Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB325 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3		EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4		[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5		Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
6	6		Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
7	7		amendment.
8		-	Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
9	8		hb0325
10	9
11	10		HOUSE BILL 325
12		-	F1 (5lr1908)
13		-	ENROLLED BILL
14		-	— Ways and Means/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
15		-	Introduced by Delegates Wims, Lehman, Palakovich Carr, Pena–Melnyk, Simmons,
16		-	Vogel, and Wilkins Wilkins, Atterbeary, Boyce, Ebersole, Fair, Feldmark,
	11	+	F1 5lr1908
	12	+	CF SB 451
	13	+	By: Delegates Wims, Lehman, Palakovich Carr, Pena–Melnyk, Simmons, Vogel,
	14	+	and Wilkins Wilkins, Atterbeary, Boyce, Ebersole, Fair, Feldmark,
17	15		Mireku–North, Patterson, Roberts, Roberson, Wells, Wu, and Young
18		-
19		-	Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
20		-
21		-	_______________________________________________
22		-	Proofreader.
23		-	_______________________________________________
24		-	Proofreader.
25		-
26		-	Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
27		-
28		-	_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
29		-
30		-	______________________________________________
31		-	Speaker.
	16	+	Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2025
	17	+	Assigned to: Ways and Means
	18	+	Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
	19	+	House action: Adopted
	20	+	Read second time: February 23, 2025
32	21
33	22		CHAPTER ______
34	23
35	24		AN ACT concerning 1
36	25
37	26		Adult Education – High School Diploma by Examination – Requirements and 2
38	27		Study 3
39	28
40	29		FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to allow an individual to 4
41	30		take all components of the General Educational Development Test in the same 5
42	31		language; requiring the Department to submit a certain report to certain committees 6
43	32		of the General Assembly on or before a certain date; and generally relating to 7
44	33		examination requirements for a high school diploma by examination. 8
45	34
46	35		BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
47	36		Article – Labor and Employment 10
48	37		Section 11–808(a), (b), and (d) 11
49		-	Annotated Code of Maryland 12 2 HOUSE BILL 325
	38	+	Annotated Code of Maryland 12
	39	+	(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
	40	+
	41	+	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
	42	+	Article – Labor and Employment 15
	43	+	Section 11–808(c) 16
	44	+	Annotated Code of Maryland 17
	45	+	(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
	46	+
	47	+	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
	48	+	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20 2 HOUSE BILL 325
50	49
51	50
52		-	(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 1
53	51
54		-	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 2
55		-	Article – Labor and Employment 3
56		-	Section 11–808(c) 4
57		-	Annotated Code of Maryland 5
58		-	(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 6
	52	+	Article – Labor and Employment 1
59	53
60		-	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7
61		-	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 8
	54	+	11–808. 2
62	55
63		-	Article – Labor and Employment 9
	56	+	(a) An individual may obtain a high school diploma by examination as provided 3
	57	+	in this section if the individual: 4
64	58
65		-	~~11–808. 10~~
	59	+	(1) has not obtained a high school diploma; 5
66	60
67		-	(a) An individual may obtain a high school diploma by examination as provided 11
68		-	in this section if the individual: 12
	61	+	(2) resides in this State; and 6
69	62
70		-	(1) ~~has not obtained a high school diploma;~~ 13
	63	+	(3) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section: 7
71	64
72		-	(2) resides in this State; and 14
	65	+	(i) is not subject to compulsory school attendance under § 7–301 of 8
	66	+	the Education Article; and 9
73	67
74		-	(3) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section: 15
	68	+	(ii) has withdrawn from a regular full–time public or private school 10
	69	+	program. 11
75	70
76		-	(i) is not subject to compulsory school attendance under § 7–301 of 16
77		-	the Education Article; and 17
	71	+	(b) An individual is not subject to the requirements of subsection (a)(3) of this 12
	72	+	section if the individual participates in a GED Option Program administered by the State 13
	73	+	Department of Education that creates a pathway to a high school diploma by examination 14
