EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0161*
SENATE BILL 161
F1 5lr1586
SB 40/24 – B&T (PRE–FILED)
By: Senator Benson
Requested: October 31, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Department of Education – Driver Education and Career and Technical 2
Education – Funding 3
(Driver Education and Career Education Act of 2025) 4
FOR the purpose of requiring, for certain fiscal years, the Governor to include in the annual 5
budget bill certain appropriations to the State Department of Education for the 6
Coalition for Public Safety Training in Schools, Inc., in Prince George’s County for 7
certain purposes related to driver education and career and technical education; 8
requiring the Department to hire an independent contractor to conduct a certain 9
annual evaluation; and generally relating to driver education and career and 10
technical education in the State. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Education 13
Section 5–244 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
Preamble 17
WHEREAS, Career and technical education supports the efforts of the State to 18
provide students with skills and instruction set to international standards that will enable 19
the students to be successful in the 21st–century economy and productive citizens of the 20
State; and 21
WHEREAS, Career and technical education also provides high school students with 22
access to educational experiences and opportunities that enable the students to reach their 23
full promise and potential and to be ready for success in college and a rewarding career; 24
now, therefore, 25
2 SENATE BILL 161
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Education 3
5–244. 4
(A) THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN 5
APPROPRIATION IN THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE 6
COALITION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING IN SCHOOLS, INC., TO BE USED FOR 7
INCREASING THE NUMBE R OF STUDENTS WITH A CCESS TO DRIVER EDUC ATION AND 8
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN THE STATE: 9
(1) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, $278,750; 10
(2) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028, $268,300; 11
(3) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2029, $272,100; 12
(4) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2030, $276,400; 13
(5) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2031, $280,850; AND 14
(6) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2032, $216,600. 15
(B) (1) THE APPROPRIATIONS MA DE IN ACCORDANCE WIT H SUBSECTION 16
(A) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L BE ALLOCATED AS SP ECIFIED IN THIS SUBS ECTION. 17
(2) THE FOLLOWING ALLOCAT IONS SHALL BE USED T O SUPPORT 18
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP MENT FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 19
TEACHERS, ASSIST WITH TRANSPORT ATION OF STUDENTS TO AND FROM CAREER 20
AND TECHNICAL EDUCAT ION TRAINING ACTIVIT IES, AND SUPPORT CAREER A ND 21
TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: 22
(I) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, $115,000; 23
(II) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028, $115,300; 24
(III) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2029, $115,600; 25
(IV) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2030, $116,000; 26
(V) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2031, $116,250; AND 27
SENATE BILL 161 3
(VI) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2032, $116,600. 1
(3) THE FOLLOWING ALLOCAT IONS SHALL BE USED T O INCREASE THE 2
NUMBER OF STUDENTS W HO RECEIVE DRIVER ED UCATION TRAINING AND AS SIST IN 3
PROVIDING DRIVER EDU CATION TRAINING : 4
(I) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, $125,750; 5
(II) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028, $130,000; 6
(III) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2029, $133,500; 7
(IV) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2030, $137,400; 8
(V) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2031, $141,600; AND 9
(VI) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2032, $85,000. 10
(4) THE FOLLOWING ALLOCAT IONS SHALL BE USED T O SUPPORT 11
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION EVENTS : 12
(I) FOR EACH OF FISCAL YE ARS 2027 THROUGH 2031, $8,000; 13
AND 14
(II) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2032, $6,000. 15
(5) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING 16
ALLOCATIONS SHALL BE USED TO CONDUCT AN A NNUAL EVALUATION OF THE 17
IMPACT OF THE FUNDIN G PROVIDED UNDER THI S SECTION ON INCREAS ING THE 18
NUMBER OF CAREER –READY STUDENTS : 19
(I) FOR EACH OF FISCA L YEARS 2027 THROUGH 2031, $10,000; 20
AND 21
(II) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2032, $4,000. 22
(6) THE FOLLOWING ALLOCAT IONS SHALL BE USED T O CREATE AND 23
UPDATE AN ONLINE APP LICATION FORM FOR A SCHOOL TO APPLY FOR FUNDING 24
UNDER THIS SECTION : 25
(I) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, $20,000; AND 26
(II) FOR EACH OF FISCAL YE ARS 2028 THROUGH 2032, $5,000. 27 4 SENATE BILL 161
(C) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL HIRE AN INDEPENDENT CONTR ACTOR 1
THAT HAS EXPERIENCE EVALUATING EDUCATION AL PROGRAMS TO CONDU CT THE 2
ANNUAL EVALUATION RE QUIRED UNDER SUBSECT ION (B)(5) OF THIS SECTION. 3
(2) THE ANNUAL EVALUATION SHALL: 4
(I) BE CONDUCTED IN CONSU LTATION WITH THE COALITION 5
FOR PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING IN SCHOOLS, INC.; AND 6
(II) EXAMINE WHETHER FUNDI NG HAS: 7
1. INCREASED SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 8
CAREER–READY STUDENTS; 9
2. PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO MORE 10
TEACHERS; AND 11
3. INCREASED THE OCCUPAT IONAL LITERACY OF 12
STUDENTS. 13
(3) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2028, THE 14
DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT A REPORT ON THE A NNUAL EVALUATION REQ UIRED 15
UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(5) OF THIS SECTION TO T HE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE 16
SUPERINTENDENT AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 17
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE 18
HOUSE, THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, ENERGY, AND THE 19
ENVIRONMENT , AND THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE. 20
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 21
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 8 years and 1 month and, at the end of July 22
31, 2033, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 23
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 24