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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*sb0451*
SENATE BILL 451
F1 (5lr1909)
ENROLLED BILL
— Education, Energy, and the Environment/Ways and Means —
Introduced by Senator King Senators King, Augustine, Brooks, Kagan, and
M. Washington
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his app roval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Adult Education – High School Diploma by Examination – Requirements and 2
Study 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to allow an individual to 4
take all components of the General Educational Development Test in the same 5
language of their choice; requiring the Department to submit a certain report to 6
certain committees of the General Assembly on or before a certain date; and 7
generally relating to examination requirements for a high school diploma by 8
examination. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Labor and Employment 11
Section 11–808(a), (b), and (d) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13 2 SENATE BILL 451
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 1
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 2
Article – Labor and Employment 3
Section 11–808(c) 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 6
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 8
Article – Labor and Employment 9
11–808. 10
(a) An individual may obtain a high school diploma by examination as provided 11
in this section if the individual: 12
(1) has not obtained a high school diploma; 13
(2) resides in this State; and 14
(3) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section: 15
(i) is not subject to compulsory school attendance under § 7–301 of 16
the Education Article; and 17
(ii) has withdrawn from a regular full–time public or private school 18
program. 19
(b) An individual is not subject to the requirements of subsection (a)(3) of this 20
section if the individual participates in a GED Option Program administered by the State 21
Department of Education that creates a pathway to a high school diploma by examination 22
for currently enrolled high school English language learner students under the age of 21 23
years who have experienced interrupted education and have a lower level of English 24
proficiency than their peers. 25
(c) The Department shall: 26
(1) offer examinations to individuals who are pursuing a high school 27
diploma under this subtitle at least twice each year at places throughout the State that are 28
reasonably convenient for the applicants; AND 29
(2) ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL TO CHOOSE TO TAKE ALL COMPONENTS OF 30
THE EXAMINATION IN THE LANGUAGE OF THEI R CHOICE SAME LANGUAGE FROM T HE 31 SENATE BILL 451 3
ENGLISH– OR SPANISH–LANGUAGE EXAMINATI ONS OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT 1
EITHER ENGLISH OR SPANISH. 2
(d) The examination shall: 3
(1) be offered in appropriate high school subject areas; and 4
(2) be of a comprehensive nature as determined by the State Board of 5
Education. 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 7
(a) The Maryland Department of Labor shall: 8
(1) identify other appropriate languages in which to offer the General 9
Educational Development Test for adult learners in the State; and 10
(2) study the feasibility and cost of offering the examination in additional 11
languages. 12
(b) On or before December 1, 2026, the Department shall submit, in accordance 13
with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, a report of its findings and 14
recommendations from the study required under this section to the Senate Finance 15
Committee and the House Committee on Ways and Means. 16
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 17
October July 1, 2025. 18
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.