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<section article="gle" article_name="Labor and Employment" number="11-604" title_number="11" title_name="Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Miscellaneous Programs">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “Program” means the Apprenticeship Career Training Pilot Program for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is an Apprenticeship Career Training Pilot Program for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in the Department.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The purposes of the Program are:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>to develop a well–trained, productive construction workforce which meets the needs of the State’s economy;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>to encourage employers to hire formerly incarcerated individuals in the construction industry; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>to help employers offset additional costs, if any, associated with hiring apprentices.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department shall administer the Program and provide grants on a competitive basis to employers that meet the requirements under paragraph (2) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An employer is eligible to receive a grant if the employer employs one or more formerly incarcerated apprentices who:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>have been employed by the employer for at least 7 months;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>are engaged in a building or construction trade;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>are enrolled in the first year of an apprenticeship program registered with the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning under § 11–405(b) of this title; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>live in Baltimore City or Dorchester County.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>As provided in the State budget, the Program shall award grants to eligible employers.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>For fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023, the Governor shall include in the annual State budget an appropriation of at least $100,000 for the Program to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>provide grants to eligible employers; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>cover administrative costs.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The amount of a grant awarded by the Program under subsection (e) of this section shall be based on the number of apprentices that an eligible employer employs who meet the description in subsection (d)(2) of this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>A grant shall consist of a maximum of $1,000 for each apprentice that an eligible employer employs who meets the description in subsection (d)(2) of this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>The Department shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out this section, including regulations to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>develop requirements for grant applications;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>develop a process for reviewing grant applications and awarding grants to eligible employers; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>determine a cap for the maximum amount of a grant that an eligible employer may receive each year.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>On or before September 30 each year, the Department shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the following information for the immediately preceding calendar year:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the number and types of employers that received grants under the Program;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the grant amount received by each employer;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the total number of apprentices and number of apprentices by employer that participated in the Program; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the progress in achieving the purposes of the Program specified under subsection (c) of this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
