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*hb0194*
HOUSE BILL 194
E5 6lr1190
HB 289/25 – JUD (PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Metzgar Delegates Metzgar, Crutchfield, Kerr, Ruth, Schindler,
Solomon, Terrasa, Wells, and Wu
Requested: October 14, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 26, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Incarcerated Job Training Act 2
Incarcerated Individual Apprenticeship Pilot Program 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services , 4
in consultation with the Department of Labor, to develop and offer an apprenticeship 5
program in skilled trades for incarcerated individuals; and generally relating to an 6
incarcerated individual apprenticeship program and the employment of incarcerated 7
individuals an Incarcerated Individual Apprenticeship Pilot Progr am to provide 8
incarcerated individuals at the Baltimore City Correctional Center the opportunity 9
to serve as paid apprentices; and generally relating to the Incarcerated Individual 10
Apprenticeship Pilot Program. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Correctional Services 13
Section 3–901 through 3–908 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 9. Incarcerated 14
Individual Apprenticeship Program” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2025 Replacement Volume) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Correctional Services 20
2 HOUSE BILL 194
SUBTITLE 9. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. 1
3–901. 2
IN THIS SUBTITLE , “APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM” MEANS THE 3
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. 4
3–902. 5
(A) THERE IS AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM 6
IN THE DEPARTMENT. 7
(B) THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IS AN INDEPENDENT PROGRAM THAT 8
IS SEPARATE FROM MARYLAND CORRECTIONAL ENTERPRISES UNDER SUBTITLE 5 9
OF THIS TITLE. 10
3–903. 11
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM TO 12
PROVIDE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS THE OPPO RTUNITY TO SERVE AS PAID 13
APPRENTICES IN AN AGENCY OR A UNIT OF STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR WITH 14
A PRIVATE ENTITY. 15
(B) THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM SHALL PRIORITIZE EMPLOYMENT IN 16
SKILLED TRADES WITH THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS 17
TO DEVELOP MARKETABL E JOB SKILLS AND TO PROVIDE INCARCERATED 18
INDIVIDUALS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN MONEY THAT CAN BE US ED ONCE 19
THE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL IS RELEASED FROM INCARCERATION. 20
(C) EMPLOYERS PARTICIPATING IN THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM MAY 21
INCLUDE AN AGENCY OR A UNIT OF STATE OR LOCAL GOVERN MENT AND PRIVATE 22
ENTITIES. 23
(D) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE ASSIGNMENTS FOR 24
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS TO ELIGIBLE EMPLOYER S WHO ARE 25
PARTICIPATING IN THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. 26
(2) AN EMPLOYER MAY REJEC T THE DEPARTMENT’S PROPOSED 27
ASSIGNMENT OR CEASE PARTICIPATION IN THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AT ANY 28
TIME. 29
3–904. 30
HOUSE BILL 194 3
(A) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, AN EMPLOYER WHO IS 1
A PARTICIPANT IN THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM SHALL DETERMINE THE WAGE 2
PAID TO AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL. 3
(B) A PERSON THAT EMPLOYS AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL UNDER THIS 4
SECTION SHALL PAY A COMPENSATION RATE OF NOT LESS THAN THE STATE 5
MINIMUM WAGE UNDER § 3–413(C) OF THE LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARTICLE. 6
(C) AN EMPLOYER WHO IS AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPANT 7
SHALL PAY TO THE DEPARTMENT THE AMOUNT AGREED ON WITH THE 8
DEPARTMENT, AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT FOR THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, 9
FOR EACH DAY THAT AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL IS EMPLOYED AS PART OF THE 10
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. 11
(D) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 12
FROM THE PAYMENTS MA DE UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , THE 13
DEPARTMENT SHALL CRED IT THE AMOUNT HELD T O TH E ACCOUNT OF THE 14
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL UNDER § 3–609 OF THIS TITLE, AS DETERMINED BY THE 15
DEPARTMENT. 16
(2) IF THE DEPARTMENT FINDS THAT THE SPOUSE, CHILD, OR OTHER 17
DEPENDENT OF AN INCA RCERATED INDIVIDUAL NEEDS FINANCIAL SUPP ORT, THE 18
