(b) The Department is responsible for expanding service opportunities in the State through the Program with the following goals:

(1) creating a strong annual cohort bond of unity for corps participants from urban, rural, and suburban areas of the State;

(2) ensuring all individuals have equitable access to participate in the Program regardless of gender, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, geography, native language, or protected veteran status;

(3) helping corps participants develop the critical job skills necessary for creating a more equitable society as they serve their communities across the State, using the lens of environmental, social, racial, and economic justice; and

(4) ensuring each district of the State can communicate its unique community needs and choose the appropriate solutions.

(c) (1) The Department shall act as an intermediary with the AmeriCorps Program to secure federal funding and alleviate the administrative burden on State organizations seeking to participate in AmeriCorps programming.

(2) In working with the AmeriCorps Program under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Department shall focus on expanding the service opportunities in:

(i) State and local parks;

(ii) public and community health sectors; and

(iii) the clean and renewable energy sector.

(d) The Department shall adopt regulations regarding:

(1) selection criteria for regional operating partners with a global view of the needs of the communities in which the regional operating partner works, who will identify and implement placement priorities for each Program pathway in consultation with local community partners to expand capacity and create new service programs as needed;

(2) eligibility requirements for participating organizations, classified by the Department based on the number of service placements the organization’s grant will support, as:

(i) community employers; or

(ii) large-scale employers;

(3) prioritizing the placement of corps participants with organizations based on the organization’s demonstrated ability to transition participants to full-time employment, postsecondary education, or registered apprenticeships following completion of the service placement;

(4) a centralized process to facilitate efficient screening and placement of corps participants into the appropriate service placement of a Program pathway as well as effective measurement and evaluation of the corps participant’s service experience;

(5) reasonable workplace accommodations for corps participants with disabilities;

(6) stipends for corps participants, including:

(i) monetary payment of at least $15 per hour or the State minimum wage, whichever is greater;

(ii) health insurance benefits and the potential for wraparound services; and

(iii) requirements for large-scale employers to provide matching funds;

(7) a Program completion award of $6,000 for participants that complete at least 9 months of service that may be awarded as follows:

(i) by deposit into a tax-exempt Maryland 529 account established under Title 18, Subtitle 19 of the Education Article and may only be used for qualified higher education expenses, as defined in § 18-1901 of the Education Article; or

(ii) payment of a cash stipend;

(8) workforce development training and wraparound services provided to corps participants by participating organizations or State agencies;

(9) additional training and support services provided to corps participants after the completion of the corps participant’s service;

(10) ongoing evaluation of opportunities to expand service in the State to address the State’s workforce development needs, including opportunities within State agencies for the creation and expansion of service opportunities within the agencies; and

(11) ongoing evaluation of the Program to ensure access and effectiveness, including:

(i) demographics of corps participants, including race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, education, and geography;

(ii) whether Program pathways are facilitating entry into public sector workforce positions;

(iii) post-Program trajectories of corps participants; and

(iv) an evaluation of the needs served in the community by the Program.