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.
*sb0033*
SENATE BILL 33
F5, F1 4lr0631
SB 121/23 – EEE (PRE–FILED) CF HB 837
By: Senator Rosapepe Senators Rosapepe, Augustine, Hester, Kagan, and
Lewis Young
Requested: September 13, 2023
Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 8, 2024
CHAPTER ______
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 2 SENATE BILL 33
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Education 3
4–142. 4
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PLATFORM” MEANS A COLLEGE AND CAREER 5
READINESS SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT HELPS S CHOOL SYSTEMS AND SC HOOLS 6
ALIGN STUDENT STRENG THS AND INTERESTS TO POSTSECONDARY GOALS AND 7
CAREERS. 8
(B) A COUNTY BOARD THAT US ES A PLATFORM SHALL : 9
(1) CONSIDER THE PURSUIT OF A VOCATIONAL CERT IFICATE, AN 10
INDUSTRY CERTIFICATI ON, OR AN APPRENTICESHIP PR OGRAM AS THE EQUIVAL ENT 11
OF PURSUING POSTSECO NDARY EDUCATION ; AND 12
(2) PROVIDE IN THE PLATFO RM A METHOD FOR A ST UDENT OR A 13
STUDENT’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO CHOOSE TO AUTHORI ZE THE RELEASE OF TH E 14
STUDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATI ON AND PLATFO RM RESULTS TO : 15
(I) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE 16
DIVISION OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 17
OF THE LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND 18
(II) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND 19
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMEN T BOARDS. 20
(C) EACH PUBLIC HIGH SCHO OL SHALL, IN THE SAME MANNER I N WHICH 21
THE SCHOOL INFORMS S TUDENTS OF POSTSECON DARY EDUCATIONAL OPT IONS, 22
INFORM STUDENTS OF E MPLOYMENT AND SKILLS TRAINING OPPORTUNITI ES 23
AVAILABLE THROUGH : 24
(1) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSORS R EGISTERED WITH THE DIVISION 25
OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 OF THE 26
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND 27
(2) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT 28
OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFO RCE DEVELOPMENT BOAR DS. 29
7–203.1. 30
SENATE BILL 33 3
(a) (1) [For fiscal years 2003 and 2004, the Department shall distribute grants 1
to Tier I counties, as defined in § 1–101 of the Economic Development Article, for the 2
administration of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. 3
(2)] For fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year, the Department 4
shall distribute grants to each county for the administration of the Preliminary Scholastic 5
Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. 6
[(b)] (2) Subject to the availability of funding in the State budget, the amount of 7
each county’s grant shall be in an amount sufficient for the administration of the test to all 8
10th grade students in the county. 9
(B) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HA VE THE 10
MEANINGS INDICATED . 11
(II) “APPRENTICESHIP ENTRAN CE EXAM ” MEANS THE 12
TRADE–SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT USED TO EVALUATE A S TUDENT’S BASIC APTITUDE 13
BEFORE THE STUDENT B EGINS THE PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL TRAINI NG PHASE 14
OF AN APPRENTICESHIP . 15
(III) “INDUSTRIAL CERTIFICAT ION EXAM ” MEANS THE 16
INDUSTRY–RECOGNIZED ASSESSMEN T THAT DOCUMENTS A S TUDENT’S 17
PERFORMANCE AND ACHI EVEMENT OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND RESULT S IN THE 18
RECEIPT OF A CERTIFI CATE, A LICENSE, OR ANY OTHER CREDENT IAL. 19
(2) IF A COUNTY BOARD PAY S FOR ANY STUDENT TO TAKE AN 20
ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION , A PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE 21
TEST/NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST, OR A SCHOLASTIC 22
APTITUDE TEST, THE COUNTY BOARD SHA LL PAY FOR A STUDENT TO TAKE AN 23
APPRENTICESHIP ENTRA NCE EXAM OR INDUSTRI AL CERTIFICATION E XAM. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 25
1, 2024. 26
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.