In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. “Division” means the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning. “Eligible employer” means a hospital or related institution as those terms are defined in § 19–301 of the Health – General Article. “Health care worker” means: a worker licensed or certified under Title 8 of the Health Occupations Article; or any other individual employed by an eligible employer who provides personal care, assistance, or treatment services directly to patients or residents in the course of the worker’s regular duties. “HBCU” includes: Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Morgan State University; and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. “Program” means the Career Pathways for Health Care Workers Program. “Training program” means a training program provided for health care workers by an HBCU or a community college.

There is a Career Pathways for Health Care Workers Program in the Department. The Division shall administer the Program. The Division may adopt regulations to implement the Program.

The purpose of the Program is to provide matching grants to eligible employers that pay for training programs attended by health care workers. The goal of the Program is to provide increased opportunities for health care workers to receive training across the State.

Each year, the Division shall issue a request for applications from eligible employers for matching grants offered under the Program. To receive a matching grant under the Program, an eligible employer shall submit to the Division an application which shall include: a list of training programs that health care workers have requested to attend during the immediately following calendar year; a list of training programs that a participating eligible employer has identified based on current labor market needs; the cost of any training programs that health care workers have attended during the immediately preceding calendar year and for which the eligible employer agreed to pay; sufficient detail about a training program to allow the Division to ensure that the training program meets the requirements of this subtitle; and an assurance that the training program shall be provided at no cost to a health care worker.

In evaluating the applications submitted under § 11–1504 of this subtitle and selecting eligible employers to receive a matching grant under the Program, the Division shall secure matching cash contributions or other consideration for training programs during the immediately following calendar year in an amount at least equal in value to the amount requested from the Program. The Division may not award a matching grant that exceeds $50,000 each year to an eligible employer. If the Division received applications for matching grants totaling more than the amount of funds appropriated for the Program for a fiscal year, the Division shall award the grants on a pro rata basis. A matching grant awarded under the Program shall be valid for 1 calendar year. An eligible employer receiving a matching grant under the Program shall use the grant to supplement, and not supplant, the amount of funds that, in the absence of the grant, would be available to pay for the training programs to be attended by health care workers during the immediately following calendar year. An eligible employer receiving a grant under the Program shall: provide to each health care worker who is considering enrolling in a training program information relating to the wage increase required to be provided under item (2) of this subsection to health care workers on completion of a training program; and provide a wage increase that is commensurate with current labor market trends to a health care worker who completes and receives a certification for a training program for which a grant has been awarded under the Program. If an eligible employer and an employee organization or union bargain collectively to create a training and upgrading fund that provides educational and job training programs and benefits health care workers, any grant money for an employee who is a member of a bargaining unit awarded to the employer under the Program shall pass through the fund. The training and upgrading fund shall report to the Division, in the manner specified by the Division, when grant money is expended by the training and upgrading fund.

Through fiscal year 2024, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of at least $1,000,000 for the Program. For fiscal years 2025 and 2026, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of at least $500,000 for the Program. For fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of at least $350,000 for the Program. Appropriations and expenditures made for the purpose of implementing the Program, including the use of any funds received by a person under any component of the Program, are subject to audit by the Office of Legislative Audits as provided in § 2–1220 of the State Government Article.

On or before December 1 each year, beginning in 2023, the Division shall report to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on: the amount of grant funds provided to eligible employers for training programs during the reporting period; the number of health care workers who attended training programs for which grant funds were used during the reporting period; and the HBCUs or community colleges which provided training programs to health care workers and for which grant funds were used during the reporting period.