Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1246*
HOUSE BILL 1246
J1, O1, P1 6lr2728
CF SB 772
By: Delegate Lewis
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters and Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Department of Health – Employment Training and Opportunity 2
Database 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish an 4
employment training and opportunity database for the purpose of assisting 5
individuals in the State in finding employment training and other opportunities that 6
may enable the individuals to become eligible and maintain eligibility for the 7
Maryland Medical Assistance Program and th e Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 8
Program; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to assist individuals in 9
enrolling in programs listed in the database; requiring the Maryland Department of 10
Labor, the Secretary of Human Services, and the Department of Service and Civic 11
Innovation to establish a process for receiving recommendations for inclusion in the 12
database and to forward appropriate recommendations to the Maryland Department 13
of Health; and generally relating to an employment training and opportu nity 14
database. 15
BY adding to 16
Article – Business Regulation 17
Section 2–111 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
BY adding to 21
Article – Health – General 22
Section 15–160 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 25
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 26
Article – Human Services 27
Section 5–101(a) and (g) and 5–304(b)(1) and (c)(1) 28
2 HOUSE BILL 1246
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2
BY adding to 3
Article – Human Services 4
Section 5–304(d) 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 7
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Article – State Government 9
Section 21–101(a) and (b) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – State Government 14
Section 21–106(b)(7) and (8) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY adding to 18
Article – State Government 19
Section 21–106(b)(9) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 23
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 24
Article – Business Regulation 25
2–111. 26
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 27
(1) ESTABLISH A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH A PERS ON MAY 28
RECOMMEND A VOCATION AL, WORKFORCE, TRAINING, OR JOB PLACEMENT 29
PROGRAM FOR INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED UNDER 30
§ 15–160 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; AND 31
(2) IF APPROPRIATE, FORWARD A RECOMMENDA TION MADE UNDER 32
ITEM (1) OF THIS SECTION TO T HE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR 33
INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE. 34
Article – Health – General 35
HOUSE BILL 1246 3
15–160. 1
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “DATABASE” MEANS THE EMPLOYMENT TRAINING 2
AND OPPORTUNITY DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED UND ER SUBSECTION 3
(B) OF THIS SECTION. 4
(B) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVE LOP AND MAINTAIN AN 5
EMPLOYMENT TRAINING AND OPPORTUNITY DATABASE. 6
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE DATABASE IS TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALS IN 7
THE STATE WITH A SSISTANCE IN FINDING EMPLOYMENT TRAINING AND OTHER 8
OPPORTUNITIES THAT M AY ENABLE THE INDIVI DUALS TO BECOME ELIG IBLE AND 9
MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY FOR: 10
(I) THE PROGRAM; AND 11
(II) THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 12
(3) IN DEVELOPING AND MAI NTAINING THE DATABASE , THE 13
DEPARTMENT SHALL COORDINATE WITH THE FOLLOWING ENTITIES: 14
(I) THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF LABOR; 15
(II) THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES; 16
(III) THE DEPARTMENT OF SERVICE AND CIVIC INNOVATION; 17
(IV) THE MARYLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; 18
(V) LABOR UNIONS; 19
(VI) TRADE ASSOCIATIONS; 20
(VII) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS; 21
(VIII) LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARDS; AND 22
(IX) ANY OTHER ENTITY THAT THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES 23
APPROPRIATE. 24
(C) THE DATABASE SHALL INCLUDE: 25
4 HOUSE BILL 1246
(1) VOCATIONAL, WORKFORCE TRAINING , AND JOB PLACEMENT 1
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE IN THE STATE; 2
(2) INFORMATION REGARDING HOW TO APPLY FOR A V OCATIONAL, 3
WORKFORCE TRAINING , OR JOB PLACEMENT PRO GRAM INCLUDED IN THE 4
DATABASE UNDER ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 5
(3) A MECHANISM THAT ALLOW S AN INDIVIDUAL TO D IRECTLY 6
CONTACT THE VOCATIONAL, WORKFORCE TRAINING, OR JOB PLACEMENT PROGRAM 7
IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL IS INTERESTED. 8
(D) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 9
(1) MAKE THE DATABASE AVA ILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON A 10
DEDICATED PAGE ON THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE; 11
(2) ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN ENROLLING IN VOCATIO NAL, 12
WORKFORCE TRAINING , AND JOB PLACEMENT PR OGRAMS LISTED IN THE 13
DATABASE; AND 14
(3) UPDATE THE DATABASE AT LEAST EVERY 30 DAYS. 15
Article – Human Services 16
5–101. 17
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 18
(g) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Human Services. 19
5–304. 20
(b) (1) The Secretary of Budget and Management, with the assistance of the 21
Secretary, shall develop and implement a plan f or hiring current and former recipients, 22
children of current or former recipients, foster youth, and obligors by the principal 23
departments within the Executive Branch of State government. 24
(c) (1) Working with appropriate local government officials, the Secretary and 25
each local director shall develop and implement a local government hiring plan under which 26
local governments may hire current and former recipients, children of current or former 27
recipients, foster youth, and obligors. 28
(D) THE SECRETARY SHALL: 29
HOUSE BILL 1246 5
(1) ESTABLISH A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH A PERS ON MAY 1
RECOMMEND A VOCATION AL, WORKFORCE TRAINING , OR JOB PLACEMENT 2
PROGRAM FOR INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED UNDER 3
§ 15–160 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; AND 4
(2) IF APPROPRIATE, FORWARD A RECOMMENDA TION MADE UNDER 5
ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION T O THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR 6
INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE. 7
Article – State Government 8
21–101. 9
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 10
(b) “Department” means the Department of Service and Civic Innovation. 11
21–106. 12
(b) The Department shall: 13
(7) conduct studies and make recommendations to improve volunteer 14
recruitment and training, volunteer retention, and accountability of volunteer prog rams; 15
[and] 16
(8) provide staff support for the Governor’s Commission on Service and 17
Volunteerism; AND 18
(9) (I) ESTABLISH A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH A PERS ON MAY 19
RECOMMEND A VOCATION AL, WORKFORCE TRAINING , OR JOB PLACEMENT 20
PROGRAM FOR INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED UNDER 21
§ 15–160 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; AND 22
(II) IF APPROPRIATE , FORWARD A RECOMMENDA TION MADE 23
UNDER ITEM (I) OF THIS ITEM TO THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR 24
INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE. 25
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
October 1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of September 27
30, 2029, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 28
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 29