| 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 | *sb0451* | |
| 10 | 9 | ||
| 11 | 10 | SENATE BILL 451 | |
| 12 | - | F1 (5lr1909) | |
| 13 | - | ENROLLED BILL | |
| 14 | - | — Education, Energy, and the Environment/Ways and Means — | |
| 15 | - | Introduced by Senator King Senators King, Augustine, Brooks, Kagan, and | |
| 16 | - | M. Washington | |
| 17 | - | ||
| 18 | - | Read and Examined by Proofreaders: | |
| 19 | - | ||
| 20 | - | _______________________________________________ | |
| 21 | - | Proofreader. | |
| 22 | - | _______________________________________________ | |
| 23 | - | Proofreader. | |
| 24 | - | ||
| 25 | - | Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his app roval this | |
| 26 | - | ||
| 27 | - | _______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M. | |
| 28 | - | ||
| 29 | - | ______________________________________________ | |
| 30 | - | President. | |
| 11 | + | F1 5lr1909 | |
| 12 | + | CF HB 325 | |
| 13 | + | By: Senator King Senators King, Augustine, Brooks, Kagan, and M. Washington | |
| 14 | + | Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2025 | |
| 15 | + | Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment | |
| 16 | + | Committee Report: Favorable with amendments | |
| 17 | + | Senate action: Adopted | |
| 18 | + | Read second time: February 11, 2025 | |
| 31 | 19 | ||
| 32 | 20 | CHAPTER ______ | |
| 33 | 21 | ||
| 34 | 22 | AN ACT concerning 1 | |
| 35 | 23 | ||
| 36 | 24 | Adult Education – High School Diploma by Examination – Requirements and 2 | |
| 37 | 25 | Study 3 | |
| 38 | 26 | ||
| 39 | 27 | FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to allow an individual to 4 | |
| 40 | 28 | take all components of the General Educational Development Test in the same 5 | |
| 41 | 29 | language of their choice; requiring the Department to submit a certain report to 6 | |
| 42 | 30 | certain committees of the General Assembly on or before a certain date; and 7 | |
| 43 | 31 | generally relating to examination requirements for a high school diploma by 8 | |
| 44 | 32 | examination. 9 | |
| 45 | 33 | ||
| 46 | 34 | BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10 | |
| 47 | 35 | Article – Labor and Employment 11 | |
| 48 | 36 | Section 11–808(a), (b), and (d) 12 | |
| 49 | - | Annotated Code of Maryland 13 2 SENATE BILL 451 | |
| 37 | + | Annotated Code of Maryland 13 | |
| 38 | + | (2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14 | |
| 39 | + | ||
| 40 | + | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15 | |
| 41 | + | Article – Labor and Employment 16 | |
| 42 | + | Section 11–808(c) 17 | |
| 43 | + | Annotated Code of Maryland 18 | |
| 44 | + | (2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19 | |
| 45 | + | ||
| 46 | + | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20 | |
| 47 | + | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21 | |
| 48 | + | 2 SENATE BILL 451 | |
| 50 | 49 | ||
| 51 | 50 | ||
| 52 | - | ||
| 51 | + | Article – Labor and Employment 1 | |
| 53 | 52 | ||
| 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 | |
| 53 | + | 11–808. 2 | |
| 59 | 54 | ||
| 60 | - | | |
| 61 | - | ||
| 55 | + | (a) An individual may obtain a high school diploma by examination as provided 3 | |
| 56 | + | in this section if the individual: 4 | |
| 62 | 57 | ||
| 63 | - | ||
| 58 | + | (1) has not obtained a high school diploma; 5 | |
| 64 | 59 | ||
| 65 | - | ||
| 60 | + | (2) resides in this State; and 6 | |
| 66 | 61 | ||
| 67 | - | (a) An individual may obtain a high school diploma by examination as provided 11 | |
| 68 | - | in this section if the individual: 12 | |
| 62 | + | (3) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section: 7 | |
| 69 | 63 | ||
| 70 | - | (1) has not obtained a high school diploma; 13 | |
| 64 | + | (i) is not subject to compulsory school attendance under § 7–301 of 8 | |
| 65 | + | the Education Article; and 9 | |
| 71 | 66 | ||
| 72 | - | (2) resides in this State; and 14 | |
| 67 | + | (ii) has withdrawn from a regular full–time public or private school 10 | |
| 68 | + | program. 11 | |
| 73 | 69 | ||
| 74 | - | (3) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section: 15 | |
