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2005 Maryland General Assembly Bills of Interest
The NAMI Maryland Public Policy committee is reviewing bills submitted to the Maryland General Assembly. Click on the name of the bill to get the status and details on the bill from the General Assembly website. This page will be updated every couple of weeks during the session as we take positions on the bills that are introduced.
House of Delegates Bills
| Bill | Title / Description | NAMI Position / Final Status |
| HB8 | Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Mental Health Services - Cost-of-Living Adjustment Requiring that in fiscal years where the Board of Revenue Estimates projects an income growth of 4%, the fees paid by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to a community mental health services provider for providing specified mental health services be adjusted annually by a rate of change that may not exceed a maximum rate of 5%; etc. | Support / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB28 | Task Force to Study Establishing a Veterans' Home at the Former Crownsville Hospital Creating a task force to study issues related to establishing a veterans' home on the grounds of the former Crownsville Hospital; and prohibiting the transfer or disposition of facilities or property associated with the former Crownsville Hospital until the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene considers the recommendations of the task force. | Monitor / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB85 | Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Medical Loss Ratio - Appeals Authorizing a managed care organization or a certified health maintenance organization to appeal decisions of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene that adjust capitation payments based on a medical loss ratio. | Monitor / Passed Enrolled |
| HB176 | Prescription Drugs - Senior Citizens - Purchasing Outside the State Requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to evaluate a process for assisting senior citizens in purchasing reduced-cost prescription drugs from sources outside the State; authorizing the Department to implement the process under specified circumstances; requiring the Department to report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before October 1, 2006 on its evaluation and implementation; etc. | Monitor / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB177 | Health Care Facilities - Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes - Additional Duties and Sunset Extension Altering the duties of the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes by adding a duty to consider the quality of care received by the mentally ill in nursing homes; and extending the termination date to December 31, 2006, for provisions of law that establish the existence and duties of the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes. | Support / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB203 | Income Tax Credit for Services Donated by Health Care Professionals Allowing a credit against the State income tax for specified health care professionals who donate services under specified circumstances to community health organizations and health departments providing health care services to low-income individuals | Monitor / died in House Ways and Means |
| HB222 (SB265) | Assisted Living Programs - Criteria for Requiring Manager Training Altering the criteria used to determine whether managers of licensed assisted living programs are required to complete a manager training course and continuing education that meets specified requirements. | Monitor / Passed |
| HB231 (SB742) | Prescription Drugs - Canadian Mail Order Plan Requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, on or before a specified date, to seek approval of a waiver from the Food and Drug Administration to operate a program to purchase and import prescription drugs from Canada and to certify the safety and efficacy of the imported prescription drugs; requiring the Department to seek approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to allow the State to use federal matching funds to operate a prescription drug importation program; etc. | Support / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB233 | Public Health - Legibility of Prescriptions Workgroup - Reports Requiring the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene and a workgroup studying the legibility of prescriptions to submit an interim report on or before February 1, 2005, and a final report on or before August 15, 2005. | Support / Signed by the Governor Chapter 43 |
| HB250 (SB210) | Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Federally Qualified Health Centers Grant Program Creating the Federally Qualified Health Centers Grant Program; authorizing the Board of Public Works, on the recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, to provide grants under the Program to counties, municipal corporations, and nonprofit corporations for federally qualified health centers; etc. | Monitor / Favorable report Senate Finance |
| HB293 (SB222) | State Government - Executive Department - Children, Youth, and Family Services Establishing a coordinated interagency and intergovernmental office for children, youth, and family services; creating a Children's Cabinet within the Governor's Executive Council; providing for an Advisory Council on Children, Youth, and Families; establishing an interagency fund within the Children's Cabinet and providing for allocations from that fund; providing for the duties and responsibilities of the Special Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families; etc. | Support / No agreement between House and Senate versions |
| HB317 | Prescription Drug Repository Program Requiring the State Board of Pharmacy to establish a Prescription Drug Repository Program to accept and dispense prescription drugs donated for the purpose of dispensing to specified individuals; providing that the Program may only accept and dispense drugs in unit dose packaging; providing for an exception; prohibiting the Program from accepting or dispensing drugs that bear a specified expiration date or may be adulterated; authorizing any person to donate prescription drugs to the Program; etc. | Support / Passed Enrolled |
| HB385 | Creation of a State Debt - Adventist HealthCare Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $400,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of Adventist HealthCare, Inc. d/b/a Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health System for the planning, design, renovation, expansion, repair, construction, and capital equipping of space to create a specialty acute psychiatric service center for emotionally disturbed children, located in Rockville; etc. | Support / Unfavorable Report by Appropriations |
| HB423 | Hospitals - Free and Reduced-Cost Care Requiring hospitals in the State to develop a financial assistance policy for providing free and reduced-cost care to low-income patients who lack health care coverage; requiring hospitals to post a specified notice; requiring the Health Services Cost Review Commission to develop a uniform financial assistance application; requiring the Commission to require hospitals to use the uniform financial assistance application to determine eligibility for free and reduced-cost care; etc. | Monitor / died in House Health and Government Operations |
| HB458 (SB542) | Health Insurance - Coverage for Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Providing that health insurance coverage is not discriminatory if, with respect to outpatient coverage for services provided to treat mental illnesses, emotional disorders, drug abuse, or alcohol abuse, benefits include psychological and neuropsychological testing for diagnostic purposes. | Support / Passed |
| HB629 | Baltimore County - New Group Homes Prohibiting the construction, licensing, or operation of specified new group homes in specified areas of Baltimore County on or after October 1, 2005; and providing for the construction of the Act. | Oppose / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| SB737 (SB831) | Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Licenses and Eligibility for State Funding - Minimum Standards Requiring that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene adopt regulations prohibiting specified individuals from serving on the governing body of specified licensees; requiring that the Department adopt regulations requiring applicants for specified licenses to submit specified documents to demonstrate an applicant's ability to provide for the services required by law; etc. | Monitor / Passed |
| HB747 (SB543) | Mental Health Safety Net Restoration Act of 2005 Requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide access to community-based mental health services to individuals who have private health care coverage; requiring the services provided to be those provided to uninsured low-income individuals; establishing eligibility requirements for individuals to receive services; and requiring the Department to offer services according to a sliding fee scale. | Support / died in House Health and Government Operations |
| HB771 | Children in Need of Assistance - Out-of-Home Placement - Permanency Plans Altering the options that may be included in a child's court-ordered permanency plan; altering the options to be considered by a local department of social services in developing permanency plans for specified children; etc. | Monitor / Passed |
| HB795 (SB799) | Consent Provisions - Minors - Mental or Emotional Disorder Authorizing psychologists to give specified individuals information, without the consent of or over the express objection of a minor, about treatment of a mental or emotional disorder needed by a minor or provided to a minor under specified circumstances. | Support / died in House Health and Government Operations |
| HB796 (SB544) | Joint Committee on Access to Mental Health Services - Establishment, Membership, and Duties Establishing the Joint Committee on Access to Mental Health Services; providing for the membership, tenure, and chairs of the Committee; requiring the Committee to monitor access to public mental health services for eligible individuals and medically necessary mental health services for individuals covered by private insurance; requiring the Committee to submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding systemic barriers to access and recommendations to mitigate these barriers; etc. | Support / Passed Enrolled |
| HB802 (SB616) | Juvenile Law - Competency Requiring the juvenile court to order an evaluation of a child under specified circumstances; requiring an evaluation to be performed by a qualified expert; requiring specified legal pleadings to be served on specified individuals and agencies; specifying procedures and conditions under which an examination is to be conducted; requiring a qualified expert to examine a child and prepare a report; requiring the qualified expert to review specified records and consider specified factors; specifying the contents of a report; etc. | Support / Passed |
| HB804 (SB752) | Criminal Procedure - Criminal Defendants - Incompetency and Criminal Responsibility Altering the time period for which a court may commit to a specified Health Department facility a defendant whom the court finds is incompetent to stand trial and is a danger; requiring the court to schedule a competency hearing within a specified time period after receipt of a specified report under specified circumstances; authorizing a court to take specified actions after the court makes a specified determination at a competency hearing; etc. | Support / No agreement between House and Senate versions |
