Department of Social and Economic Mobility – Workforce Opportunities Grant Program and Fund

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0539*

SENATE BILL 539
K3, C8 6lr0755
CF 6lr3413
By: Senator Smith
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Finance

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Department of Social and Economic Mobility – Workforce Opportunities Grant 2
Program and Fund 3

FOR the purpose of establishing the Workforce Opportunities Grant Program to provide 4
grants to certain organizations to support the planning and execution of workforce 5
events and job fairs in the State ; establishing the Workforce Opportunities Grant 6
Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund to support the Program; requiring that interest 7
earnings be credited to the Fund; and generally relating to the Workforce 8
Opportunities Grant Program and Fund. 9

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – State Finance and Procurement 11
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) and (ii) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – State Finance and Procurement 16
Section 6–226(a)(2)(iii)212. and 213. 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

BY adding to 20
Article – State Finance and Procurement 21
Section 6–226(a)(2)(iii)214. 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 24

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 25
Article – State Government 26
Section 9–4103 27
2 SENATE BILL 539

Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2

BY adding to 3
Article – State Government 4
Section 9 –4125 through 9 –4129 to be under the new part “Part IV. Workforce 5
Opportunities Grant Program” 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 8

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 10

Article – State Finance and Procurement 11

6–226. 12

(a) (2) (i) This paragraph does not apply in fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 13

(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 14
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 15
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 16
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 17
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 18
Fund of the State. 19

(iii) The provisions of su bparagraph (ii) of this paragraph do not 20
apply to the following funds: 21

212. the Department of Social and Economic Mobility Special 22
Fund; [and] 23

213. the Population Health Improvement Fund; AND 24

214. THE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES GRANT FUND. 25

Article – State Government 26

9–4103. 27

(a) The purpose of the Department is to: 28

(1) provide support for units of State government, individuals, and 29
businesses for the maintenance of social equity policies in the State; 30

(2) monitor trends in social equity programs and policies across the nation; 31
SENATE BILL 539 3

(3) propose new and innovative approaches to social equity programs; 1

(4) compile and produce reports and recommendations related to social 2
equity; 3

(5) ensure the fulfillment of the roles and responsibiliti es of the entities 4
and social equity programs in the State for which it is the successor; 5

(6) track the performance of social equity programs and small or 6
disadvantaged business assistance programs; 7

(7) promote and encourage full participation in the regulated cannabis 8
industry by individuals from communities that have previously been disproportionately 9
impacted by the war on drugs in order to positively impact those communities and other 10
duties assigned to the Office of Social Equity established under this subtitle; 11

(8) support small or disadvantaged businesses in the State through all 12
duties assigned to the [Governor’s] Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs; 13
[and] 14

(9) carry out the duties of the Office of Minority Business Enterprises 15
within the Maryland Department of Transportation, including duties assigned to support 16
small or disadvantaged businesses; AND 17

(10) OVERSEE AND ADMINIST ER THE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES 18
GRANT PROGRAM AND WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES GRANT FUND. 19

(b) The Department shall: 20

(1) connect a person with programs in State, federal, and local government 21
that serve designated populations to ensure the person is connected to programs and other 22
opportunities the person is eligible for; 23

(2) provide units of State government with assistance related to the 24
purpose of the Department by: 25

(i) facilitating information sharing between units; 26

(ii) maintaining an inventory of social equity work performed by 27
each unit and relevant reports from those units; 28

(iii) conducting policy analyses on social equity and the effectiveness 29
of social equity programs; 30

(iv) adopting standards for units to promote social equity; and 31
4 SENATE BILL 539

(v) providing technical assistance to units; and 1

(3) adopt regulations to carry out this subtitle. 2

9–4123. RESERVED. 3

9–4124. RESERVED. 4

PART IV. WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM. 5

9–4125. 6

(A) IN THIS PART THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 7
INDICATED. 8

(B) “FUND” MEANS THE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES GRANT FUND. 9

(C) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES GRANT 10
PROGRAM. 11

9–4126. 12

(A) THERE IS A WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM IN THE 13
DEPARTMENT. 14

(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 15

(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO SUPPORT 16
THE PLANNING AND EXE CUTION OF WORKFORCE EVENTS AND JOB FAIRS IN THE 17
STATE THAT CONNECT JOB SEEKERS WITH EMPLOYERS. 18

9–4127. 19

(A) SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, THE 20
DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH AN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT AWARDS GRANTS 21
ON A COMPETITIVE BAS IS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ONS, LOCAL WORKFORCE 22
BOARDS, AND PARTNERSHIP S THAT INCLUDE EMPLOYE RS, COMMUNITY 23
ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT: 24

(1) REGULARLY WORK WITH SMALL AND LARGE EMPL OYERS FROM 25
MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES AND REGIONS ACROSS THE STATE; 26

SENATE BILL 539 5

(2) CAN CONDUCT WORKFORCE EVENTS OR JOB FAIR S IN MULTIPLE 1
REGIONS OF THE STATE THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO JOB SEEKERS AND EMPLOYERS; 2

(3) HAVE EXPERIENC E ORGANIZING EVENTS AND WORKING WITH 3
EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO HIRE JOB SEEKERS; AND 4

(4) HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CONNECT JOB SEEKERS DIRECTLY WITH 5
EMPLOYERS FROM MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES. 6

(B) AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS AWARDED A GRANT UNDER THE PROGRAM 7
MAY USE THE FUNDS FOR: 8

(1) OUTREACH; 9

(2) LOGISTICS; 10

(3) VENUES; 11

(4) SUPPORT SERVICES; 12

(5) STAFFING; AND 13

(6) EVENT COORDINATION. 14

9–4128. 15

(A) THERE IS A WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES GRANT FUND. 16

(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM. 17

(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE FUND. 18

(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 19
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 20

(2) THE STATE TREASURER S HALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 21
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACCOUNT FOR THE FUND. 22

(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF: 23

(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 24

(2) INTEREST EARNINGS; AND 25
6 SENATE BILL 539

(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 1
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 2

(F) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR PROGRAM PURPOSES. 3

(G) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO THE 4
FUND. 5

(H) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND IN 6
THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE INVESTED. 7

(I) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 8
WITH THE STATE BUDGET. 9

(J) FOR EACH OF FISCAL YEAR S 2028 THROUGH 2030, THE GOVERNOR 10
SHALL INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION OF AT LEAST 11
$500,000 FOR THE FUND. 12

9–4129. 13

(A) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1 EACH YEAR , BEGINNING IN 2028, THE 14
DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT ON THE PROGRAM TO THE GOVERNOR AND, 15
IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THIS ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 16

(B) THE REPOR T SUBMITTED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 17
SHALL INCLUDE: 18

(1) THE NUMBER AND LOCAT ION OF EVENTS HELD USING GRANT 19
FUNDS AWARDED UNDER THE PROGRAM; 20

(2) THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS AND JOB SEEKERS PARTICIPATING 21
IN EVENTS SUPPORTED BY GRANT FUNDS AWARDED UNDER THE PROGRAM; AND 22

(3) DATA ON JOB PLACEMENTS AND HIRES RESULTING FROM EVENTS 23
SUPPORTED BY GRANT FUNDS AWARDED UNDER THE PROGRAM. 24

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 5 years and, at the end of September 26
30, 203 1, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 27
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 28