(a) (1) There is a Maryland Service Year Option Pathway in the Program.

(2) The purpose of the Maryland Service Year Option Pathway is to:

(i) equip corps participants with professional development, mentoring, job training, financial literacy skills, and other supports while working in high-impact service placements;

(ii) assist in addressing the State‘s greatest challenges by channeling the talents of individuals into impactful public service; and

(iii) strengthen a pipeline of talent into State and local governments to fill present and future staffing needs.

(b) (1) An individual may apply to the Department for a placement in the MSY Pathway under this section if the individual is interested in performing public and community service in the State.

(2) The Department shall prioritize for participation in the MSY Pathway under this section individuals who are:

(i) Maryland residents; and

(ii) historically underrepresented in:

1. higher education enrollment or completion; or

2. employment by:

A. large-scale and community employers; or

B. participating organizations.

(3) The Department shall prioritize for participation in the MSY Pathway under this section organizations that provide wraparound services to corps participants.

(c) A corps participant who receives a service placement in the MSY Pathway under this section shall:

(1) participate in all training related to the service placement;

(2) perform the duties of the service placement to the satisfaction of the participating organization and the Department;

(3) participate in Program-wide events as determined by the Department;

(4) be paid $15 per hour or the State minimum wage, whichever is greater, for work hours or mandatory Program activities; and

(5) on completion of the Program, be notified of all available post-Program opportunities, including registered apprenticeships.

(d) The Department shall promote and publicize the availability of the MSY Pathway opportunities to:

(1) historically black colleges and universities, as defined in § 3-207 of the State Finance and Procurement Article;

(2) community colleges;

(3) trade schools;

(4) faith-based institutions;

(5) youth who are disconnected from school or work; and

(6) employers and nonprofit organizations with potential service placements for the MSY Pathway under this section.

(e) (1) There is a Maryland Service Year Option Pathway Fund.

(2) The purpose of the MSY Pathway Fund is to:

(i) provide stipends to corps participants with a service placement in the MSY Pathway under this section;

(ii) provide Program completion awards to corps participants who have completed the Program;

(iii) cover expenses incurred by the Department, including expenses incurred to study the potential use of the Program as a workforce development tool in the State;

(iv) cover expenses incurred to study how alumni of the Program could be better positioned to meet the current and future needs of employers in the State;

(v) provide funding for the MSY Pathway under this section to match gifts or grants received by the Department for the MSY Pathway Fund; and

(vi) assist in the creation of additional corps programs under § 21-207 of this subtitle.

(3) The Department shall administer the MSY Pathway Fund.

(4) Except as provided in paragraph (10) of this subsection, the MSY Pathway Fund is a continuing, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7-302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.

(5) (i) The State Treasurer shall hold the MSY Pathway Fund separately and shall invest the money in the MSY Pathway Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested.

(ii) Any investment earnings of the MSY Pathway Fund shall be credited to the Fund.

(6) The Comptroller shall separately account for each source for the MSY Pathway Fund.

(7) The Department:

(i) may accept any gift or grant from any person for the MSY Pathway Fund;

(ii) shall use any gift or grant that it receives for the reasons stated under paragraph (2) of this subsection; and

(iii) shall deposit any gift or grant that it receives for the MSY Pathway Fund with the State Treasurer.

(8) The MSY Pathway Fund consists of:

(i) money appropriated under subsection (f) of this section;

(ii) gifts or grants received by the Department for the MSY Pathway Fund;

(iii) investment earnings of the MSY Pathway Fund; and

(iv) any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the MSY Pathway Fund.

(9) The MSY Pathway Fund may be used only for the purposes described in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(10) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, any unspent State appropriation of the MSY Pathway Fund shall revert to the General Fund of the State at the end of the fiscal year.

(ii) For fiscal years 2024 through 2026, any unspent portion of the MSY Pathway Fund may not be transferred or revert to the General Fund of the State but shall remain in the MSY Pathway Fund to be used for the purposes specified in this subtitle.

(11) (i) Beginning with fiscal year 2024, at the end of each fiscal year, the Department shall prepare an annual report of the MSY Pathway Fund that includes:

1. an accounting of all financial receipts and expenditures to and from the MSY Pathway Fund; and

2. the following information:

A. the total number of corps participants disaggregated by demographic categories;

B. the total annual cost of the MSY Pathway disaggregated by the source of the funds;

C. corps participant transition after Program completion into higher education, postsecondary education, full-time employment, registered apprenticeships, and any other post-Program opportunity;

D. the number of corps participants employed by State or local government agencies after completion of the Program; and

E. to the extent practicable, what former corps participants are doing 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years after completing the Program.

(ii) The Department shall submit a copy of the report to the General Assembly in accordance with § 2-1257 of this article.

(12) The MSY Pathway Fund may be subject to an audit by the Legislative Auditor.

(f) (1) The Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation to the MSY Pathway Fund of:

(i) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;

(ii) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;

(iii) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and

(iv) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(2) It is the intent of the General Assembly that appropriations made under paragraph (1) of this subsection are in addition to any federal funding received for State service or volunteer programming.

(3) Appropriations made under paragraph (1) of this subsection and other funding received by the Department for the MSY Pathway under this section shall be used to:

(i) provide stipends to corps participants with a service placement in the MSY Pathway under this section;

(ii) provide Program completion awards to corps participants who have completed the Program;

(iii) cover expenses incurred by the Department, including expenses incurred in marketing and recruitment; and

(iv) cover programmatic expenses to expand service opportunities throughout the State, including expanding the Chesapeake Conservation Corps Program, as provided under §§ 8-1913 through 8-1924 of the Natural Resources Article.