| HB839 | Integration of Child Welfare and Substance Abuse Treatment Services Authorizing records and reports regarding child abuse and neglect to be disclosed to addiction specialists under specified circumstances; requiring statewide protocols for integrating child welfare and substance abuse treatment services to include placing specified addiction specialists in all child welfare offices; ensuring that addiction specialists in child welfare offices have information needed and evidence relating to the existence of substance abuse; etc. | Support with amendment / Passed |
| HB844 | Mental Health - Emergency Evaluations - Nearest Available Facility Requiring peace officers executing a petition for emergency evaluation to transport an evaluee to the nearest available emergency facility if the nearest emergency facility is unable to accommodate the evaluee. | Monitor / Unfavorable Report by Education Health and Environmental Affairs |
| HB847 (SB629) | Health Care Facilities - Recovery Housing Programs Providing that a private group home may be organized as a nonprofit or organized wholly or partly for profit; requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to serve as a point of entry for persons desiring information on recovery housing programs; requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide specified information about recovery housing programs to specified persons; etc. | Support / died in House Health and Government Operations |
| HB877 (SB707) | Medicaid Quality Improvement Act of 2005 Authorizing the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, in consultation with the Insurance Commissioner, to adjust capitation payments for a managed care organization based on a specified loss ratio of the managed care organization; establishing procedures, standards, and limits for the adjustment of capitation payments; authorizing the Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner, to adjust capitation payments based on a quality performance initiative adopted by the Secretary; etc. | Oppose / Withdrawn |
| HB893 (SB701) | Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities - Quality of Care Oversight Changing the name of the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes to the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities; altering the membership of the Oversight Committee; altering the duties of the Oversight Committee; altering reporting requirements; repealing a termination provision; etc. | Support as amended / Passed Enrolled |
| HB896 (SB577) | Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission - Termination Date Extension and Modifications Extending the termination date for the Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission; authorizing the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint a specified number of members of the Commission for a fourth consecutive term beginning on a specified date; requiring the Commission to study the variation in specified costs and recommend whether the rates should include specified adjustments; requiring the Commission to review the changes in specified payments and the utilization of specified services; etc. | Support / Passed |
| HB930 | Education - Youth Suicide Prevention School Program - Mental Health Programs Authorizing the Youth Suicide Prevention School Program to include specified mental health programs; requiring the Youth Suicide Prevention School Program to develop and implement specified mental health programs; authorizing the State Department of Education to assist in implementing specified programs; and requiring the State Department of Education to seek specified federal funds for Youth Suicide Prevention School Programs. | Support / Passed Enrolled |
| HB990 | Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Institutions for the Treatment of Mental Disease - Suspension of Benefits Requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to suspend Maryland Medical Assistance Program benefits for specified individuals who are admitted to an institution for the treatment of mental disease; and prohibiting the Department from terminating Program benefits for specified individuals based on the admission of the individual to an institution for the treatment of mental disease. | Support / Signed by the Governor Chapter 82 |
| HB1007 (SB784) | Juvenile Law - Competency - Services Requiring the juvenile court to order a specified evaluation of a specified child under specified circumstances; requiring a specified evaluation to be performed by a qualified expert; requiring specified legal pleadings to be served on specified individuals and agencies; requiring the court to take specified actions after the court makes a specified determination at a competency hearing; authorizing the court to take specified actions after the court makes a specified determination at a competency hearing; etc. | Support / Withdrawn |
| HB1033 | Quality of Mental Health Care Panel Creating a Quality of Mental Health Care Panel in the Mental Hygiene Administration; specifying the purpose, members, terms, staff, quorum, compensation, powers, and duties of the Panel; providing for specified notice and hearing requirements; providing for specified penalties; and providing for specified appeals. | Oppose / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB1034 | Task Force to Study the Reorganization of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Establishing the Task Force to Study the Reorganization of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; providing for the membership, chair, and staff for the Task Force; providing that a member of the Task Force may receive specified reimbursement as provided in the State budget; providing for the duties of the Task Force; requiring the Task Force to submit a specified report on or before December 1, 2006; and providing for the termination of the Act. | Monitor / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB1035 | Mentally Ill Individuals' Bill of Rights Providing mentally ill individuals specified substantive and procedural rights relating to custodial jurisdiction, prescription medications, emergency evaluation intake proceedings, emergency evaluation release, judicial proceedings for involuntary admissions, clinical review of involuntary admissions, voluntary admissions, and social worker consultations; and providing for a clinical review panel, membership, duties, and procedures. | Oppose / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB1048 (SB68) | Residential Care Programs - Certification of Program Administrator Renaming the State Board for Certification of Residential Child Care Program Administrators to be the State Board for Certification of Residential Care Program Administrators; including an entity that provides 24-hour per day care for adults in the definition of a residential care program; specifying that only residential child care programs are subject to the licensing regulations of the Office for Children, Youth, and Families; adding two members to the Board; etc. | Monitor / Withdrawn |
| HB1089 | Health Insurance - Mandated Benefits - Exclusions for Preexisting Conditions Authorizing an insurer or nonprofit health service plan to exclude coverage for a condition or hazard related to a benefit, including a health insurance benefit mandated under specified provisions of law, if the benefit relates to a condition or hazard revealed during medical underwriting and the benefit related to the condition or hazard is excluded by an exclusionary waiver rider signed by the insured and attached to the contract; etc. | Monitor / died in House |
| HB1143 (SB728) | Maryland Pharmacy Discount Program - Expansion - State Discount Expanding the Maryland Pharmacy Discount Program to include individuals who are not Medicare beneficiaries, who lack other public or private prescription drug coverage, and who have an annual household income below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines; authorizing specified enrollees in the Program to receive a discount subsidized by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that is equal to 22% of a specified price for specified prescription drugs; etc. | Monitor / Passed |
| HB1147 | Building Bridges - Access to Benefits for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities on Release from Incarceration Requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) to facilitate the provision of specified benefits to individuals with psychiatric disabilities on release from incarceration; requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to provide specified assistance in receiving specified benefits to inmates with psychiatric disabilities; requiring the Department of Human Resources (DHR) and DHMH to provide specified assistance relating to an application for a temporary Medicaid card; etc. | Support / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB1263 | Maryland Medbank Program - Grants from Nonprofit Health Service Plans Requiring the Maryland Medbank Program to be funded through grants from nonprofit health service plans; providing that a specified provision of law does not apply to nonprofit health service plans that meet specified requirements; and requiring a nonprofit health service plan to provide a grant to the Maryland Medbank Program. | Support / Passed Enrolled |
| HB1273 | Task Force on the Needs of Persons with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders - Termination Date Extension and Modifications Altering the name of the Task Force on the Needs of Persons with Co-Occurring Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Disorders; providing for additional members of the Task Force; requiring the Task Force to identify the number of African Americans and other minorities that have co-occurring disorders and make recommendations on addressing disparities in the treatment of co-occurring disorders in African Americans and other minorities that have co-occurring disorders; etc. | Support / Passed |
| HB1326 | Health - Hospitals, Related Institutions, and Housing Programs for Individuals in Need of Assistance Altering the licensing requirements for specified assisted living and related programs; defining the term "housing programs" to mean specified related institutions including assisted living and related programs for individuals who need assistance with the activities of daily living; altering the duties of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in connection with specified housing programs; providing for civil and criminal penalties relating to the operation of specified hospitals and related institutions; etc. | Support as amended / died in Senate Finance |
| HB1339 | Baltimore City and Baltimore County - Child in Need of Supervision Pilot Program Requiring the Secretary of Juvenile Services to establish a Child in Need of Supervision Pilot Program in Baltimore City and Baltimore County; requiring the Pilot Program to select designated assessment service providers to provide services to children alleged to be in need of supervision and their parents or guardians; requiring designated assessment service providers to be contracted and funded by the local management board of each community in the Pilot Program; etc | Support / Passed Enrolled |
| HB1366 (SB835) | Managed Care Organizations - Adjustment to Capitation Payments - Quality Improvement Incentive Authorizing the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, in consultation with the Insurance Commissioner, as a quality improvement incentive, to adjust capitation payments for a managed care organization based on the performance of the managed care organization on a core set of performance measures; repealing the authority of the Secretary to adjust capitation payments for a managed care organization if the loss ratio is less than 85%; etc. | Oppose / Withdrawn |
