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Subcommittee advances amended residency rule for apprentices on large state projects
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Summary
The subcommittee approved an amended HB957 that limits a state-residency apprenticeship requirement to large public-work contracts in specified jurisdictions, sets a 35% apprenticeship‑hour target for state residents and creates alternatives such as contributions to the state apprenticeship training fund; members discussed debarment thresholds and enforcement.
The Health and Government Operations subcommittee on April 2 moved HB957, an apprenticeship residency measure, to the full committee after adopting sponsor and stakeholder amendments that narrow the bill's scope and modify enforcement penalties.
Committee counsel summarized the bill: the residency requirement now applies only to covered large public‑work projects subject to prevailing wage rules valued at $5,000,000 or more in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, and Baltimore City. The amendments require that 35% of apprenticeship hours on a covered contract be performed by Maryland residents; contractors who fail to meet the percentage may make contributions to the state apprenticeship and training fund or to a registered apprenticeship program that operates in the state as an alternative to meeting the hour requirement.
Counsel also described changes recommended by the ABC, including altering the monetary penalty formula to be twice the number of apprentice hours at the applicable apprentice rate by which the contractor failed to meet the requirement, and tightening criteria for eligible registered apprenticeship programs.
Sponsor and stakeholder discussion focused on enforcement mechanics and debarment. Several members asked whether each contract shortfall counts as a single violation regardless of how many individuals are involved. Sean Malone and other stakeholders said violations are evaluated by whether a project meets the required 35% threshold of apprenticeship hours; a job that fails to meet the 35% hour threshold counts as a violation for that job. Delegate Hill moved an amendment to change a look‑back window for debarment from 10 years to five years (so that debarment would be triggered by five violations in five years), that motion was seconded and adopted.
The subcommittee then voted to move the bill as amended; counsel noted the reprint incorporates ABC's technical edits and the sponsor's amendments.
What happens next: HB957 will be considered by the full committee; the Department of Labor will be the enforcing agency if the bill is enacted, and stakeholders signaled they would continue work on penalty formulas and administrative implementation details during the interim.
