WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 281
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Chapter 281
(Senate Bill 33)
AN ACT concerning
More Opportunities for Career–Focused Students Act of 2024
FOR the purpose of requiring certain county boards of education to consider the pursuit of
certain certificates, certifications, or apprenticeships as the equivalent of pursuing
postsecondary education and provide a method for certain individuals to authorize
the release of certain student information to certain apprenticeship sponsors and
employers; requiring each public high school to inform students of certain
employment and skills training opportunities in a certain manner; requiring a
county board to pay for a student to take an apprenticeship entrance exam or
industrial certification exam under certain circumstances assist public high schools
in a certain task; and generally relating to career education and apprenticeships
opportunities.
BY adding to
Article – Education
Section 4–142
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Education
Section 7–203.1
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – Education
4–142.
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PLATFORM” MEANS A COLLEGE AND CAREER
READINESS SOFTWARE P ROGRAM THAT HELPS SC HOOL SYSTEMS AND SCH OOLS
ALIGN STUDENT STRENG THS AND INTERESTS TO POSTSECONDARY GOALS AND
CAREERS.
(B) A COUNTY BOARD THAT US ES A PLATFORM SHALL :
Ch. 281 2024 LAWS OF MARYLAND
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(1) CONSIDER THE PURSUIT OF A VOCATIONAL CERT IFICATE, AN
INDUSTRY CERTIFICATI ON, OR AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AS THE EQUIV ALENT
OF PURSUING POSTSECO NDARY EDUCATION ; AND
(2) PROVIDE IN THE PLATFO RM A METHOD FOR A ST UDENT OR A
STUDENT’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO CHOOSE TO AUTHORI ZE THE RELEASE OF TH E
STUDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATI ON AND PLATFORM RESU LTS TO:
(I) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE
DIVISION OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405
OF THE LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND
(II) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFO RCE DEVELOPMENT BOAR DS.
(C) EACH PUBLIC HIGH SCHO OL SHALL, IN THE SAME MAN NER IN WHICH
THE SCHOOL INFORMS S TUDENTS OF POSTSECON DARY EDUCATIONAL OPT IONS,
INFORM STUDENTS OF E MPLOYMENT AND SKILLS TRAINING OPPORTUNITI ES
AVAILABLE THROUGH :
(1) APPRENTICESHIP SPONSO RS REGISTERED WITH T HE DIVISION
OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING UNDER § 11–405 OF THE
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE; AND
(2) EMPLOYERS REGISTERED WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR OR LOCAL WORKFO RCE DEVELOPMENT BOAR DS; AND
(3) SCHOOLS LICENSED BY T HE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION
COMMISSION THAT PROVI DE TRAINING, RETRAINING, OR ENHANCEMENT IN
EMPLOYMENT SKILLS .
(B) WHEN INFORMING STUDEN TS ABOUT OPPORTUNITI ES UNDER THIS
SECTION, EACH PUBLIC HIGH SCH OOL SHALL HIGHLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES IN
HIGH–SKILLED CAREERS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE COMPL ETION OF A COLLEGE
DEGREE AND ARE IN HIGH D EMAND IN THE STATE.
(C) EACH COUNTY BOARD SHA LL ASSIST PUBLIC HIG H SCHOOLS IN
COMPLETING THE REQUI REMENTS OF THIS SECT ION.
7–203.1.
(a) (1) [For fiscal years 2003 and 2004, the Department shall distribute grants
to Tier I counties, as defined in § 1–101 of the Economic Development Article, for the
administration of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test to 10th grade students. WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 281
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(2)] For fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year, the Department
shall distribute grants to each county for the administration of the Preliminary Scholastic
Aptitude Test to 10th grade students.
[(b)] (2) Subject to the availability of funding in the State budget, the amount of
each county’s grant shall be in an amount sufficient for the administration of the test to all
10th grade students in the county.
(B) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HA VE THE
MEANINGS INDICATED .
(II) “APPRENTICESHIP ENTRAN CE EXAM ” MEANS THE
TRADE–SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT USED TO EVALUATE A STUDENT’S BASIC APTITUDE
BEFORE THE STUDENT B EGINS THE PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL TRAINI NG PHASE
OF AN APPRENTICESHIP .
(III) “INDUSTRIAL CERTIFICAT ION EXAM ” MEANS THE
INDUSTRY–RECOGNIZED ASSESSMEN T THAT DOCUMENTS A S TUDENT’S
PERFORMANCE AND ACHI EVEMENT OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS A ND RESULTS IN THE
RECEIPT OF A CERTIFI CATE, A LICENSE, OR ANY OTHER CREDENT IAL.
(2) IF A COUNTY BOARD PAY S FOR ANY STUDENT TO TAKE AN
ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION , A PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE
TEST/NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST, OR A SCHOLASTIC
APTITUDE TEST, THE COUNTY BOARD SHA LL PAY FOR A STUDENT TO TAKE AN
APPRENTICESHIP ENTRA NCE EXAM OR INDUSTRI AL CERTIFICATION EXA M.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2024.
Approved by the Governor, April 25, 2024.