A bill testing four-day work weeks in Maryland is dead for the year in the General Assembly.

But this won’t be the last time lawmakers take up the matter according to the bill’s sponsor.

Montgomery County Del. Vaughn Stewart’s bill created a pilot-program where participating businesses would have received tax credits if they offered their employees a four-day work week.

Maryland would have been the first state to encourage employers in this manner.

Stewart told WYPR he heard from some businesses that tax credits wouldn’t be the right route to four-day work weeks.

Instead, it would be ‘technical assistance’ from the Maryland Department of Labor.

“A company could call the department of labor or go on their website and say ‘Hey I’m thinking about making this shift but I need some help,’” Stewart said. “‘Can you tell me how we can squeeze more productivity out of the day, can you hold my hand through this process, could you connect me with other business leaders who have made this transition so I can seek advice from them.’”

Stewart says the Department of Labor will study four-day work weeks in the meantime, and he hopes that study is concluded in time to introduce new legislation in next year’s General Assembly session.