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*sb0869*
SENATE BILL 869
C8 6lr2426
By: Senator A. Washington
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
Economic Development – Maryland Workforce Launch Pilot Program – 2
Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Workforce Launch Pilot Program in the 4
Department of Commerce to provide certain workforce training to qualified business 5
entities; and generally relating to the Maryland Workforce Launch Pilot Program. 6
BY adding to 7
Article – Economic Development 8
Section 3 –701 through 3 –706 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 7. Maryland 9
Workforce Launch Pilot Program” 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Economic Development 15
SUBTITLE 7. MARYLAND WORKFORCE LAUNCH PILOT PROGRAM. 16
3–701. 17
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 18
INDICATED. 19
2 SENATE BILL 869
(B) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND WORKFORCE LAUNCH PILOT 1
PROGRAM. 2
(C) “QUALIFIED BUSINESS ENTITY” MEANS A BUSINESS ENTITY THAT: 3
(1) DOES NOT HAVE A PHYSICAL LOCATION IN THE STATE; 4
(2) IS IN ACTIVE NEGOTIA TIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO 5
ESTABLISH A LOCATION IN THE STATE FROM OUTSIDE THE STATE; AND 6
(3) ENTERS INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO 7
PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. 8
(D) “STRATEGIC INDUSTRY” MEANS AN INDUSTRY SE CTOR IDENTIFIED BY 9
THE DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE’S ECONOMIC STRATEGIC PLAN. 10
3–702. 11
THERE IS A MARYLAND WORKFORCE LAUNCH PILOT PROGRAM IN THE 12
DEPARTMENT. 13
3–703. 14
THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE CUSTO MIZED, NO–COST 15
WORKFORCE TRAINING AS A BUSINESS ATTRACTION TOOL TO RECRUIT STRATEGIC 16
INDUSTRIES AND QUALIFIED BUSINESS ENTITIES TO THE STATE. 17
3–704. 18
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 19
(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PART NER WITH NOT MORE TH AN TWO 20
COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN THE STATE TO DELIVER TRAINING SERVICES UNDER THE 21
PROGRAM. 22
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DIST RIBUTE FUNDS TO A PARTNER 23
COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO COVER THE DIRECT COSTS OF DEVE LOPING AND 24
DELIVERING CUSTOMIZED TRAINING FOR A QUALIFIED BUSINESS ENTITY. 25
(D) FOR EACH QUALIFIED BU SINESS ENTITY RECEIV ING ASSISTANCE 26
UNDER THE PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH PERFORMANCE 27
METRICS, INCLUDING: 28
SENATE BILL 869 3
(1) THE NUMBER OF FULL–TIME JOBS CREATED; AND 1
(2) THE SALARY THAT THE QUALIFIED B USINESS ENTITY IS 2
PROVIDING TO THE INDIVIDUALS BEING TRAINED. 3
3–705. 4
(A) ANY CURRICULUM , MANUALS, OR INSTRUCTIONAL MAT ERIALS 5
DEVELOPED BY A COMMU NITY COLLEGE UNDER THIS SUBTITLE SHAL L BE OWNED 6
BY THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. 7
(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL INCL UDE IN EACH AGREEMEN T WITH A 8
QUALIFIED BUSINESS E NTITY A PROVISION RE QUIRING THE QUALIFIE D BUSINESS 9
ENTITY TO REIMBURSE THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE COST OF THE TRAINING 10
SERVICES IF THE QUALIFIED BUSINESS ENTITY FAILS TO MEET THE PERFORMANCE 11
METRICS ESTABLISHED UNDER § 3–704 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 12
3–706. 13
ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2028, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT A 14
REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND, IN ACCORDANCE W ITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 15
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE 16
PROGRAM, INCLUDING REVENUE GE NERATED BY THE QUALIFIED BUS INESS 17
ENTITIES, JOBS CREATED BY QUAL IFIED BUSINESS ENTIT IES, AND 18
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATEWIDE EXPANSION. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of September 21
30, 2029, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 22
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 23
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.