Maryland Manual 1996-1997 Department of Labor, Licensing, & Regulation / 417

At the end of the nineteenth century as Maryland professed a shortage of labor, the State aggressively sought a
new work force In 1896, the Bureau of Immigration was formed to attract European immigrants (Chapter 295,
Acts of 1896) The State Superintendent oflmmigrauon was authonzed to go to other states and Canada, and to
visit Europe each year and "remain at least four months in the prosecution ofhis work visiting the different countnes "
The Bureau secretary was to be conversant m German, Dutch, and French (Chapter 282, Acts of 1898) The office
in Baltimore City was to keep well supplied "for ready reference" with maps, pamphlets and other stansncs on
geography, agriculture, shipping, marketing, and the social, educational and other conditions of each county, as well
as the quantities and character of land for sale and its price Though the Bureau of Immigration was abolished in
1916, by the 1920s the Southern Maryland Immigration Commission continued to seek immigrants for work in
Calvert, Charles, Pnnce George's and St Mary's counties (Chapter 496, Acts of 1922)

State Board of Labor and Statistics The Bureau of Industrial Statistics was reorganized in 1916 as the
State Board of Labor and Statistics In addition to information gathering and employment agency duties,
the Board was empowered to mediate labor disputes and enforce laws concerning hours of work and
employment of women and minors

Department of Employment Security A special legislative session in December 1936 enacted Maryland's
unemployment compensation law In compliance with federal law, it provided for free public re employ
ment offices The Unemployment Compensation Board administered the laws with federal funds until
1937, when the Department of Employment Security was created with a Division of Employment Service
and a Division of Unemployment Compensation

Meanwhile, the State Board of Labor and Statistics was reconstituted as the Department of Labor and
Industry in 1945, with its information gathering and employment agency functions intact Its focus, however,
gradually shifted towards regulating labor conditions, including issuance of work certificates to minors

Department of Employment and Social Services The move to improve administration of State
government by grouping agencies with related functions under cabinet level executive departments
produced in 1970 the Department of Employment and Social Services

Department of Human Resources In 1975, the Department of Employment and Social Services became
the Department of Human Resources Later, the Employment Security Administration (direct descendant
of the Unemployment Compensation Board of 1936) was abolished and its responsibilities transferred
from the Department of Human Resources to a new department

Department of Employment and Training The Department of Employment and Training was
orgamzedm I9S3 (Chapter 64, Acts of 1983) Four years later, it was abolished Nonetheless, its functions
shifted to the Division of Employment and Training which formed within the Department of Economic
and Employment Development in 1987 The Division joined the Department of Labor, Licensing, and
Regulation in 1995

Licensing and Regulatory Boards The oldest of the Department's agencies date to the nineteenth century
the Bureau of Statistics and Information (1884), and the State Board of Examining Engineers (1892) More
boards were established m the twentieth century the Board of Examiners of Public Accountants (1900), the
Board of Barber Examiners (1904), the State Board of Commissioners of Practical Plumbing (1910), the
Maryland State Board of Censors (1916), the State Athletic Commission and Maryland Racing Commission
(1920), the Board of Examiners and Registration of Architects, and the Board of Hairdressers and Beauty
Cultunsts (1935), the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers, and the Real Estate Commission
of Maryland (1939), and the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (1962)

Some early regulatory agencies became obsolete Functions, for example, of the Fxammcrs of
Horseshoers, formed m 1898, and the Board of Examining Moving Picture Machine Operators,
established in 1910, were discontinued Enduring agencies operated as separate entities

Central License Office The first effort to bring together licensing and regulatory boards came in 1951,
when the Central License Office was authonzed to house five boards (Chapter 280, Acts of 1951) The Office
provided office space and clerical services to the Board of Barber Examiners, the Board off xaminmg Engineers,
the Board of Examiners of Motion Picture Machine Operators, the Board of Electrical Examiners and
Supervisors, and the State Board of Commissioners of Practical Plumbing Boards that licensed and regulated
health care and environmental professionals were placed under the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
when that department was organized in 1969 A year later, the Central License Office was abolished

Department of Licensing and Regulation In 1970, the Department of Licensing and Regulation was
formed to consolidate over thirty State agencies and boards responsible for licensing and regulating
businesses, professions, and trades (Chapter 402, Acts of 1970) As new boards were created, they were
placed under Department supervision the Maryland Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects (1971),