Merit Institute Merit

The Maryland Worker-Merit Credentialing Act (MD-ACSA)

Maryland state companion to ACSA. Extends licensure recognition under Md. Code, Business Regulation and Business Occupations Articles, Maryland Higher Education Commission, Governor's Workforce Development Board, and Md. Code, Tax-General credits, with labor-protective provisions.

THE MARYLAND WORKER-MERIT CREDENTIALING ACT (MD-ACSA)

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Maryland Worker-Merit Credentialing Act (MD-ACSA).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Assembly finds that Maryland occupational licensure operates under Md. Code, Business Regulation and Business Occupations and Professions Articles; that the Maryland Higher Education Commission operates under Md. Code, Education Art. Title 11; that the Governor’s Workforce Development Board operates under Md. Code, Labor and Employment Art. Title 11; that Md. Code, Tax-General Art. authorizes tax credits; and that Md. Code, Labor and Employment and State Government Art. Title 20 protections apply. This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH MARYLAND LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “Maryland Recognized Merit Credential” or “MDRMC” means a competency-based credential designated by the Secretary of Higher Education in coordination with GWDB under Sec. 201.
  2. (b) “Federal FRAC” means a Federally Recognized Alternative Credential under Section 202 of the federal ACSA.
  3. (c) “Covered State licensing authority” means a board under Md. Code, Business Regulation or Business Occupations and Professions Art.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Maryland Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • Md. Code, Business Regulation and Business Occupations and Professions Articles.
  • Md. Code, Education Art. Title 11 (MHEC).
  • Md. Code, Labor and Employment Art. Title 11 (GWDB).
  • Md. Code, Tax-General Art.
  • Md. Code, State Government Art. Title 20.

TITLE II — MARYLAND RECOGNIZED MERIT CREDENTIALS

Sec. 201. Designation Authority

  1. (a) The Secretary of Higher Education, in coordination with GWDB, shall maintain a Maryland Recognized Merit Credentials registry (“MDRMC Registry”) in machine-readable form, updated at least annually, crosswalked to Federal FRAC.

Sec. 202. Degree-Optional State Employment

  1. (a) The Department of Budget and Management, acting under Md. Code, State Personnel and Pensions Art. Title 4, shall apply classifications so that an MDRMC-holder satisfies any position qualification stated in terms of a college degree, unless expressly required by Maryland statute.

TITLE III — WORKFORCE-TRAINING TAX CREDIT (Worker-Protective Rewire)

Sec. 301. Skills-Based Hiring Tax Credit

  1. (a) A new credit is added to Md. Code, Tax-General Art. equal to a percentage of qualified first-year wages paid to a Maryland-resident employee whose qualifying pathway is an MDRMC or Federal FRAC.
  2. (b) Credit availability is conditioned on compliance with Md. Code, Labor and Employment Art. and State Government Art. Title 20.
  3. (c) Coordinated with federal IRC Sec. 45AA; aggregate cap.
  4. (d) Comptroller of Maryland administers.

TITLE IV — OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE PORTABILITY

Sec. 401. Licensure by Demonstrated Competency

  1. (a) Demonstrated-competency pathway accepting MDRMC, Federal FRAC, or examination-plus-supervised-experience, subject to public health and safety requirements.

Sec. 402. Interstate Recognition for Federal-Fund Recipients

  1. (a) Recognition by federally-funded authorities, consistent with Section 401 of the federal ACSA.

TITLE V — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 501. Severability

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

Sec. 502. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect on July 1 of the year following enactment, except that Sec. 301 shall apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 of the year following enactment.

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