Merit Institute Merit

The Maryland Pro-Worker AI Workforce Act (MD-AI-Workforce)

Maryland state companion to the federal AI Workforce Act. Leverages Md. Code, Tax-General Art. credits, MHEC coordination, and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) with labor-protective training credits and public-option R&D matching grants.

THE MARYLAND PRO-WORKER AI WORKFORCE ACT (MD-AI-WORKFORCE)

Vehicle: State passage. Maryland General Assembly, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Ways and Means / Budget and Taxation / Economic Matters.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Maryland Pro-Worker AI Workforce Act (MD-AI-Workforce).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Assembly finds that AI adoption is an opportunity to raise wages and worker voice; that Md. Code, Tax-General Art. authorizes tax credits; that MHEC operates under Md. Code, Education Art. Title 11; that the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) operates under Md. Code, Economic Development Art. Title 10; and that Md. Code, Labor and Employment Art. protects collective bargaining.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH MARYLAND LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “AI-adjacent occupation” is aligned to the federal AI Workforce Act.
  2. (b) “Labor-management partnership” means a jointly administered training program.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Maryland Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • Md. Code, Tax-General Art.
  • Md. Code, Education Art. Title 11 (MHEC).
  • Md. Code, Economic Development Art. Title 10 (TEDCO).
  • Md. Code, Labor and Employment Art.

TITLE II — WORKER-MERIT AI TRAINING CREDIT (Labor-Protective Rewire)

Sec. 201. Pro-Worker AI Training Credit

  1. (a) A new credit is added to Md. Code, Tax-General Art. equal to a percentage of qualified training expenditures for Maryland-resident workers training in AI-adjacent occupations.
  2. (b) Enhanced rate where delivered through a labor-management partnership, apprenticeship registered with the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council, or community-college.
  3. (c) Coordinated with federal IRC Sec. 45BB; aggregate cap.
  4. (d) Comptroller of Maryland administers.

TITLE III — MARYLAND AI APPRENTICESHIPS

Sec. 301. Registered Apprenticeship Priority

  1. (a) Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council shall prioritize registered AI-adjacent apprenticeships under Md. Code, Labor and Employment Art. Sec. 11-401 et seq.

TITLE IV — PUBLIC-OPTION R&D MATCHING GRANTS

Sec. 401. TEDCO Matching Grants

  1. (a) TEDCO shall operate a Maryland AI R&D Matching Grant Program funding open-source, public-interest AI research aligned to federal public-option infrastructure, with priority to labor-management partnerships and HBCUs and MSIs operating under Md. Code, Education Art. Title 11 on neutral, competency-based criteria.

TITLE V — WORKER VOICE AND TRANSPARENCY

Sec. 501. Worker Voice

  1. (a) Md. Code, Labor and Employment Art. protections are preserved; credits conditioned on non-interference with protected concerted activity.

Sec. 502. Data Transparency

  1. (a) Published dashboard through MHEC and GWDB, crosswalked to the Federal NLMF.

TITLE VI — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 602. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect on July 1 of the year following enactment, except that Sec. 201 shall apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 of the year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: AI Workforce Act. Other Maryland bills: MD-ACSA, MD-MEWRA, MD-GT&P.