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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
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*sb0772*
SENATE BILL 772
J1, O1, P1 6lr2727
CF HB 1246
By: Senator Ferguson
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2026
CHAPTER ______
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 a n 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 individual s to become eligible and maintain eligibility for the 7
Maryland Medical Assistance Program and the 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 Secret ary 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 rela ting to an e mployment training and opportunity 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
2 SENATE BILL 772
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 3
Article – Human Services 4
Section 5–101(a) and (g) and 5–304(b)(1) and (c)(1) 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Human Services 9
Section 5–304(d) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – State Government 14
Section 21–101(a) and (b) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – State Government 19
Section 21–106(b)(7) and (8) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
BY adding to 23
Article – State Government 24
Section 21–106(b)(9) 25
Annotated Code of Maryland 26
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 27
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 28
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 29
Article – Business Regulation 30
2–111. 31
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 32
(1) ESTABLISH A PROCESS THROUGH WH ICH A PERSON MAY 33
RECOMMEND A VOCATION AL, WORKFORCE, TRAINING, OR JOB PLACEMENT 34
PROGRAM FOR INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED UNDER 35
§ 15–160 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; AND 36
SENATE BILL 772 3
(2) IF APPROPRIATE, FORWARD A RECOMMENDA TION MADE UNDER 1
ITEM (1) OF THIS SECTION TO T HE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR 2
INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE. 3
Article – Health – General 4
15–160. 5
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “DATABASE” MEANS THE EMPLOYMENT TRAINING 6
AND OPPORTUNITY DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED UNDER SUBSECTION 7
(B) OF THIS SECTION. 8
(B) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AND MA INTAIN AN 9
EMPLOYMENT TRAINING AND OPPORTUNITY DATABASE. 10
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE DATABASE IS TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALS IN 11
THE STATE WITH ASSISTANCE IN FINDING EMPLOYMENT TRAINING AND OTHER 12
OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY ENABLE THE INDIVIDUALS TO BECOME ELIGIBLE AND 13
MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY FOR: 14
(I) THE PROGRAM; AND 15
(II) THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 16
(3) IN DEVELOPING AND MAI NTAINING THE DATABASE, THE 17
DEPARTMENT SHALL COORDINATE WITH THE FOLLOWING ENTITIES: 18
(I) THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF LABOR; 19
(II) THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES; 20
(III) THE DEPARTMENT OF SERVICE AND CIVIC INNOVATION; 21
(IV) THE MARYLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; 22
(V) LABOR UNIONS; 23
(VI) TRADE ASSOCIATIONS; 24
(VII) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS; 25
(VIII) LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARDS; AND 26
4 SENATE BILL 772
(IX) ANY OTHER ENTITY THAT THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES 1
APPROPRIATE. 2
(C) THE DATABASE SHALL INCLUDE: 3
(1) VOCATIONAL, WORKFORCE TRAINING , AND JOB PLACEMENT 4
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE IN THE STATE; 5
(2) INFORMATION REGARDING HOW TO APPLY FOR A VOCATIONAL, 6
WORKFORCE TRAINING , OR JOB PLACEMENT PROGRA M INCLUDED IN THE 7
DATABASE UNDER ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 8
(3) A MECHANISM THAT ALLOWS AN INDIV IDUAL TO DIRECTLY 9
CONTACT THE VOCATIONAL, WORKFORCE TRAINING, OR JOB PLACEMENT PROGRAM 10
IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL IS INTERESTED. 11
(D) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 12
(1) MAKE THE DATABASE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON A 13
DEDICATED PAGE ON THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE; 14
(2) ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN ENROLLING IN VOCATIO NAL, 15
WORKFORCE TRAINING , AND JOB PLACEMENT PR OGRAMS LISTED IN THE 16
DATABASE; AND 17
(3) UPDATE THE DATABASE AT LEAST EVERY 30 DAYS. 18
Article – Human Services 19
5–101. 20
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 21
(g) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Human Services. 22
5–304. 23
(b) (1) The Secretary of Budget and Management, with the assistance of the 24
Secretary, shall develop and implement a plan for hiring current and former recipients, 25
children of current or former recipients, foster youth, and obligors by the principal 26
departments within the Executive Branch of State government. 27
(c) (1) Working with appropriate local government officials, the Secretary and 28
each local director shall develop and implement a local government hiring plan under which 29
SENATE BILL 772 5
local governments may hire current and former recipients, children of current or former 1
recipients, foster youth, and obligors. 2
(D) THE SECRETARY SHALL: 3
(1) ESTABLISH A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH A PERS ON MAY 4
RECOMMEND A VOCATION AL, WORKFORCE TRAINING , OR JOB PLACEMENT 5
PROGRAM FOR INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED UNDER 6
§ 15–160 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; AND 7
(2) IF APPROPRIATE, FORWARD A RECOMMENDA TION MADE UNDER 8
ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION TO THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR 9
INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE. 10
Article – State Government 11
21–101. 12
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 13
(b) “Department” means the Department of Service and Civic Innovation. 14
21–106. 15
(b) The Department shall: 16
(7) conduct studies and make recommendations to improve volunteer 17
recruitment and training, vo lunteer retention, and accountability of volunteer programs; 18
[and] 19
(8) provide staff support for the Governor’s Commission on Service and 20
Volunteerism; AND 21
(9) (I) ESTABLISH A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH A PERS ON MAY 22
RECOMMEND A VOCATION AL, WORKFORCE TRAIN ING, OR JOB PLACEMENT 23
PROGRAM FOR INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED UNDER 24
§ 15–160 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; AND 25
(II) IF APPROPRIATE , FORWARD A RECOMMENDA TION MADE 26
UNDER ITEM (I) OF THIS ITEM TO THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR 27
INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE. 28
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 29
October 1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of September 30
6 SENATE BILL 772
30, 2029, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 1
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.