| HB1423 | Assisted Living Programs - Services and Facilities Search Engine Requiring the Office of Health Care Quality to develop a web page with a search engine that assists consumers of assisted living services in finding assisted living services and facilities in this State that meet the consumer's needs; requiring the Office to model the search engine on information provided in Appendix II of the federal Government Accounting Office report GAO-04-684; and requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to adopt regulations. | Support / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB1425 | Assisted Living Facilities - Adult Family Homes - Evaluation of Care Provided Requiring the Office of Health Care Quality Assisted Living Forum, in the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of care provided by Adult Family Homes in Maryland and to submit a specified report on or before a specified date that addresses and makes recommendations relating to specified issues; and providing for the termination of the Act. | Monitor / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| HB1457 | Delinquency Prevention and Diversion Services Task Force Establishing a Delinquency Prevention and Diversion Services Task Force to study, survey, and assess the adequacy, quality, and quantity of delinquency prevention and diversion services to juvenile offenders in the State; providing for the membership and co-chairs of the Task Force; requiring the Department of Juvenile Services to staff the Task Force; requiring the Task Force to submit a specified preliminary or final report by a specified date; etc. | Monitor / Unfavorable Report by Judicial Proceedings |
| HB1475 (SB958) | Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Sheppard Pratt Health System Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $2,000,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Trustees of Sheppard Pratt Health System, Inc. for the planning, design, and construction of a new psychiatric hospital building at the Towson campus of Sheppard Pratt Health System; providing for the disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; etc. | Support / Unfavorable Report by Appropriations |
| HB1499 | Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Atypical Antipsychotic Medications Prohibiting the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from establishing, within specified pharmacy assistance programs in the Maryland Medical Assistance Program, prior authorization requirements for atypical antipsychotic medications, including specified dosing specifications; prohibiting the preferred drug list developed by the Department from including atypical antipsychotic medications; and prohibiting the Department from establishing specified dosing limits for atypical antipsychotic medications prescribed under the Program. | Oppose as passed by House / died in Senate |
Senate Bills
| Bill | Title / Description | NAMI Position/ Final Status |
| SB24 | Health Occupations - Practicing Without License - Penalties Making it a felony to practice specified health occupations without a license; and altering specified penalties | Monitor / Unfavorable Report Ed. Health and Env. Affairs |
| SB68 | Residential Care Programs - Certification of Program Administrator Renaming the State Board for Certification of Residential Child Care Program Administrators to be the State Board for Certification of Residential Care Program Administrators; including an entity that provides 24-hour per day care for adults in the definition of a residential care program; specifying that only residential child care programs are subject to the licensing regulations of the Office for Children, Youth, and Families; adding two members to the Board; etc. | Monitor / Withdrawn |
| SB163 | Refusal of Psychiatric Medication - Clinical Review Panel Repealing the termination date for specified provisions of law relating to the refusal of psychiatric medication. | Support / Signed by the Governor Chapter 13 |
| SB222 (HB293) | State Government - Executive Department - Children, Youth, and Family Services Establishing a coordinated interagency and intergovernmental office for children, youth, and family services; creating a Children's Cabinet within the Governor's Executive Council; providing for an Advisory Council on Children, Youth, and Families; establishing an interagency fund within the Children's Cabinet and providing for allocations from that fund; providing for the duties and responsibilities of the Special Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families; etc. | Monitor / died in House Rules and Executive Nominations |
| SB231 (HB426) | Hospitals - Emergency Department Services - Satellite Locations Exempting from certificate of need requirements the establishment of emergency department services at a satellite location of an acute care general hospital, under specified circumstances; altering definitions; etc. | Monitor |
| SB251 | Task Force to Study Electronic Health Records Establishing a Task Force to Study Electronic Health Records; providing for the composition of the Task Force; prohibiting members from receiving compensation but entitling members to reimbursement of specified expenses; requiring the Task Force to study electronic health records and the current and potential expansion of electronic health record utilization in the State; requiring the Task Force to submit a specified report on or before December 31, 2006; providing for the termination of the Act; etc. | Monitor / Passed |
| SB265 (HB222) | Assisted Living Programs - Criteria for Requiring Manager Training Altering the criteria used to determine whether managers of licensed assisted living programs are required to complete a manager training course and continuing education that meets specified requirements. | Monitor / Passed |
| SB289 | Human Subject Research - Clinical Trials Requiring institutional review boards to approve clinical trials only if the results of the clinical trials will be made available to the public and the clinical trials are registered with a specified data bank. | Monitor / Withdrawn |
| SB303 | The Sara Hohne Patient Protection Act Prohibiting hospitals and specified other health care facilities from discharging specified patients to specified facilities or programs; providing a specified exception; etc. | Support as amended in Senate / Passed Enrolled |
