Department of Information Technology - Information Technology Staffing and Capability Assessment - Independent Study, the official text

WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 871

Chapter 871

                                        (House Bill 1335)

AN ACT concerning

   Department of Information Technology – Recruitment, Retention, and
Compensation of Information Technology and Cybersecurity Professionals
Information Technology Staffing and Capability Assessment – Independent

                                                      Study

FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Information Technology to procure the
         services of a third–party entity to conduct a certain independent study; and generally
         relating to the recruitment, retention, and compensation staffing, capability
         assessment, and workforce alignment of information technology and cybersecurity
         professionals in the State.

         SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That:

         (a) The Department of Information Technology shall procure the services of a
third–party entity to conduct an independent study that includes:

                  (1) an assessment of information technology and cybersecurity staffing
needs across the principal departments of the Executive Branch as identified in § 8–201 of
the State Government Article, including:

                           (i) an inventory of existing information technology and
cybersecurity positions by classification, role, and function;

                           (ii) an evaluation of each principal department’s information
technology environment, including:

                   1. the size and information technology needs of the principal

department;

                                    2.  the size and scope of systems and applications used by
information technology;

                   3. cybersecurity risk profile and regulatory or compliance

obligations; and

                   4. legacy system dependencies and modernization

requirements;

                           (iii) an analysis of capability gaps between current staffing levels and
the skills required to support principal department missions;

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Ch. 871  2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

                           (iv) identification of the types of information technology and
cybersecurity roles necessary to support operations based on the principal department’s
specific technology environment; and

                           (v) recommendations for aligning State information technology
staffing models with the operational, security, and project delivery needs of principal
departments and the strategic priorities of the Department of Information Technology’s
statewide information technology master plan; and

                  (2) recommendations for updated information technology classifications
and pay scales for information technology and cybersecurity professionals, informed by
comparable compensation data from other agencies across State and local government.

                  (1) a comparison of compensation of information technology and
cybersecurity professionals at State agencies with other comparable positions:

                           (i) at federal and local levels; and

                           (ii) in the private sector;

                  (2) an evaluation of the impact of salary adjustments and any other
compensation benefits or incentives offered by the State for information technology and
cybersecurity professionals; and

                  (3) recommendations for improving recruitment and retention of the State
technology and cybersecurity workforce.

         (b) On or before November 1, 2027, the Department of Information Technology
shall submit the study under subsection (a) of this section to the Governor and, in
accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly.

         SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and, at the end of June 30, 2028,
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and
of no further force and effect.

Enacted under Article II, § 17(c) of the Maryland Constitution, May 31, 2026.

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