENS E, CERTIFICATION , OR 15
REGISTRATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO : 16
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENT ICESHIP PROGRAM THAT IS 17
ESTABLISHED UNDER THE MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 18
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABLE O CCUPATION OR PROFESS ION; 19
(2) PASSES AN EXAMINATIO N REQUIRED BY THE ISSUING 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 LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDER THIS 27
ARTICLE, THE ISSUING AUTHORITY SHALL ISSUE A LICENS E, CERTIFICATION , OR 28
REGISTRATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO : 29
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENTICESHIP PR OGRAM THAT IS 30
ESTABLISHED UNDER THE MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 31 4 SENATE BILL 1185
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABLE O CCUPATION OR PROFESSION; 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 UNDER THIS 9
ARTICLE. 10
(B) NOTWITHSTANDING THE Q UALIFICATIONS REQUIR ED FOR LICENSURE , 11
CERTIFICATION , OR REGISTRATION UNDER THIS ARTICLE , A HEALTH OCCUPATIONS 12
BOARD SHALL ISSUE A LICENSE, CERTIFICATION, OR REGISTRATION TO AN 13
INDIVIDUAL WHO : 14
(1) COMPLETES AN APPRENTICESHIP PR OGRAM THAT IS 15
ESTABLISHED UNDER THE MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIPS IN LICENSED 16
OCCUPATIONS ACT FOR THE APPLICABLE H EALTH OCCUPATION ; 17
(2) PASSES AN EXAMINATION REQUI RED BY THE HEALTH 18
OCCUPATIONS BOARD; AND 19
(3) PAYS THE APPLICABLE LICEN SING, 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 MEANI NGS 25
INDICATED. 26
(B) “APPRENTICESHIP ” MEANS AN APPRENTICESHIP PR OGRAM 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 SENATE BILL 1185 5
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT , 1
OR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE THAT REGULATES AN OCCUPAT ION 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 REQ UIRED TO OBTAIN UNDE R 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 ENGAGING IN A N OCCUPATION OR A PROFESSION . 9
11–1602. 10
(A) (1) THE DEPARTMENT MAY ESTABLISH A STAN DARD 11
APPRENTICESHIP PROGR AM FOR A LICENSED OCCUPATION OR PROFESSION THAT 12
INCLUDES: 13
(I) THE MINIMUM AMOUNT O F TIME THAT AN APPRE NTICE 14
MUST SPEND PRA CTICING UNDER A LICE NSED PROFESSIONAL BE FORE TAKING 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 A N OCCUPATIONAL OR PROFESSIONAL LICENSE IN THE STATE 19
FOR THE OCCUPATION OR PROFESSION FOR WHICH AN APPLICA NT IS SEEKING 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 T HE APPLICABLE 24
BOARD IN ESTABLISHIN G A STANDARD APPRENT ICESHIP PROGRAM FOR AN 25
OCCUPATION OR A PROFESSION. 26
(3) A STANDARD APPRENTICESH IP PROGRAM ESTABLISH ED UNDER 27
THIS SECTION MAY NOT REQUIRE A MINIMUM AG E FOR PARTICIPATION THAT IS 28
GREATER THAN THE LEG AL MINIMUM AGE TO WORK 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 APPLICANT S FOR 31
LICENSURE TO PASS AN EXAMINATION . 32
(2) A BOARD MAY NOT REQUIR E AN APPRENTICE TO A CHIEVE A 33 6 SENATE BILL 1185
HIGHER SCORE ON A LI CENSURE EXAMINATION THAN IT REQUIRES FOR ALL OTHER 1
APPLICANTS. 2
(3) (I) SUBJECT TO SUBPARAGRA PH (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , A 3
BOARD MAY REQUIRE A F EE FOR AN APPRENTICE TO OBTAIN A LICENSE ONLY IF THE 4
BOARD REQUIRES ALL APPLICANT S FOR LICENSURE TO PAY A FEE. 5
(II) THE FEE REQUIRED UNDE R THIS PARAGRAPH MAY NOT 6
EXCEED THE FEE THE BOARD REQUIRES ALL APPLICANTS FOR THE LICENSE TO PAY. 7
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT REGULATI ONS NECESSARY TO CARRY 8
OUT THIS SUBTITLE . 9
11–1603. 10
A STANDARD APPRENTICES HIP PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER TH IS 11
SUBTITLE SHALL BE DE SIGNED TO ISSUE A TA RGETED NUMBER OF OCCUPATION AL 12
OR PROFESSIONAL LICENSES AS DETERMIN ED BY 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 DEPARTMENT 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 PROFESSION FOR WHICH A STANDARD APPRENTICESHIP PROGR AM 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