| SB472 | Medical Assistance Program - Waivers - Federal Funding Prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene from making amendments to waivers or seeking waivers to the State Medicaid Plan that would consolidate federal grants, cap federal contributions, or alter the proportion of federal funding to the Medical Assistance Program; etc. | Monitor / died in House Health and Government Operations |
| SB542 (HB458) | Health Insurance - Coverage for Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Providing that health insurance coverage is not discriminatory if, with respect to outpatient coverage for services provided to treat mental illnesses, emotional disorders, drug abuse, or alcohol abuse, benefits include psychological and neuropsychological testing for diagnostic purposes. | Support / Passed |
| SB543 (HB747) | Mental Health Safety Net Restoration Act of 2005 Requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide access to community-based mental health services to individuals who have private health care coverage; requiring the services provided to be those provided to uninsured low-income individuals; establishing eligibility requirements for individuals to receive services; and requiring the Department to offer services according to a sliding fee scale. | Support / died in Senate Finance |
| SB544 (HB796) | Joint Committee on Access to Mental Health Services - Establishment, Membership, and Duties Establishing the Joint Committee on Access to Mental Health Services; providing for the membership, tenure, and chairs of the Committee; requiring the Committee to monitor access to public mental health services for eligible individuals and medically necessary mental health services for individuals covered by private insurance; requiring the Committee to submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding systemic barriers to access and recommendations to mitigate these barriers; etc. | Support / Passed |
| SB616 (HB802) | Juvenile Law - Competency Requiring the juvenile court to order an evaluation of a child under specified circumstances; requiring an evaluation to be performed by a qualified expert; requiring specified legal pleadings to be served on specified individuals and agencies; specifying procedures and conditions under which an examination is to be conducted; requiring a qualified expert to examine a child and prepare a report; requiring the qualified expert to review specified records and consider specified factors; specifying the contents of a report; etc. | Support |
| SB577 (HB896) | Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission - Termination Date Extension and Modifications Extending the termination date for the Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission; authorizing the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint a specified number of members of the Commission for a fourth consecutive term beginning on a specified date; requiring the Commission to study the variation in specified costs and recommend whether the rates should include specified adjustments; requiring the Commission to review the changes in specified payments and the utilization of specified services; etc. | Support / Passed |
| SB616 (HB802) | Juvenile Law - Competency Requiring the juvenile court to order an evaluation of a child under specified circumstances; requiring an evaluation to be performed by a qualified expert; requiring specified legal pleadings to be served on specified individuals and agencies; specifying procedures and conditions under which an examination is to be conducted; requiring a qualified expert to examine a child and prepare a report; requiring the qualified expert to review specified records and consider specified factors; specifying the contents of a report; etc. | Support / died in House Judiciary |
| SB617 | Creation of a State Debt - Adventist HealthCare Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $400,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of Adventist HealthCare, Inc. d/b/a Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health System for the planning, design, renovation, expansion, repair, construction, and capital equipping of space to create a specialty acute psychiatric service center for emotionally disturbed children, located in Rockville; etc. | Support / died in Senate Budget and Taxation |
| SB629 (HB847) | Health Care Facilities - Recovery Housing Programs Providing that a private group home may be organized as a nonprofit or organized wholly or partly for profit; requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to serve as a point of entry for persons desiring information on recovery housing programs; requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide specified information about recovery housing programs to specified persons; etc. | Support / Withdrawn |
| SB690 | Medical Records - Authorized Disclosures - Compulsory Process Altering requirements for disclosures of specified medical records; requiring that specified health care providers disclose specified medical records under specified circumstances; requiring that specified health care providers receive assurances by specified counsel, proof of a specified waiver, or copies of specified orders entered by a court; etc. | Monitor / Passed Enrolled |
| SB693 | State Board of Physicians - Subpoenas - Mental Health Records Requiring the State Board of Physicians to notify a specified patient whose medical records in connection with mental health services are being subpoenaed as a result of a complaint received by the Board from a person other than the patient; and requiring the Board to inform a specified patient of a specified time period in which the patient may assert in a motion to quash or a motion for a protective order any constitutional right or other legal authority in opposition to disclosure of specified medical records and the right to a hearing. | Monitor / Unfavorable Report by Health and Government Operations |