| 70 | + | (b) An individual is not subject to the requirements of subsection (a)(3) of this 12 | |
| 71 | + | section if the individual participates in a GED Option Program administered by the State 13 | |
| 72 | + | Department of Education that creates a pathway to a high school diploma by examination 14 | |
| 73 | + | for currently enrolled high school English language learner students under the age of 21 15 | |
| 74 | + | years who have experienced interrupted education and have a lower level of English 16 | |
| 75 | + | proficiency than their peers. 17 | |
| 75 | 76 | ||
| 76 | - | (i) is not subject to compulsory school attendance under § 7–301 of 16 | |
| 77 | - | the Education Article; and 17 | |
| 77 | + | (c) The Department shall: 18 | |
| 78 | 78 | ||
| 79 | - | (ii) has withdrawn from a regular full–time public or private school 18 | |
| 80 | - | program. 19 | |
| 79 | + | (1) offer examinations to individuals who are pursuing a high school 19 | |
| 80 | + | diploma under this subtitle at least twice each year at places throughout the State that are 20 | |
| 81 | + | reasonably convenient for the applicants; AND 21 | |
| 81 | 82 | ||
| 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 | |
| 83 | + | (2) ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL TO TAKE ALL COMPONEN TS OF THE 22 | |
| 84 | + | EXAMINATION IN THE LANGUAGE OF THEIR CH OICE SAME LANGUAGE FROM T HE 23 | |
| 85 | + | ENGLISH– OR SPANISH–LANGUAGE EXAMINATION S OFFERED BY THE 24 | |
| 86 | + | DEPARTMENT . 25 | |
| 88 | 87 | ||
| 89 | - | ( | |
| 88 | + | (d) The examination shall: 26 | |
| 90 | 89 | ||
| 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 | |
| 90 | + | (1) be offered in appropriate high school subject areas; and 27 | |
| 94 | 91 | ||
| 95 | - | (2) ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL TO CHOOSE TO TAKE ALL COMPONENTS OF 30 | |
| 96 | - | THE EXAMINATION IN THE LANGUAGE OF THEI R CHOICE SAME LANGUAGE FROM T HE 31 SENATE BILL 451 3 | |
| 92 | + | (2) be of a comprehensive nature as determined by the State Board of 28 | |
| 93 | + | Education. 29 | |
| 94 | + | ||
| 95 | + | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 30 | |
| 96 | + | SENATE BILL 451 3 | |
| 97 | 97 | ||
| 98 | 98 | ||
| 99 | - | ENGLISH– OR SPANISH–LANGUAGE EXAMINATI ONS OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT 1 | |
| 100 | - | EITHER ENGLISH OR SPANISH. 2 | |
| 99 | + | (a) The Maryland Department of Labor shall: 1 | |
| 101 | 100 | ||
| 102 | - | (d) The examination shall: 3 | |
| 101 | + | (1) identify other appropriate languages in which to offer the General 2 | |
| 102 | + | Educational Development Test for adult learners in the State; and 3 | |
| 103 | 103 | ||
| 104 | - | (1) be offered in appropriate high school subject areas; and 4 | |
| 104 | + | (2) study the feasibility and cost of offering the examination in additional 4 | |
| 105 | + | languages. 5 | |
| 105 | 106 | ||
| 106 | - | (2) be of a comprehensive nature as determined by the State Board of 5 | |
| 107 | - | Education. 6 | |
| 107 | + | (b) On or before December 1, 2026, the Department shall submit, in accordance 6 | |
| 108 | + | with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, a report of its findings and 7 | |
| 109 | + | recommendations from the study required under this section to the Senate Finance 8 | |
| 110 | + | Committee and the House Committee on Ways and Means. 9 | |
| 108 | 111 | ||
| 109 | - | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 7 | |
| 112 | + | SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10 | |
| 113 | + | October July 1, 2025. 11 | |
| 110 | 114 | ||
| 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 FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 17 | |
| 125 | - | October July 1, 2025. 18 | |
| 126 | 115 | ||
| 127 | 116 | ||
| 128 | 117 | ||
| 129 | 118 | Approved: | |
| 130 | 119 | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 131 | 120 | Governor. | |
| 132 | 121 | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 133 | 122 | President of the Senate. | |
| 134 | 123 | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 135 | 124 | Speaker of the House of Delegates. |