EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0033*
SENATE BILL 33
F5, F1 4lr0631
SB 121/23 – EEE (PRE–FILED) CF 4lr1596
By: Senator Rosapepe
Requested: September 13, 2023
Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
More Opportunities for Career–Focused Students Act of 2024 2
FOR the purpose of requiring certain county boards of education to consider the pursuit of 3
certain certificates, certifications, or apprenticeships as the equivalent of pursuing 4
postsecondary education and provide a method for certain individuals to authorize 5
the release of certain student information to certain apprenticeship sponsors and 6
employers; requiring each public high school to inform students of certain 7
employment and skills training opportunities in a certain manner; requiring a 8
county board to pay for a student to take an apprenticeship entrance exam or 9
industrial certification exam under certain circumstances; and generally relating to 10
career education and apprenticeships. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Education 13
Section 4–142 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Education 18
Section 7–203.1 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23
Article – Education 24
2 SENATE BILL 33
4–142. 1
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PLATFORM” MEANS A COLLEGE AND CAREER 2
READINESS SOFTWARE P ROGRAM THAT HELPS SC HOOL SYSTEMS AND SCH OOLS 3
ALIGN STUDENT STRENG THS AND INTERESTS TO POSTSECONDARY GOALS AND 4
CAREERS. 5
(B) A COUNTY BOARD THAT US ES A PLATFORM SHALL : 6
(1) CONSIDER THE PURSUIT OF A VOCATIONAL CERT IFICATE, AN 7
INDUSTRY CERTIFICATI ON, OR AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AS THE EQUIV ALENT 8
OF PURSUING POSTSECO NDARY EDUCATION ; AND 9
(2) PROVIDE IN THE PLATFO RM A METHOD FOR A ST UDENT OR A 10
STUDENT’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO CHOOSE TO AUTHORIZE THE RELEASE OF THE 11
STUDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATI ON AND PLATFORM RESU LTS TO: 12
(I) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE 13
DIVISION OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 14
OF THE LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND 15
(II) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND 16
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFO RCE DEVELOPMENT BOAR DS. 17
(C) EACH PUBLIC HIGH SCHO OL SHALL, IN THE SAME MANNER I N WHICH 18
THE SCHOOL INFORMS S TUDENTS OF POSTSECON DARY EDUCATIONAL OPT IONS, 19
INFORM STUDENTS OF E MPLOYMENT AND SKILLS TRAINING OPPORTUNITI ES 20
AVAILABLE THROUGH : 21
(1) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE DIVISION 22
OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 OF THE 23
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND 24
(2) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT 25
OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFO RCE DEVELOPMENT BOAR DS. 26
7–203.1. 27
(a) (1) [For fiscal years 2003 and 2004, the Department shall distribute grants 28
to Tier I counties, as defined in § 1–101 of the Economic Development Article, for the 29
administration of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. 30
(2)] For fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year, the Department 31
shall distribute grants to each county for the administration of the Preliminary Scholastic 32
Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. 33 SENATE BILL 33 3
[(b)] (2) Subject to the availability of funding in the State budget, the amount of 1
each county’s grant shall be in an amount sufficient for the administration of the test to all 2
10th grade students in the county. 3
(B) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HA VE THE 4
MEANINGS INDICATED . 5
(II) “APPRENTICESHIP ENTRAN CE EXAM ” MEANS THE 6
TRADE–SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT USED TO EVALUATE A S TUDENT’S BASIC APTITUDE 7
BEFORE THE STUDENT B EGINS THE PRACTICAL AND TECHNI CAL TRAINING PHASE 8
OF AN APPRENTICESHIP . 9
(III) “INDUSTRIAL CERTIFICAT ION EXAM ” MEANS THE 10
INDUSTRY–RECOGNIZED ASSESSMEN T THAT DOCUMENTS A S TUDENT’S 11
PERFORMANCE AND ACHI EVEMENT OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND RESULT S IN THE 12
RECEIPT OF A CER TIFICATE, A LICENSE, OR ANY OTHER CREDENT IAL. 13
(2) IF A COUNTY BOARD PAY S FOR ANY STUDENT TO TAKE AN 14
ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION , A PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE 15
TEST/NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST, OR A SCHOLASTIC 16
APTITUDE TEST, THE COUNTY BOARD SHALL PAY FOR A STUDENT TO TAK E AN 17
APPRENTICESHIP ENTRA NCE EXAM OR INDUSTRI AL CERTIFICATION EXA M. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 19
1, 2024. 20