Healthcare

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 4, 2026

HJ 4: Social Services Administration - Accountability - Protecting Maryland's Most Vulnerable

This House Joint Resolution (HJ 4) is a non-binding request urging the Social Services Administration (SSA) to improve oversight of children in guardianship. It directly affects approximately 24,000 children in Maryland’s care, citing specific audit failures like missed medical exams, delayed abuse investigations, and inadequate facility certifications. The resolution requires the SSA to strictly follow existing state laws and implement audit recommendations to protect children’s safety and well-being. It does not create new laws but formally calls for accountability based on documented systemic shortcomings.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates prevention of missed medical exams for children in care, directly improving access to health services and protecting patient safety per summary.90% confidence

Tags Children

Track

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 7: State Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Music Therapists - Authority to Issue Limited Licenses to Practice Music Therapy

HB 7 authorizes Maryland's State Board of Examiners to issue limited licenses for music therapists who are completing full licensing requirements but lack sufficient clinical experience. This directly affects new music therapists and healthcare facilities needing to hire them under supervision while they fulfill certification steps. The bill creates a 1-year limited license (renewable once) requiring direct supervision by a fully licensed music therapist, with a 2-year deadline to obtain full licensure. It explicitly states limited licenses cannot replace services from audiologists or speech-language pathologists. The policy change streamlines entry into the profession without altering existing practice standards for music therapy.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes limited licenses for music therapists, enabling healthcare facilities to hire under supervision while completing requirements, improving access to mental health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Jan 21, 2026

HB 365: Firearms - Right to Purchase, Own, Possess, and Carry

HB 365 prohibits denying a person the right to purchase, own, possess, or carry a firearm solely because they are authorized to use medical cannabis under Maryland law. It directly affects medical cannabis patients who previously faced potential firearm restrictions based on their treatment. The bill adds Section 5-901 to Maryland's Public Safety Article, creating a specific legal safeguard against such discrimination. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects medical cannabis patients' rights by preventing firearm restrictions tied to healthcare treatment, aligning with patient rights protection in healthcare policy.85% confidence

Track

in committee · Maryland · Senate Jan 29, 2026

SB 421: Sickle Cell Disease - Institutions of Higher Education - Policies, Procedures, and Educational Campaigns

SB 421 prohibits Maryland institutions of higher education from denying students access to facilities or services due to a sickle cell disease diagnosis and requires them to provide reasonable accommodations. It mandates the Maryland Department of Health to develop an awareness campaign for schools about supporting students with sickle cell disease, create educational materials for faculty/staff, and establish a framework for institutions to assess and support affected students. The law also requires schools to publicly share their policies and reporting procedures for violations. These provisions take effect October 1, 2026, directly impacting students with sickle cell disease, higher education institutions, and state health agencies.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits denial of access for sickle cell students and mandates accommodations, protecting educational access in higher education institutions.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits denial of facilities/services for sickle cell patients, mandates accommodations, and requires MD Health Dept. to create awareness/educational campaigns for student health support.90% confidence

Track

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 423: Prince George's County - Public High Schools - Drug Detection Products PG 501-26

HB 423 requires Prince George’s County public high schools to provide free drink spiking detection products (for GHB/ketamine) and fentanyl detection strips to all students starting the 2026-2027 school year. These products must be available at no cost in school health clinics or libraries. Each school must also report annually (by October 1) to Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response the quantity distributed during the prior school year. The bill applies exclusively to Prince George’s County schools and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides free drug detection tools in schools to prevent overdoses, aligning with public health initiatives to improve safety and access to harm reduction services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

signed · Maryland · Senate May 26, 2026

SB 486: Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions

SB 486 expands Maryland's Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program to include students at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in specific graduate programs. It adds UMES as an eligible institution for students enrolled in four programs: Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. This change directly affects UMES students in these fields who previously could not access the scholarship. The bill amends existing law to update the list of qualifying institutions without changing scholarship amounts ($1,000-$5,000 per year) or other program rules. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands scholarship access for UMES graduate students in specific programs, increasing educational funding and access in higher education.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands scholarships for healthcare graduate programs (PA, pharmacy, PT, vet med), directly funding future healthcare workforce development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Prescription Drugs

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 88: Health Insurance – Bulk Purchasing Pools for Prescription Drugs

HB 88 allows Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to join group buying pools for prescription drugs. This enables these entities to collectively purchase medications at potentially lower costs, directly affecting the price of covered drugs for plan members. The bill authorizes participation in such pools for entities providing prescription drug coverage through pharmacy benefit managers. It will take effect October 1, 2026, but does not require participation or guarantee cost savings.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables group purchasing for lower prescription drug prices, improving patient access and reducing costs for covered medications per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Prescription Drugs

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 19, 2026

HB 310: Correctional Services - Restrictive Housing - Individuals With Developmental or Intellectual Disabilities

HB 310 limits the use of restrictive housing (locked cell confinement for 22+ hours daily) for incarcerated individuals in Maryland state facilities who have a developmental or intellectual disability. It requires a licensed clinical professional to assess new inmates for these disabilities during intake and to recommend against placing them in restrictive housing for more than 15 consecutive days within any 30-day period. This 15-day limit does not apply if the individual commits a "prohibited act," such as causing serious injury, making threats, or possessing weapons. The bill directly affects incarcerated people with these disabilities and mandates correctional facilities to follow this assessment and limitation process.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts restrictive housing for disabled inmates, requiring clinical assessments and limiting confinement duration - aligns with criminal justice reform to protect civil rights and improve correctional conditions.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates clinical assessments for disabilities and restricts harmful confinement, protecting vulnerable inmates' mental health access through healthcare standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

Track

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 411: Hospitals - Clinical Staffing Committees and Plans - Establishment (Safe Staffing Act of 2026)

SB 411 requires non-state hospitals in Maryland to establish clinical staffing committees with equal representation from management and frontline staff, including nurses, technicians, and other caregivers. These committees must develop evidence-based staffing plans considering patient acuity, staffing gaps, and daily patient needs, which hospitals must implement starting January 1, 2028. Hospitals must annually review these plans, publicly post staffing data on units, and submit annual reports to the Maryland Health Care Commission beginning in 2030. The bill directly affects hospital operations, staffing decisions, and transparency for frontline workers and patients.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires hospitals to establish staffing committees and develop evidence-based plans addressing patient acuity and staffing gaps, directly improving patient safety and care quality per healthcare policy indicators.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires equal frontline staff representation in staffing committees, directly strengthening worker input on workplace safety and staffing conditions per bill's evidence-based plan mandate.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

signed · Maryland · Senate May 26, 2026

SB 379: Recovery Residence Grant Program - Funding

This bill ensures Maryland's Recovery Residence Grant Program receives $500,000 annually from fiscal years 2024 through 2030 by requiring this funding be included in the state's annual budget. It directly supports recovery residences (such as sober living facilities) that provide housing and support services for people in addiction recovery. The law updates existing funding rules to extend the annual budget requirement through 2030, preventing potential funding gaps. This creates a stable funding mechanism for these community-based recovery programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates annual $500k state budget allocation for recovery residences, ensuring stable funding for essential addiction support services through 2030.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds recovery residences for addiction rehabilitation, directly advancing criminal justice reform by supporting rehabilitation programs and reducing recidivism.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds addiction recovery residences (mental health support) via mandatory annual $500k budget allocation, preventing funding gaps for critical healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingFunds recovery residences (sober living housing) for addiction recovery, directly supporting affordable housing initiatives via annual budget allocation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse