PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                             Ch. 593

(a)     The Family Investment Program Advisory Council in the Department of Human
Resources shall conduct a study and make recommendations on establishing a Maryland
Individual Development Account Pilot Program within the Department of Human Resources
that will be administered by the Secretary of Human Resources.

(b)    As part of its study the Family Investment Program Advisory Council shall
consider, among other factors:

(1) The criteria that an individual would have to satisfy in order to be eligible to
establish an individual development account, including income and net worth criteria;

(2) The criteria that a fiduciary organization would have to satisfy in order to
participate in the Maryland Individual Development Account Program;

(3)    For what purposes an individual development account may be used;

(4)     The level and total amount of matching funds, if any, the State should
contribute to individual development accounts: and

(5)     Whether to establish the Maryland Individual Development Account
Program as a pilot program.

(c)     The Family Investment Program Advisory Council shall submit a report on its
findings and recommendations, subject to § 2-1312 of the State Government Article, to the
Joint Committee on Welfare Reform, on or before September 1, 1997.

SECTION 12. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, notwithstanding Division II
of the State Finance and Procurement Article, the Department of Human Resources and
Resources, the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, and the Department of
Business and Economic Development are authorized to jointly conduct pilot projects with
employers, in conjunction with representatives of State and local business organizations, for
the purposes of developing and demonstrating methods whereby opportunities for the
employment of FIP recipients can be developed more quickly than under present laws,
regulations, and procedures. This demonstration authority is granted subject to the following
conditions:

(1) The total value of all such pilot projects may not exceed $1,000,000 per year;

(2)     Unless otherwise extended, this authority shall be only for Fiscal Years 1998
and 1999; and

(3)    Beginning October 1, 1997, and quarterly thereafter during; the term of this
authority, the departments shall submit reports, subject to § 2-1312 of the State Government
Article, to the Joint Committee on Welfare Reform that detail:

(i) The nature, scope, performance objectives, projected costs, and
planned duration of any projects started during the report period;

(ii) Costs incurred and performance data on projects that were in
operation or concluded during the report period;

(iii) An evaluation of any projects concluded during the report period; and
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