| SB701 (HB893) | Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities - Quality of Care Oversight Changing the name of the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes to the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities; altering the membership of the Oversight Committee; altering the duties of the Oversight Committee; altering reporting requirements; repealing a termination provision; etc. | Support as amended / Passed Enrolled |
| SB707 (HB877) | Medicaid Quality Improvement Act of 2005 Authorizing the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, in consultation with the Insurance Commissioner, to adjust capitation payments for a managed care organization based on a specified loss ratio of the managed care organization; establishing procedures, standards, and limits for the adjustment of capitation payments; authorizing the Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner, to adjust capitation payments based on a quality performance initiative adopted by the Secretary; etc. | Oppose / Passed Enrolled |
| SB713 | Health Insurance - Coverage of Outpatient Treatment for Behavioral Disorders Providing that health insurance coverage is not discriminatory if, with respect to outpatient coverage of services provided to treat mental illnesses, emotional disorders, drug abuse, or alcohol abuse, benefits include intensive mental health case management, home health psychiatric treatment, and crisis treatment. | Support / died in Senate Finance |
| SB728 (HB1143) | Maryland Pharmacy Discount Program - Expansion - State Discount Expanding the Maryland Pharmacy Discount Program to include individuals who are not Medicare beneficiaries, who lack other public or private prescription drug coverage, and who have an annual household income below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines; authorizing specified enrollees in the Program to receive a discount subsidized by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that is equal to 22% of a specified price for specified prescription drugs; etc. | Monitor / Passed |
| SB742 (HB231) | Prescription Drugs - Canadian Mail Order Plan Requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, on or before a specified date, to seek approval of a waiver from the Food and Drug Administration to operate a program to purchase and import prescription drugs from Canada and to certify the safety and efficacy of the imported prescription drugs; requiring the Department to seek approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to allow the State to use federal matching funds to operate a prescription drug importation program; etc. | Support / died in Senate Finance |
| SB752 (HB804) | Criminal Procedure - Criminal Defendants - Incompetency and Criminal Responsibility Altering the time period for which a court may commit to a specified Health Department facility a defendant whom the court finds is incompetent to stand trial and is a danger; requiring the court to schedule a competency hearing within a specified time period after receipt of a specified report under specified circumstances; authorizing a court to take specified actions after the court makes a specified determination at a competency hearing; etc. | Support / No agreement between House and Senate versions |
| SB773 | Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Diversion Programs Establishing the Subcabinet Coordinating Council on Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Diversion Programs in the Office for Children, Youth, and Families; providing for the membership of the Subcabinet Coordinating Council; specifying that the Special Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families is the chair of the Subcabinet Coordinating Council; requiring the Office for Children, Youth, and Families to provide staff support for the Subcabinet Coordinating Council; etc. | Monitor / died in House Judiciary |
| SB784 (HB1007) | Juvenile Law - Competency - Services Requiring the juvenile court to order a specified evaluation of a specified child under specified circumstances; requiring a specified evaluation to be performed by a qualified expert; requiring specified legal pleadings to be served on specified individuals and agencies; requiring the court to take specified actions after the court makes a specified determination at a competency hearing; authorizing the court to take specified actions after the court makes a specified determination at a competency hearing; etc. | Support / Unfavorable Report by Judicial Proceedings |
| SB799 (HB795) | Consent Provisions - Minors - Mental or Emotional Disorder Authorizing psychologists to give specified individuals information, without the consent of or over the express objection of a minor, about treatment of a mental or emotional disorder needed by a minor or provided to a minor under specified circumstances. | Support / died in House Health and Government Operations |
| SB831 (HB737) | Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Licenses and Eligibility for State Funding - Minimum Standards Requiring that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene adopt regulations prohibiting specified individuals from serving on the governing body of specified licensees; requiring that the Department adopt regulations requiring applicants for specified licenses to submit specified documents to demonstrate an applicant's ability to provide for the services required by law; etc. | Monitor / Passed |
| SB835 (HB1366) | Managed Care Organizations - Adjustment to Capitation Payments - Quality Improvement Incentive Authorizing the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, in consultation with the Insurance Commissioner, as a quality improvement incentive, to adjust capitation payments for a managed care organization based on the performance of the managed care organization on a core set of performance measures; repealing the authority of the Secretary to adjust capitation payments for a managed care organization if the loss ratio is less than 85%; etc. | Oppose / Unfavorable Report by Finance |
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