MD SB964

Contractors and subcontractors on public works projects 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, with the Secretary of Labor setting the percentage annually thereafter.

Expands coverage to all public works projects subject to prevailing wage requirements (previously limited to projects valued at $500,000 or more) and extends apprenticeship requirements to the University System of Maryland and Baltimore City Community College.

Eliminates the option for contractors to make payments to apprenticeship programs in lieu of employing apprentices; contractors must now either employ the required number of apprentices/journeyworkers or make payments to the State Apprenticeship Training Fund.

Contractors and subcontractors must submit monthly reports during construction detailing apprentice and journeyworker names, training programs, and labor hours by trade, plus a final statement within 60 days of project completion.

Penalties for non-compliance include twice the amount of unpaid apprenticeship training contributions plus $100 multiplied by total applicable labor hours, and up to $1,000 per employee for willfully false prevailing wage records, recoverable under the Maryland False Claims Act.