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HB0546 - Serving Every Region Through Vocational Exploration Act of 2023
Link to Bill Text: HB0546
Position: Support
Current Status: Passed in Senate (With Amendments); Passed in House.
This bill would establish the Service Year Option Program for students exiting high school. This program was a hallmark of Governor Moore's campaign and would create a first-of-its-kind program for any US state. The "SERVE" Act would allow recent graduates to work for a $15 hourly wage and a $3,000 stipend after completing the service year. Under both versions of the bill, the state would pay the stipend and the host organization would pay the wage. The Governor has said that grants will be available for a time to organizations to cover the cost of the wages employers would pay under this program.
Both chambers took different approaches to amendments, trying to blend the Governor's idea with Maryland Corps, a similar program that was previously established but has been underutilized. Under the Senate-amended version of the Act, there would be a “young adult pathway” and a “Maryland service year pathway,” allowing for both recent graduates and young adults to participate in compensated service experiences. Under the House-amended version of the Act, the law that created the Maryland Corps would be repealed and re-created to expand Maryland Corps to include recent graduates with stipends and wage payments to participants.
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