MD HB864

Contractors and subcontractors on public works projects subject to prevailing wage requirements must employ qualified apprentices or journeyworkers to meet an applicable percentage of total labor hours, starting at 20% for projects advertised on or after January 1, 2027

The Secretary of Labor must set the applicable percentage every other year beginning December 31, 2028, based on apprenticeship program enrollment and actual utilization data from the preceding two years

Contractors who cannot meet apprenticeship requirements may apply for a waiver by demonstrating they requested apprentices from all applicable training programs and were denied or received no response within 10 business days

Contractors failing to meet requirements must pay into the State Apprenticeship Training Fund (up to 25 cents per hour per employee) and face penalties of twice the unpaid contributions plus fines up to $10,000

Monthly and final project reporting to the Department of Labor is required, including apprentice/journeyworker names, training programs, registration numbers, and labor hours by trade; the Department must publish aggregated data on its website