Registered Apprenticeship Investments for a Stronger Economy (RAISE) Act
HB501, the Registered Apprenticeship Investments for a Stronger Economy (RAISE) Act, is a broad apprenticeship expansion bill. It creates new state structures to promote registered apprenticeships, including a Maryland Office of Registered Apprenticeship Development, a Registered Apprenticeship Qualified Intermediary Program, and a Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program. The bill also repeals the existing Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee and updates the duties of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council.
The bill also changes licensing pathways for certain occupations. It authorizes the State Board of Plumbing to waive the journey plumber examination for individuals who complete an approved plumbing apprenticeship and pay the required fee. It further allows the Secretary of Labor to waive examination requirements for certain occupational licenses when an applicant has successfully completed an approved registered apprenticeship program, so long as the apprenticeship meets industry standards and licensure requirements. The bill specifies that these waivers do not eliminate any separate education or experience requirements under state law.
HB501 establishes a new incentive fund and requires significant state support for apprenticeship growth. The Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program Fund is created as a special, nonlapsing fund, with interest earnings retained in the fund, and the Governor must include at least $5 million annually in the budget for fiscal years 2027 through 2030. The fund may be used to provide incentives and cover administrative expenses, including support for employers and sponsors that hire newly registered apprentices. The bill also requires annual reporting on apprenticeship enrollment, completion, demographics, qualified intermediaries, grants and procurements used to support the program, and the number and value of incentives awarded.
The bill’s impact on state law is substantial because it expands the state’s role in apprenticeship development, creates new administrative programs within the Department of Labor, and adds a new licensing shortcut for apprenticeship completers in some fields. It also changes reporting requirements and budget law by exempting the new fund from the general rule that interest on certain state money accrues to the General Fund. The retroactive application clause for the Council’s duties applies only to registered apprenticeship programs initially approved on or after January 1, 2023.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of floor or committee sentiment. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed to be pro-workforce and pro-employer, with an emphasis on expanding apprenticeship access, reducing barriers to licensure, and encouraging participation through incentives. Potential points of contention likely include the cost of the new fund, the mandatory annual appropriation, the scope of examination waivers, and the new minimum journeyperson-to-apprentice ratio and deviation rules, which could draw differing views from labor, employers, licensing boards, and training providers.
HB501 would amend the Business Occupations and Professions, Business Regulation, Labor and Employment, and State Finance and Procurement Articles to create new apprenticeship-related offices and programs, alter the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council’s duties, and establish a dedicated nonlapsing fund for apprenticeship incentives. It would also authorize exam waivers for certain licensed occupations, including journey plumbers and other license applicants who complete approved registered apprenticeship programs, while preserving separate education and experience requirements. The bill adds new reporting obligations and exempts the new fund from the general interest-accrual rule that otherwise sends net interest to the General Fund.
No committee discussion or voting history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize. From the bill’s structure and sponsors, the measure appears to have been introduced as a workforce-development initiative with strong support for apprenticeship expansion, employer participation, and state investment. The overall tone of the bill is affirmative and programmatic, aiming to increase apprenticeship participation and improve pathways into licensed trades and nontraditional sectors.
The main likely points of contention are fiscal and regulatory. The bill requires at least $5 million annually for the incentive fund in fiscal years 2027 through 2030, which may raise budget concerns. It also expands state authority to waive licensing examinations for apprenticeship completers, which could prompt debate over licensing standards, public safety, and the role of exams versus training. In addition, the new journeyperson-to-apprentice ratio requirement and the authority to deviate for nonhazardous occupations may be disputed by employers, unions, and regulators depending on how strictly the standards are applied.