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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0612*
HOUSE BILL 612
E5, J1, K3 6lr1656
By: Delegates Pasteur, Coley, Mireku–North, Phillips, and Young
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Correctional Education and Workforce Skills Training Programs – State 2
Correctional Ombudsman and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Training 3
Program for Incarcerated Individuals 4
FOR the purpose of requiring the Director of Education and Workforce Skills Training for 5
Correctional Institutions to consult with the State Correctional Ombudsman about 6
the operation of education and workforce skills training programs in adult 7
correctional institutions; establishing the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist 8
Training Program for Incarcerated Individuals in the Maryland Department of 9
Labor; requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to create certain positions to 10
provide correctional education staff and certified peer recovery specialists for the 11
Program; requiring the Maryland Department of Labor and the Department of 12
Public Safety and Correctional Services to use funds appropriated in the budget for 13
the Program for certain purposes; and generally relating to education and workforce 14
skills training programs provided by the Maryland Department of Labor. 15
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 16
Article – Health – General 17
Section 7.5–101(a) and (n) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 21
Article – Labor and Employment 22
Section 11–101(a) and (b) 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2025 Replacement Volume) 25
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 26
Article – Labor and Employment 27
Section 11–903 28
2 HOUSE BILL 612
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2025 Replacement Volume) 2
BY adding to 3
Article – Labor and Employment 4
Section 11–903.1 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2025 Replacement Volume) 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 9
Article – Health – General 10
7.5–101. 11
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 12
(n) “Peer support services” means a set of nonclinical activities provided by 13
individuals in recovery from mental disorders, substance –related disorders, or addictive 14
disorders who use their personal, lived experiences and training to support other 15
individuals with mental disorders, substance–related disorders, or addictive disorders. 16
Article – Labor and Employment 17
11–101. 18
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 19
(b) “Department” means the Maryland Department of Labor. 20
11–903. 21
(a) The Department is responsible for the provision of education and workforce 22
skills training programs in the adult correctional institutions in the State. 23
(b) The Secretary shall appoint a Director of Education and Workforce Skills 24
Training for Correctional Institutions. 25
(c) The Director shall receive the salary provided in the budget of the 26
Department. 27
(d) The Director shall: 28
(1) implement and operate the educational and workforce skills training 29
programs developed by the Council in the correctional institutions; 30
HOUSE BILL 612 3
(2) meet with and advise the Council about the programs; 1
(3) consult with the Commissioner of Correction [and], the warden of each 2
institution, AND THE STATE CORRECTIONAL OMBUDSMAN, OR THE OMBUDSMAN’S 3
DESIGNEE, about the operation of the programs; and 4
(4) set qualification standards for teachers in workforce skills training 5
programs who are employed by the Department that are similar to the standards for 6
teachers providing CTE instruction in accordance with § 7–205.1 of the Education Article. 7
(e) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, each teacher in an educational 8
and workforce skills training program who is employed by the Department is in the 9
professional service in the State Personnel Management System. 10
11–903.1. 11
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 12
INDICATED. 13
(2) “CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY SPECIAL IST” MEANS AN 14
INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS B EEN CERTIFIED FOR TH E PURPOSE OF PROVIDI NG PEER 15
SUPPORT SERVICES. 16
(3) “CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION” MEANS A PLACE OF DET ENTION 17
OR CORRECTIONAL CONFINEMENT OPERATED BY OR FOR THE STATE. 18
(4) “INCARCERATED INDIVIDU AL” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS 19
ACTUALLY OR CONSTRUC TIVELY DETAINED OR C ONFINED IN A CORRECT IONAL 20
INSTITUTION. 21
(5) “PEER SUPPORT SERVICES ” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 22
7.5–101 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE. 23
(6) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY 24
SPECIALIST TRAINING PROGRAM FOR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. 25
(B) THERE IS A CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST TRAINING 26
PROGRAM FOR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN THE DEPARTMENT. 27
(C) THE PURPOSES OF THE PROGRAM ARE TO: 28
(1) PROVIDE FUNDS TO ESTA BLISH AND MAINTAIN CERTIFIED PEER 29
RECOVERY SPECIALIST TRAINING FOR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS; 30
4 HOUSE BILL 612
(2) PROVIDE COMPENSATION FOR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS WHO 1
PARTICIPATE IN CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST TRAINING; AND 2
(3) PREPARE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS WHO PART ICIPATE IN 3
CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST TRAINING FOR POSTREL EASE 4
EMPLOYMENT IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RECOVERY SERVICES. 5
(D) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM IN 6
CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL 7
SERVICES, THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, AND THE MARYLAND 8
OFFICE OF OVERDOSE RESPONSE. 9
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CREATE AT LEAST ONE POSITION TO 10
PROVIDE CORRECTIONAL EDUCATION STAFF FOR THE PROGRAM TO: 11
(I) PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT TO CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY 12
SPECIALIST TRAINEES; 13
(II) FACILITATE COMMUNICA TION BETWEEN CORRECT IONAL 14
EDUCATION SCHOOLS AN D THE CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST 15
SUPERVISORS; AND 16
(III) ASSIST WITH TRAINING , DATA MANAGEMENT , AND 17
CONSISTENT PROGRAM DELIVERY ACROSS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. 18
(3) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CREATE AT LEAST ONE POSITION FOR 19
THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE CERTIFIED PEER RECOV ERY 20
SPECIALISTS. 21
(E) (1) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, 22
THE GOVERNOR MAY INCLUDE IN THE ANNUA L BUDGET BILL AN APP ROPRIATION 23
SUFFICIENT FOR THE OPERATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM. 24
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL USE FUNDS APPR OPRIATED IN THE 25
BUDGET FOR THE PROGRAM TO: 26
(I) SUPPORT THE POSITIONS REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION; 27
AND 28
(II) PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES, 29
INCLUDING CONTINUING EDUCATION, CROSS–TRAININGS, AND PEER SUPERVISION 30
WORKSHOPS. 31
HOUSE BILL 612 5
(3) THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL 1
SERVICES SHALL USE FUNDS APPROPRIATED IN THE BUDGET FOR THE PROGRAM 2
TO: 3
(I) ENHANCE THE DAILY WAGE FOR INCARCERATE D 4
INDIVIDUALS WHO PROVIDE CERTIFIED PEER RECOV ERY SPECIALIST SERVICES; 5
AND 6
(II) PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE S, 7
INCLUDING CONTINUING EDUCATION, CROSS–TRAININGS, AND PEER SUPERVISION 8
WORKSHOPS. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10
1, 2026. 11