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*hb0297*
HOUSE BILL 297
F5, K3 (6lr0108)
ENROLLED BILL
— Ways and Means/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
Introduced by Chair, Ways and Means Committee (By Request – Departmental –
Labor)
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approv al this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Adult Education – High School Diploma Pathways – GED Option Pilot Program 2
and MDiplomaWorks Pathway 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the GED Option Pilot Program; requiring the Maryland 4
Department of Labor, in consultation with certain entities, to establish criteria to 5
select certain local school systems to participate in the Pilot Program; establishing 6
qualifications for certain students selected to participate in the Pilot Program; 7
establishing the MDiplomaWorks pathway as an alternative method of earning a 8
high school diploma in the State; and generally relating to adult education and high 9
school diploma pathways. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Labor and Employment 12
Section 11–808(a) 13
2 HOUSE BILL 297
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2025 Replacement Volume) 2
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 3
Article – Labor and Employment 4
Section 11–808(b) 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2025 Replacement Volume) 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Labor and Employment 9
Section 11–808.1 and 11–810 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2025 Replacement Volume) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Labor and Employment 15
11–808. 16
(a) An individual may obtain a high school diploma by examination as provided 17
in this section if the individual: 18
(1) has not obtained a high school diploma; 19
(2) resides in this State; and 20
(3) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section: 21
(i) is not subject to compulsory school attendance under § 7 –301 of 22
the Education Article; and 23
(ii) has withdrawn from a regular full–time public or private school 24
program. 25
(b) An individual is not subject to the requirements of subsection (a)(3) of this 26
section if the individual participates in: 27
(1) a GED Option Program administered by the State Department of 28
Education that creates a pathway to a high school diploma by examination for currently 29
enrolled high school English language learner students under the age of 21 years who have 30
experienced interrupted education and have a lower level of English proficiency than their 31
peers; OR 32
HOUSE BILL 297 3
(2) THE GED OPTION PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED U NDER § 1
11–808.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 2
11–808.1. 3
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “PILOT PROGRAM” MEANS THE GED OPTION PILOT 4
PROGRAM. 5
(B) (1) THERE IS A GED OPTION PILOT PROGRAM IN THE STATE. 6
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM IS TO EXPAND THE GED 7
OPTION PROGRAM TO STUDENTS B EYOND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEAR NERS IN 8
SELECTED SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ENSURE THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE A PATHWAY 9
TO OBTAIN A HIGH SCH OOL DIPLOMA AND ARE PREPARED TO ENTER 10
POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMMING OR THE WORKFORCE. 11
(C) THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BEGIN I N THE 2027–2028 SCHOOL YEAR 12
AND SHALL CONTINUE FOR 2 SCHOOL YEARS. 13
(D) THE DEPARTMENT: 14
(1) IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 15
EDUCATION AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS’ ASSOCIATION OF 16
MARYLAND, SHALL DEVELOP CRITERIA, INCLUDING RECOGNITION OF GEOGRAPHIC 17
DIVERSITY, FOR THE SELECTION OF AT LEAST THREE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO 18
PARTICIPATE IN THE PILOT PROGRAM; AND 19
(2) IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 20
EDUCATION, SHALL USE THE CRITER IA DEVELOPED UNDER I TEM (1) OF THIS 21
SUBSECTION TO SELECT AT LEAST THREE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO PARTICIPATE 22
IN THE PILOT PROGRAM. 23
(E) EACH COUNTY SUPERINTE NDENT FROM A PARTICI PATING LOCAL 24
SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY SELECT UP TO 150 STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PILOT 25
PROGRAM. 26
(F) A STUDENT SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PILOT PROGRAM: 27
(1) MAY BEGIN THE GED OPTION PROGRAM WHEN THE STUDENT IS 28
AT LEAST 17 YEARS OLD; 29
(2) MUST BE AT SIGNIFICA NT RISK OF NOT SUCCE SSFULLY 30
COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL; AND 31
4 HOUSE BILL 297
(3) SHALL TAKE THE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA BY EX AMINATION 1
BEFORE THE CONCLUSION OF THE GED OPTION PROGRAM. 2
(G) THE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 3
SHALL EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR EXPANDING THE GED OPTION PROGRAM BASED ON 4
RESULTS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM. 5
(H) (1) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2028, AND DECEMBER 1, 2029, THE 6
DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION JOINTLY SHA LL 7
REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 8
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGARDING TH E 9
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM. 10
(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 11
SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE: 12
(I) THE NUMBER OF STUDEN TS PARTICIPATING IN THE PILOT 13
PROGRAM FROM EACH PARTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM; 14
(II) FEEDBACK FROM EDUCATORS, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS OF 15
STUDENTS PARTICIPATI NG IN THE PILOT PROGRAM ON WAYS TO IM PROVE THE 16
GED OPTION PROGRAM; 17
(III) THE NUMBER OF STUDEN TS WHO EARNED A HIGH SCHOOL 18
DIPLOMA AS A RESULT OF COMPLETING THE PILOT PROGRAM; AND 19
(IV) AN EVALUATION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM AND THE GED 20
OPTION PROGRAM WITH ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS. 21
(I) THE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 22
JOINTLY MAY ADOPT REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE PILOT PROGRAM. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 24
as follows: 25
Article – Labor and Employment 26
11–810. 27
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “MDIPLOMAWORKS PATHWAY ” MEANS AN 28
ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY TO EARN A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA IN THE STATE. 29
HOUSE BILL 297 5
(B) THE MDIPLOMAWORKS PATHWAY IS A METHOD TO RECOGNIZE AND 1
CERTIFY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH DEMONSTRATED 2
ACADEMIC AND CAREER COMPETENCIES, INCLUDING WORKFORCE EXPERIENCE. 3
(C) AN INDIVIDUAL MAY OBT AIN A HIGH SCHOOL DI PLOMA THROUGH THE 4
MDIPLOMAWORKS PATHWAY IF THE INDIVIDUAL: 5
(1) HAS NOT OBTAINED A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; 6
(2) RESIDES IN THE STATE; 7
(3) IS NOT SUBJECT TO TH E COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE 8
REQUIREMENT UNDER § 7–301 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE; AND 9
(4) HAS WITHDRAWN FROM A REGULAR FULL –TIME PUBLI C OR 10
PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAM. 11
(D) TO EARN A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA THROUGH THE MDIPLOMAWORKS 12
PATHWAY, AN INDIVIDUAL SHALL DEMONSTRATE EQUIVALENCY TO A MARYLAND 13
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA BY COMPLETION OF A C OMBINATION OF THE FO LLOWING 14
COMPONENTS AS APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT: 15
(1) EARNING INDUSTRY–RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS; 16
(2) DEMONSTRATING FOUNDA TIONAL ACADEMIC SKIL LS THROUGH 17
FORMAL ASSESSMENTS; 18
(3) COMPLETING CAREER AN D TECHNICAL EDUCATIO N 19
COURSEWORK; AND 20
(4) COMPLETING AN ON–THE–JOB LEARNING EXPERIENCE. 21
(E) A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA SHALL BE AWARDED TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO 22
COMPLETES THE MDIPLOMAWORKS PATHWAY IN ACCO RDANCE WITH THE 23
REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE SECRETARY AND THE STATE BOARD OF 24
EDUCATION. 25
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That , in calendar years 2027 and 26
2028, the Maryland Department of Labor shall publish on its website, and include in any 27
publications that describe how adults may obtain a high school diploma, information on the 28
MDiplomaWorks pathway established under § 11 –810 of the Labor an d Employment 29
Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, in order to inform potentially eligible applicants 30
about the new pathway to obtain a high school diploma. 31
6 HOUSE BILL 297
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2026. Section 1 of this Act shall remain effective for a period of 4 years and, at 2
the end of September 30, 2030, Section 1 of this Act, with no further action required by the 3
General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 4
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.