	74	+	for currently enrolled high school English language learner students under the age of 21 15
	75	+	years who have experienced interrupted education and have a lower level of English 16
	76	+	proficiency than their peers. 17
78	77
79		-	(ii) has withdrawn from a regular full–time public or private school 18
80		-	program. 19
	78	+	(c) The Department shall: 18
81	79
82		-	(b) An individual is not subject to the requirements of subsection (a)(3) of this 20
83		-	section if the individual participates in a GED Option Program administered by the State 21
84		-	Department of Education that creates a pathway to a high school diploma by examination 22
85		-	for currently enrolled high school English language learner students under the age of 21 23
86		-	years who have experienced interrupted education and have a lower level of English 24
87		-	proficiency than their peers. 25
	80	+	(1) offer examinations to individuals who are pursuing a high school 19
	81	+	diploma under this subtitle at least twice each year at places throughout the State that are 20
	82	+	reasonably convenient for the applicants; AND 21
88	83
89		-	(c) The Department shall: 26
	84	+	(2) ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL TO CHOOSE TO TAKE ALL COMPONENTS OF 22
	85	+	THE EXAMINATION IN THE SAME LANGUAGE FR OM THE ENGLISH OR SPANISH 23
	86	+	LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT EITHER ENGLISH OR 24
	87	+	SPANISH. 25
90	88
91		-	(1) offer examinations to individuals who are pursuing a high school 27
92		-	diploma under this subtitle at least twice each year at places throughout the State that are 28
93		-	reasonably convenient for the applicants; AND 29
	89	+	(d) The examination shall: 26
94	90
95		-	(2) ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL TO CHOOSE TO TAKE ALL COMPONENTS OF 30
96		-	THE EXAMINATION IN THE SAME LANGUAGE FR OM THE ENGLISH OR SPANISH 31 HOUSE BILL 325 3
	91	+	(1) be offered in appropriate high school subject areas; and 27
	92	+
	93	+	(2) be of a comprehensive nature as determined by the State Board of 28
	94	+	Education. 29
	95	+
	96	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 30 HOUSE BILL 325 3
97	97
98	98
99		-	LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT EITHER ENGLISH OR 1
100		-	SPANISH. 2
101	99
102		-	(d) The ~~examination~~ shall: 3
	100	+	(a) The Maryland Department of Labor shall: 1
103	101
104		-	(1) be offered in appropriate high school subject areas; and 4
	102	+	(1) identify other appropriate languages in which to offer the General 2
	103	+	Educational Development Test for adult learners in the State; and 3
105	104
106		-	(2) be of ~~a comprehensive nature as determined by~~ the ~~State Board of 5~~
107		-	~~Education~~. 6
	105	+	(2) study the feasibility and cost of offering the examination in additional 4
	106	+	languages. 5
108	107
109		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 7
	108	+	(b) On or before December 1, 2026, the Department shall submit, in accordance 6
	109	+	with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, a report of its findings and 7
	110	+	recommendations from the study required under this section to the Senate Finance 8
	111	+	Committee and the House Committee on Ways and Means. 9
110	112
111		-	(a) The Maryland Department of Labor shall: 8
112		-
113		-	(1) identify other appropriate languages in which to offer the General 9
114		-	Educational Development Test for adult learners in the State; and 10
115		-
116		-	(2) study the feasibility and cost of offering the examination in additional 11
117		-	languages. 12
118		-
119		-	(b) On or before December 1, 2026, the Department shall submit, in accordance 13
120		-	with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, a report of its findings and 14
121		-	recommendations from the study required under this section to the Senate Finance 15
122		-	Committee and the House Committee on Ways and Means. 16
123		-
124		-	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTH ER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 17
125		-	October July 1, 2025. 18
	113	+	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTH ER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
	114	+	October 1, 2025. 11
126	115
127	116
128	117
129	118
130	119		Approved:
131	120		________________________________________________________________________________
132	121		Governor.
133	122		________________________________________________________________________________
134	123		Speaker of the House of Delegates.
135	124		________________________________________________________________________________
136	125		President of the Senate.