Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1146: Maryland Behavioral Health Crisis Response System – Integration of 9–8–8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Network and Outcome Evaluations

HB 1146 requires Maryland's crisis communication centers to coordinate with the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Network to provide services like supportive counseling, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and referrals. It mandates that each jurisdiction's crisis system evaluate outcomes using specific data points, including 9-8-8 call volume, resolution rates, mobile crisis team dispatches, and discharge data. The bill also requires annual public reporting of this data - disaggregated by race, gender, age, and zip code - to inform policy improvements aimed at reducing criminal detention and enhancing community crisis diversion. This directly affects all Maryland crisis communication centers and their coordination with the 9-8-8 network.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Jamila Woods (D) Harry Bhandari (D) Teresa Woorman (D) Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D) Nic Kipke (R)

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 559: Food Establishments - Portable Chemical Toilets

HB 559 allows specific food establishments - agritourism operations, Class 4 limited wineries, and Class 8 farm breweries - to meet Maryland's toilet requirements by using a portable chemical toilet instead of a permanent fixture. The bill amends health code to state that these businesses may comply with sanitation, ventilation, and handwashing standards (requiring soap, water, and drying supplies) using a portable unit that meets all existing criteria. This change applies only to the three designated business types and does not alter requirements for other food establishments. The bill takes effect June 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1315: Vaccinations by Pharmacists and Health Insurance Coverage for Immunizations

HB 1315 requires Maryland health insurers to cover all childhood and adolescent immunizations recommended by either the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or the American Academy of Pediatrics' schedule, without deductibles. It directly affects health insurers offering family coverage in Maryland, mandating these vaccines as part of the required "minimum package of child wellness services." The bill expands current coverage to include all recommended vaccines under these two authoritative sources, rather than a limited list. This policy change takes effect January 1, 2026, for all new or renewed policies.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 544: Food Establishments - Portable Chemical Toilets

SB 544 allows specific types of food establishments - agritourism businesses, Class 4 wineries, and Class 8 farm breweries - to use portable chemical toilets instead of permanent restrooms to meet Maryland's health code requirements for public lavatories. The bill amends Section 21-325 of the Maryland Annotated Code to permit this option, provided the portable toilet meets all existing standards: it must be sanitary, properly ventilated, and equipped with soap/water and hand-drying supplies. This change applies only to the three designated business types and does not alter requirements for other food establishments. The law takes effect June 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1004: Public Health - Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias - Information on Prevalence and Treatment

HB 1004 requires the Maryland Department of Health to incorporate FDA-approved Alzheimer's treatments into public health outreach programs for healthcare providers and the public. It mandates the department to create a publicly accessible website displaying statewide prevalence and hospitalization rates for Alzheimer's and related dementias, disaggregated by age, race, ethnicity, sex, and county. The bill specifically targets improving early detection awareness, emphasizing Medicare wellness visits for seniors, and addressing higher risk in Black and Latino communities. The website must include data from the previous five years and be updated annually starting in 2027.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1087: Health Insurance - Step Therapy or Fail-First Protocols - Drugs to Treat Associated Conditions of Advanced Metastatic Cancer

HB 1087 prohibits Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations from requiring step therapy (where patients must try less expensive drugs first) for two specific cancer-related treatments. It applies when: (1) a drug treats stage 4 metastatic cancer itself (if FDA-approved and supported by medical evidence), or (2) a drug treats a symptom or side effect from cancer treatment (if determined necessary by a provider and backed by medical literature). The law affects patients with advanced metastatic cancer who rely on these specific prescription drugs and requires insurers to cover them without prior authorization hurdles. The bill amends Maryland insurance law and takes effect January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 871: Health Services Cost Review Commission - Community Benefits - Community Health Worker Workforce Program

HB 871 adds "community health worker workforce programs" to Maryland’s definition of "community benefit" for nonprofit hospitals. It allows hospitals and community-based organizations to partner through a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish these programs, which must include specific elements like health outcome goals, implementation plans, and data protocols. The bill requires hospitals to provide employer-sponsored health insurance to community health workers employed through these partnerships. This directly affects nonprofit hospitals, community organizations, and community health workers, aiming to improve patient access to care and address social determinants of health.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1494: Howard County - Alcoholic Beverages - Class MT (Movie Theater) License

HB 1494 creates a new "Class MT" (Movie Theater) license in Howard County for selling beer, wine, and liquor at movie theaters. It directly affects Howard County movie theater owners who hold a crowd control training certification, allowing them to sell alcohol only to patrons who have purchased tickets for a current or future showing. The license requires the Board of License Commissioners to set sales hours, days, and annual fees, while restricting sales to on-premises consumption during showtimes. The bill replaces existing theater alcohol licensing rules with this new category, effective July 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1251: Hospitals and Medical Professional Liability Insurers - Obstetric Services Policies (Doula and Birth Policy Transparency Act)

HB 1251 (Doula and Birth Policy Transparency Act) requires hospitals and freestanding birth centers in Maryland to adopt and submit to the Department of Health a specific policy on obstetric care by January 1, 2026. The policy must guarantee birthing parents can have a certified doula present during birth, prioritize newborn bonding, prohibit significant medical interventions (like C-sections or forceps) without informed consent, and detail medical information transfers between providers. Medical liability insurers must also provide the Department of Health with coverage details for obstetric services, including vaginal birth after C-section, upon request. This bill directly affects health care facilities providing obstetric services and insurers, aiming to increase transparency and patient choice in birth settings.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 974: Health Insurance - Preventive Services - High Deductible Health Plans and Enforcement Authority

HB 974 requires Maryland health insurers to cover specific preventive services - like evidence-based screenings rated A/B by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommended immunizations, and women’s preventive care - without requiring copays, deductibles, or coinsurance for policyholders. It directly affects health insurers and their customers by mandating coverage for these services under state law. The bill shifts enforcement authority to the Maryland Insurance Commissioner, who must ensure compliance with federal rules and guidance in effect as of December 31, 2024. The law takes effect on June 1, 2025, aligning state coverage requirements with federal standards for preventive care.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1347: Security Guards and Security Guard Employers - Registration, Certification, and Regulation

HB 1347 exempts cannabis security agents employed by licensed cannabis businesses or security guard agencies from needing state/national criminal history background checks, provided they are already authorized to provide security services under Maryland’s existing security guard laws. This directly affects cannabis security workers and cannabis businesses that employ them, as it removes a specific barrier to their employment. The bill modifies registration requirements by requiring cannabis agents to register with the Administration (valid for 2 years) but eliminates the criminal check requirement for those meeting security guard certification standards. Other provisions include annual training requirements for agents and maintaining registration validity for pre-July 2023 registrations. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 459: Education and Health - Emergency Use Epinephrine - Alterations

SB 459 updates Maryland law to replace "auto-injectable epinephrine" with "emergency use epinephrine" and broadens the definition to include any FDA-approved drug delivery device for treating severe allergic reactions. The bill requires public and nonpublic schools to establish policies allowing school nurses and trained staff to administer emergency epinephrine to any student showing signs of a severe allergic reaction - regardless of prior allergy identification or prescription - while creating liability protection for good-faith responders. Key provisions mandate staff training on recognizing symptoms, proper administration, and follow-up procedures, plus annual parent notifications about school policies. Schools must report epinephrine use incidents to the Department of Education using a standardized form. These changes aim to streamline emergency care while aligning terminology and program names with current medical practices.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

Bill results