DEPARTMENT MAY PAY ALL OR PART OF THE PAYMENTS MADE UNDER SUBSECTION 19
(C) OF THIS SECTION, AS THE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS PROPER, TO THE SPOUSE, 20
CHILD, OR OTHER DEPENDENT. 21
3–905. 22
(A) THE DIVISION OF CORRECTION SHALL PROV IDE, OR MAKE 23
ARRANGEMENTS THAT IT CONSIDERS TO BE ADEQUATE AND PROPER TO PROVIDE, 24
FOR THE GUARDING, TRANSPORTING, LODGING, FEEDING, CLOTHING, AND MEDICAL 25
AND OTHER CARE OF AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL WHILE THE INCARC ERATED 26
INDIVIDUAL IS PARTICIPATING IN THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. 27
(B) (1) FOR AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNED TO AN AGENCY OR 28
A UNIT OF STATE GOVERNMENT AS A PARTICIPANT IN THE APPRENTICESHIP 29
PROGRAM, THE STATE SHALL PAY THE E XPENSES INCURRED UNDER SUBSECTION 30
(A) OF THIS SECTION. 31
(2) FOR AN INCARCERATED I NDIVIDUAL ASSIGNED TO A MUNICIPAL 32
CORPORATION, COUNTY, OR PRIVATE ENTITY AS A PARTICIPANT IN THE 33
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, COUNTY, OR PRIVATE 34
4 HOUSE BILL 194
ENTITY SHALL PAY THE EXPENSES INCURRED UN DER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 1
SECTION UNDER ARRANG EMENTS MADE WITH OR SATISFACTORY TO THE 2
DEPARTMENT. 3
3–906. 4
AN INCARCERATED INDIV IDUAL PARTICIPATING IN THE APPRENTICESHIP 5
PROGRAM IS ENTITLED T O THE SAME DEDUCTION S OR ALLOWANCES FOR GOOD 6
BEHAVIOR, OBSERVANCE OF DISCIPLINE AND RULES, AND DILIGENT AND FAITHFUL 7
LABOR AND IS SUBJECT TO TH E SAME FORFEITURES O R PUNISHMENTS FOR BA D 8
BEHAVIOR AND OTHER V IOLATIONS THAT OTHER WISE APPLY TO INCARC ERATED 9
INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE. 10
3–907. 11
IF AN INCARCERATED IN DIVIDUAL SUCCESSFULL Y COMPLETES THE 12
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE SCHEDULED RELEASE OF 13
THE INCARCERATED IND IVIDUAL, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROV IDE THE 14
INCARCERATED INDIVID UAL WITH A CERTIFICA TE DEMONSTRATING THE 15
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL’S SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE APPRENTICESHIP 16
PROGRAM. 17
3–908. 18
THE DEPARTMENT MAY ADOPT REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE 19
PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBTITLE. 20
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 21
October 1, 2026. 22
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 23
(2) “Department” means the Department of Public Safety and Correctional 24
Services. 25
(3) “Program” means the Incarcerated Individual Apprenticeship Pilot 26
Program. 27
(b) (1) There is an Incarcerated Individual Apprenticeship Pilot Program in 28
the Department. 29
(2) The Program is an independent program that is separate from 30
Maryland Correctional Enterprises under Title 3, Subtitle 5 of the Correctional Services 31
Article. 32
HOUSE BILL 194 5
(c) The Department, in consultation with the Department of Labor, shall develop 1
the Program to provide incarcerated individuals at the Baltimore City Correctional Center 2
the opportunity to serve as paid apprentices in an agency or a unit of State or local 3
government or with a private entity. 4
(d) The Department shall make assignments for Program participants to eligible 5
employers who are participating in the Program. 6
(e) A person that employs an incarcerated individual under the Program shall 7
pay a compensation rate of not less than the State minimum wage under § 3–413(c) of the 8
Labor and Employment Article. 9
(f) The Division of Correction shall provide for, or make arrangements that it 10
considers to be adequate and proper to provide for, the guarding, transporting, lodging, 11
feeding, clothing, and medical and other care of an incarcerated i ndividual while the 12
incarcerated individual is participating in the Program. 13
(g) If an incarcerated individual successfully completes the Program, prior to the 14
individual’s scheduled release, the Department or the Program shall provide the 15
incarcerated i ndividual with a certificate demonstrating the incarcerated individual’s 16
successful completion of the Program. 17
(h) On or before January 1, 2029, the Department shall report to the General 18
Assembly, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State Government Arti cle, on the 19
implementation of this section. 20
(i) The Department may adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act. 21
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 22
October 1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of September 23
30, 2029, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 24
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 25
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.