By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) held his first bill signing of 2025 on April 8, hours after the close of the 90-day general assembly session. Over 800 bills were passed this legislative session.
“The legislation that we will sign today is centered on strengthening Maryland’s workforce,” said Moore. “HB (House Bill) 723, will help fast track license approval for healthcare workers who have been licensed in other states and fired from their jobs in the federal government. In Maryland, we believe their service does matter, and this legislation will help ensure essential workers can continue their work to be able to make our state better.”
Moore also highlighted the Registered Apprenticeship Investments for a Stronger
Economy (RAISE) Act.
“This legislation will strengthen the apprenticeship pipeline in the state of Maryland,” said Moore. “While we are proud of the fact that Maryland has some of the best four year institutions of higher education in the entire country, we will end this myth that every single one of our students need to attend one in order to be economically successful.”
It creates a financial incentive for employers that work in industries like cyber to adopt an apprenticeship model. It also erected the Maryland Office of Registered Apprenticeship to help employers navigate the startup phase of the apprenticeship platform and programs.
Another key piece of legislation from this bill signing includes a HB 502, which would create a new Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy, and order the Maryland Department of Disabilities to implement a new cause that supports employment and job training for Marylanders with disabilities.
“This bill extends a hand to a community that has been left behind for far too long when it comes to employment–Marylanders with disabilities,” said Moore. “One in two Marylanders with disabilities face financial hardships. Marylanders with disabilities make up just 5 percent of the workforce.”
According to Moore, 62 percent of Black Marylanders with disabilities have dealt with unemployment.
Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Md.-46) reflected on the 2025 legislative session.
“This was one of, if not the hardest, sessions that we have faced,” said Ferguson. “The level of uncertainty and instability that we saw from the federal level…was a cloud over top of every single decision that we were forced to make.”
House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Md.-10), echoed this sentiment with her 28 years of service in the Maryland General Assembly. She also emphasized the importance of the legislation put forth by state legislators this session.
“Together, we fought to protect our federal workers and contractors to protect affordable health care and abortion access and to protect working families and their futures,” said Jones. “Today, we are signing a series of bills to protect and fortify our state government, because at the end of the day, our state legislature is one of the last lines of defense.”