HB 859 Maryland House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Access to Health Insurance for Child Care Professionals - Outreach

HB 859 requires the Maryland State Department of Education, working with the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, to promote health insurance access for child care professionals. It directs the department to partner with prekindergarten provider hubs, child care associations, and nonprofit organizations to help professionals enroll in health insurance through the Exchange or Medicaid, assist those losing Medicaid coverage, and match health plan options to their budgets. The bill also authorizes child care providers receiving more than two-thirds of their operating funds from government sources to join the State Employee and Retiree Health Program as "satellite organizations," allowing their employees to access state health benefits. This directly affects child care professionals seeking coverage and eligible child care providers seeking to offer group health benefits to staff.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 30, 2025 Signed May 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Access to Health Insurance for Child Care Professionals - Outreach and Qualifying Nonprofit Satellite Organizations Third - Access to Health Insurance for Child Care Professionals - Outreach · 8 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to expand the list of sponsors, add a committee report and adoption status, and significantly modify the health insurance outreach requirements. The changes shift the focus from partnering with specific entities to conducting a survey of health care access in the child care community, while also adding specific outreach materials and emphasizing providers who accept child care scholarship vouchers.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from general partnership activities to include a mandatory survey requirement focused on health care access levels, particularly among providers accepting child care scholarship vouchers.
TECHNICAL

Added new sponsors (McCaskill, Bagnall, Bhandari, Cullison, Guzzone, Hill, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kerr, Lopez, Martinez, Pena-Melnyk, Rosenberg, Ross, Taveras, White Holland, Woods, and Woorman) to the bill sponsors list.

Added committee report indicating favorable action with amendments and House adoption status.

Changed the bill title from 'Outreach and Qualifying Nonprofit Satellite Organizations' to 'Outreach'.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the primary requirement from partnering with specific organizations to conducting a survey to assess current levels of health care access across the child care community.

Added requirement that the survey be developed in consultation with the State Department of Education and relevant nonprofit organizations.

Added specific emphasis on providers who accept child care scholarship vouchers in the survey focus.

Expanded outreach materials requirement to include flyers, webinars, in-person events, and other targeted outreach materials for the child care provider community.

DEFINITION

Modified the definition of 'wellness program' to include specific outreach activities and survey requirements.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 17, 2025 · House of Delegates Mar 8, 2025

How they voted

460
Passed
Total votes 46
Mar 17, 2025
D Democratic33
33 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican13
13 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
9
Committee
6
May 20, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 679
executive
Apr 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Returned Passed
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable Adopted
upper
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable Report by Budget and Taxation
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Committee
Referred Budget and Taxation Finance
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Mar 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Mar 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Health and Government Operations
lower
Mar 8, 2025
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (107-29-3)
house of delegates
Jan 30, 2025
Committee
First Reading Health and Government Operations and Ways and Means
lower
20 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors