House Health Committee: 2026 Session Highlights

(Parentheses mean the bill did not pass both chambers)

Public Health

HB 637 / SB 385 – Public Health – Recommendations for Immunizations, Screenings, and Preventive Services – Pharmacist Administration and Required Health Insurance Coverage (The Vax Act):  These Administration bills (1) require the Secretary of Health to issue, publish, and distribute specified recommendations for immunizations, screenings, and preventive services; (2) authorize pharmacists to administer a vaccination recommended by the Secretary to an individual who is at least seven years old; (3) alter health insurance coverage requirements for certain immunizations, screenings, and preventive services; and (4) repeal obsolete language regarding the pertussis vaccine. 

HB 1109 / (SB 790) – Public Health Reform Act: This bill implements the recommendations of the Commission on Public Health. The bill alters the membership, duties, leadership, and staffing of the Commission, extends the Commission’s termination date; and requires the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to provide quarterly updates on implementation of the Commission’s recommendations. The Commission, in consultation with MDH and the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), must convene a community benefits modernization subcommittee, with associated reporting requirements. The bill also (1) requires MDH to organize the Maryland Medical Reserve Corps; (2) requires DLS to develop a process to assess the health equity impacts of relevant legislation; (3) makes administrative changes relating to county health officers and local health departments (LHDs); (4) requires MDH to consult with LHDs and notify each health officer of certain procurements; (5) requires MDH to convene a workgroup on LHD recruitment and classification processes; and (6) alters the membership of the Maryland Corps Program Advisory Board. 

(HB 813) / SB 496 – Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity – Authorization: This bill authorizes Medicaid, beginning January 1, 2027, to provide “comprehensive coverage for the treatment of obesity,” including coverage for intensive behavioral therapy, bariatric surgery, and any medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with an indication for chronic weight management in patients with obesity. Medicaid may undertake utilization management to determine medical necessity and appropriateness if the determinations are made in the same manner as for the treatment of any other illness, condition, or disorder. If coverage is provided, MDH must provide notice to Medicaid recipients. By November 1, 2027, MDH must report to specified committees of the General Assembly on whether Medicaid has begun to provide comprehensive coverage for the treatment of obesity. 

HB 445 / SB 276 – Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance – Coverage for Orthoses and Prostheses (So Every Body Can Move Act): These bills alter the current mandated benefit for coverage of orthopedic braces to be coverage for orthoses and replacement of orthoses and clarifies mandated coverage for prostheses. Beginning January 1, 2027, Medicaid must provide coverage for orthoses, as specified. Each insurer, nonprofit health service plan, and health maintenance organization and Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) must submit a compliance report by June 30, 2032, which must be aggregated and reported to specified committees of the General Assembly by December 31, 2032.

(HB 1445) / SB 742 – Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Developmental Disabilities Administration – Home- and Community-Based Services Eligibility Determinations (Maryland Protecting People With Disabilities Act): This bill establishes additional requirements for waivers administered by the Developmental Disabilities Administration and codifies existing federal mandates related to the waivers. MDH is prohibited from procedurally disenrolling individuals from Medicaid or home- and community-based services (HCBS) based on missing documentation, except under certain circumstances. MDH must retroactively reinstate certain recipients who were procedurally disenrolled. MDH, subject to federal approval, must reserve capacity in HCBS waivers for recipients who lost eligibility under certain circumstances.

Hospitals and Health Facilities

HB 1559 – Children in Unlicensed Settings and Pediatric Hospital Overstay Patients – Placement: This bill prohibits the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) out-of-home placement program from using an “unlicensed setting” for a child. The bill alters the duties of the pediatric overstay coordinators and establishes a Child and Youth Placement Review Panel in the Governor’s Office for Children. The Senior Advisor for Children and Families must convene a Rapid Response Placement Team under specified circumstances. The bill establishes the Advisory Council on Maryland’s System of Care for Children, Youth, and Families to be staffed by GOC. By January 1, 2027, DHS and MDH must submit a specified report. The definition of “unlicensed setting” is expanded to include certain units of a hospital in which a child younger than age 22 remains under specified circumstances. The bill generally takes effect June 1, 2026; but provisions related to the senior advisor, pediatric overstay coordinators, review panel, and placement teams take effect October 1, 2026, and terminate September 30, 2029. Expansion of “unlicensed setting” to include an inpatient unit or emergency department of a hospital in which the child is a patient younger than age 22 who remains for more than 48 hours after being medically cleared for discharge or transfer takes effect January 1, 2027.

HB 1563 – Emergency Room Services and Post-Acute Care – Coverage and Facility Studies: This bill authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to conduct an examination of a carrier that has issued a pattern of adverse decisions or grievance decisions for a claim or authorization request for services in (or related to services in) an emergency department (ED). The Commissioner must include specified data on post-acute services in the annual summary report on carrier appeals and grievances. By January 1, 2027, the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC), in conjunction with HSCRC and representatives from the post-acute care industry, must conduct two studies to (1) quantify bed capacity in hospitals and post-acute care settings and recommend a collection and auditing process for bed reporting and (2) analyze options to facilitate clinically appropriate transitions from acute to post-acute care settings.

HB 1181 – Family Law – Children in Out-of-Home Placement – Voluntary Placement Agreements: This bill alters provisions related to children placed in out-of-home placements under a voluntary placement agreement (VPA) with a local department of social services (LDSS). In determining the reasonable efforts to preserve and reunify families, a child’s parent or legal guardian need not exhaust all home- and community-based services. The Social Services Administration must consult with MDH to provide specified annual training to LDSS staff. By October 1, 2026, the Child Support Administration (CSA) must file a motion to modify any child support order issued under a VPA. Annually beginning July 1, 2027, each LDSS must report specified information regarding VPAs to DHS. Annually beginning December 1, 2027, DHS must publish aggregated statewide data on its website. By October 1, 2029, DHS and MDH must submit a joint report that contains specified information concerning children placed in an out-of-home placement under a VPA. 

HB 624 / SB 411 – Hospitals – Clinical Staffing Committees and Plans – Establishment (Safe Staffing Act of 2026): These bills require each hospital to comply with the staffing standards of the accreditation body that accredits the hospital and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation (CoPs). Each hospital must establish and maintain a clinical staffing committee that has (1) three managers and two employees, if the hospital has 150 or fewer licensed beds or (2) five managers and four employees, if the hospital has 151 or more licensed beds. The chief nurse executive of each hospital must produce a draft clinical staffing plan and submit it to the clinical staffing committee. Using the draft plan, each clinical staffing committee must finalize a clinical staffing plan that meets patient needs. Each hospital must provide the clinical staffing plan to staff on request. The bills do not apply to State hospitals and may not be construed to require a hospital to take actions that are inconsistent with CMS CoPs or accreditation standards. 

HB 1002 / SB 493 – Nursing Facilities – Involuntary Discharge or Transfer: These bills specify that a resident of a nursing facility may not be involuntarily transferred or discharged to a location other than the location identified in a specified notice before the facility to which the resident is to be transferred has confirmed that the resident may be transferred to the facility and the facility is prepared to accept the resident. The bills also alter specified requirements for (1) the notice provided to a resident regarding any proposed discharge or transfer; (2) a new notice of any proposed discharge or transfer, including applicable timing requirements for discharge or transfer under a new notice; and (3) a post discharge plan of care.

SB 792 – Hospitals – Immigration Enforcement Action – Policy Requirement: This bill requires a hospital to adopt a policy describing the protocol of the hospital when there is an immigration enforcement action at the hospital, consistent with specified guidance of the Attorney General. A hospital must make the policy available to all hospital staff members and provide annual training to all hospital staff members to ensure knowledge and understanding of the policy. 

Maternal, Infant, and Child Health

HB 372 / SB 169 – Emergency Pregnancy-Related Medical Conditions – Procedures: These bills generally codify the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) in State law as it relates to an “emergency pregnancy-related medical condition.” If a hospital determines that a patient has an emergency pregnancy-related medical condition, the hospital must (1) using the staff and facilities available to the hospital, provide further examination and the treatment required to “stabilize” the emergency pregnancy-related medical condition, including the termination of a pregnancy when medically necessary to stabilize the patient or (2) transfer the patient to another medical facility. A hospital must allow the termination of a pregnancy at the hospital if the patient’s treating health care practitioner determines termination is medically necessary to stabilize a patient. A hospital is prohibited from taking specified adverse actions against a provider for not transferring a patient who is not stabilized or against a hospital employee who reports a violation of the bill. The bills also establish civil penalties. 

HB 1118 / SB 891 – Health, Health Insurance, and Health Occupations – Perinatal Behavioral Health Conditions: These bills require certain health care providers to screen for a “perinatal behavioral health condition” and certain carriers, as well as Medicaid, to provide coverage for such screenings. The bills alter existing requirements on MDH to identify written information about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and require certain health care providers and hospitals to provide certain information to patients. MDH must identify and develop training programs that improve early identification of perinatal behavioral health conditions. The bills also (1) require a carrier to provide a certain standing referral; (2) require certain health occupations boards to grant continuing education credits for perinatal behavioral health condition training; and (3) require MHCC to conduct a study on coverage for perinatal mental health condition screenings.

Health Occupations

Generally:

HB 1372 – Public Health – Office of Health Care Quality Information and Maryland Health Centralization Commission: This emergency bill establishes the Maryland Health Centralization Commission to provide ongoing advice and recommendations to the General Assembly on how best to increase collaboration between MDH and the health occupations boards to achieve greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability. The commission must hold its first meeting by July 1, 2026. By December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the commission must report its findings and recommendations, including any draft legislation, to the Senate Finance Committee, the House Health Committee, and the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee. The bill also requires MHCC, in collaboration with the Office of Health Care Quality, to develop a process to receive specified inspection and quality metrics information and publish it on the Maryland Quality Reporting Website for each applicable health care facility.

HB 1420 / SB 806 – Health Occupations – Criminal History Records Checks: These bills establish and standardize language requiring criminal history records checks (CHRCs) for individuals regulated by health occupations boards. If criminal history record information is reported to the Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository (CJIS-CR) in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services after the date of the initial CHRC, CJIS-CR must provide revised information to the board and the individual (also known as “rap back”). 

Professional Counselors: 

HB 1483 – Clinical Professional Counseling – Out-of-State Providers – Use of Telehealth for Continuity of Care: This bill repeals the State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists’ authorization to issue a temporary telehealth license. Instead, the bill exempts certain individuals from licensing requirements under certain circumstances. Specifically, an individual licensed and in good standing in another state may provide counseling through telehealth to a client in Maryland for the purpose of providing continuity of care for up to six months after the client (1) relocated to Maryland or (2) returned to Maryland after a continuous and nonincidental period of relocation outside the State. The individual must have an established client-counselor relationship with a client while the client was outside the State and must no longer be able to provide in-person counseling to the client because the client is located in Maryland.

Social Workers: 

HB 769 / SB 18 – State Board of Social Work Examiners – Provisional License to Practice Social Work – Established: These emergency bills require the State Board of Social Work Examiners (BSWE), beginning November 1, 2026, to issue a “provisional license” to an applicant who, except for passing a required examination, has otherwise met the appropriate education and experience requirements to practice bachelor social work or master social work. The holder of a provisional license and the supervising social worker are jointly responsible for ensuring compliance with supervision and expiration requirements. BSWE must issue a full license to a provisional licensee who has achieved a satisfactory score on the required examination. The board must adopt regulations to carry out the bill and, beginning December 31, 2027, submit an annual report on provisional licenses.

Pharmacists: 

HB 1135 / SB 773 – Health Occupations – Pharmacists – Vaccination Orders: These bills authorize a pharmacist to order a vaccine for an individual who is at least three years old without the pharmacist administering the vaccine. If a vaccination is administered to an individual younger than 18, or ordered for administration by an adult caregiver to an individual younger than 18, the pharmacist must inform the patient and adult caregiver of the importance of visits with a pediatric primary care provider and refer the patient to a pediatric primary care provider when appropriate

Physicians and Allied Health Professions:

HB 377 / SB 326 – Physician Assistants and Midwives – Parity With Other Health Care Practitioners: These bills (1) authorize a physician assistant (PA), certified nurse-midwife, and licensed certified midwife to perform numerous additional duties, as specified; (2) require that health maintenance organization (HMO) quality of care standards include a requirement that each HMO member has an opportunity to select a PA, certified nurse-midwife, or licensed certified midwife as a primary care provider from among those available to the HMO; (3) add a PA member to the Statewide Advisory Commission on Immunizations; and (4) exclude a PA from the definition of “health care practitioner” with respect to health care staffing agencies. The bills also require MHCC, by November 1, 2026, to review data and submit a report on the average length of stay in EDs for individuals subject to an application for involuntary admission, as specified. 

HB 1047 / SB 915 – State Board of Physicians – Delegation of Duties – Alterations: These bills require an individual to be registered as a limited X-ray machine operator with the Maryland Board of Physicians (MBP) to perform certain X-ray machine operations that previously could be performed without a license, and places conditions on the performance of X-ray duties by a PA. The bills outline penalty provisions for violations and recodify provisions related to delegation of duties by a physician to a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist or a supervised medical graduate. 

Funeral Directors, Morticians, and Cremation:

HB 698 / SB 413 – State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors – Board Operations and Regulation of Crematories and Reduction Facilities: These bills give regulatory oversight of crematories and reduction facilities exclusively to the State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors, removing oversight from the Office of Cemetery Oversight (OCO). A person who holds a permit or registration from OCO may continue to operate under the permit or registration until it expires and may renew the permit or registration with the board. OCO retains jurisdiction over complaints (and any individuals cited in such complaints) regarding crematories and reduction facilities filed before July 1, 2026. In addition, the bills increase penalties applicable to such permit holders and alters provisions regarding removal of board members, board quorum, and specified board disciplinary processes. The board must convene a stakeholder workgroup and report to specified committees of the General Assembly by December 31, 2026. The bills specify that a Position Identification Number must be created in the board for a full-time inspector beginning in fiscal 2028 but requires the board to have two inspectors before then. The bill also makes clarifying and conforming changes to effectuate the transfer of regulatory oversight from OCO to the board.

HB 564 – Pet Cremation and Burial Services – Requirements (Pet Cremation and Burial Services Consumer Protection Act): This bill establishes numerous consumer protection and disclosure requirements for people that sell (or offer for sale) pet cremation services of pet remains. The bill also establishes duties of persons responsible for returning pet cremains to pet owners after cremation. In addition to other penalties, violation of the bill is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act (MCPA), subject to MCPA’s civil and criminal penalty provisions.

Health Insurance

HB 280 / SB 205 – Health Insurance – Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders – Codification of Federal Requirements: These departmental bills codify portions of the 2024 federal Mental Health Parity Rule to strengthen enforcement of parity requirements for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUDs). Provisions include a prohibition on the use of discriminatory factors and evidentiary standards in the design of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs); requirements for carriers to collect, evaluate, and act on relevant outcomes data for NQTLs; and a requirement that carriers offer meaningful benefits for MH/SUDs on par with benefits for medical/surgical services. 

HB 684 / SB 521 – Health Insurance – Material Changes to Provider Networks – Notification and Special Enrollment Period: These bills expand the requirements on carriers regarding notification to enrollees about the termination of providers from provider panels. The bills alter when and how carriers must notify the Insurance Commissioner about a material change to their provider network, including requirements relating to updating a carrier access plan. The Commissioner may impose a specified fine on carriers that fail to timely file the required update. The bills require carriers and health systems to provide notice of intent to terminate a contract. For specified contracts, carriers and health systems must adhere to the terms of the contract (including reimbursement terms and patient balance billing protections) for at least 90 days, with specified exception. The bills also require carriers in the individual market to provide a special enrollment period (SEP) for an individual (or dependent) whose provider is terminated from the health plan’s provider panel.

HB 746 / SB 428 – Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance – Collaborative Care Model – Cost Sharing Prohibition: These bills prohibit MDH from imposing a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible requirement on coverage for services provided in accordance with the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) and requires certain insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for services provided in accordance with the CoCM.  The bills also require the Maryland Health Care Commission to conduct a study on the impact of carriers prohibiting cost–sharing for services provided in accordance with the CoCM.

HB 1093 / SB 808 – Health Insurance – Provider Panels – Requirements: These bills alter the process through which health care providers apply to participate on a carrier’s provider panel. The bills repeal authorization for a carrier to charge an application fee and alter requirements relating to updating information in a provider directory. The bills also alter requirements associated with designating (1) a provider credentialing application for an online credentialing system as the uniform credentialing form and (2) a multi-carrier common online provider directory information system for use by providers. The Insurance Commissioner must adopt regulations related to the online credentialing system and submit a specified annual report on the findings of a stakeholder workgroup.  

HB 1094 / SB 910 – Health Insurance – Graduate-Level Clinical Interns – Required Reimbursement: These bills require certain health insurance policies that provide reimbursement for a service within the lawful scope of practice of a licensed graduate professional counselor (LGPC), licensed master social worker (LMSW), or licensed psychologist to reimburse for the service provided by a graduate-level counseling clinical intern, graduate-level social work clinical intern, or graduate-level psychology clinical intern under specified circumstances.

HB 1365 / SB 892 – Health Occupations, Public Health, and Insurance – Menopause – Provider Training Coverage Requirements, Policy Initiatives, and Access to Care: These bills require certain carriers to provide coverage for the evaluation and management of menopause and menopause associated symptoms as determined by the treating health care provider. MDH must identify at least one training program on the evaluation and management of menopause and menopause associated symptoms. Certain health occupations boards must grant at least two continuing education credits for every one hour of such training. The bill also alters the membership of the State Advisory Council on Health and Wellness. Uncodified language adds reporting requirements for MDH and the Maryland Commission for Women. 

HB 1367 – Commission on Re-Imagining Health Care in Maryland:  This bill establishes a Commission on Re-Imagining Health Care to envision a comprehensive health care system for the State, as specified. The commission must study numerous issues and make recommendations regarding the establishment of a new health care system.  MDH must provide staff for the commission. The bill is contingent on MDH determining funding levels needed to conduct the work of the commission and securing private funding to do so. The commission must submit to the Governor and the General Assembly (1) preliminary reports by December 1, 2027, and December 1, 2028, and (2) a final report by December 1, 2029.

(HB 1602) / SB 579 – Counties – No-Cost Preventive Cancer Screenings for Volunteer and Retired Volunteer Firefighters: This bill requires each county with a volunteer fire company to offer each volunteer firefighter who volunteers and each retired volunteer firefighter who volunteered with the company no-cost preventive cancer screenings in accordance with the latest screening guidelines issued by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Each volunteer fire company must maintain an up to date list of volunteer firefighters and retired volunteer firefighters and provide the list to the county by October 1 each year and on request of the county. Each county must maintain a list of all volunteer firefighters and retired volunteer firefighters as provided by the volunteer fire companies. 

Pharmaceuticals

(HB 1426) / SB 778 – Clinical Research Pharmacies and Clinical Trials – Permits and Ownership: This bill establishes, and authorizes the Board of Pharmacy to issue, a clinical research pharmacy permit. A permit may be issued to a pharmacy that (1) exclusively compounds, dispenses, or distributes drugs as part of scientific research conducted under specified protocols; (2) compounds, dispenses, or distributes pharmaceuticals solely incident to the research being conducted; (3) is not open to the general public for retail pharmaceutical services; (4) complies with specified security and storage protocols; and (5) satisfies any other board requirements. The Board must adopt regulations for clinical research pharmacies. The bill also specifically authorizes a health care provider licensed under the Health Occupations Article to hold an ownership interest in a clinical research pharmacy.

HB 1470 / SB 839 – Medical Assistance Programs – Drug Dispensing – Cost-of-Dispensing Survey and Fee-for-Service Professional Dispensing Fee: These bills require the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), beginning in 2026, to conduct the in-State cost-of-dispensing (COD) survey at least once every three years and report its finding to the General Assembly. 

Elder and Long Term Care

HB 446 / SB 555 – Health – Dementia Services and Brain Health Program and Provider Resource Toolkit: These bills establish the Dementia Services and Brain Health Program in MDH to lead the State’s public health efforts relating to brain health and dementia. By October 1, 2027, MDH, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Aging (MDOA), the Virginia I. Jones Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Council (council), and other organizations with expertise in Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, must establish and maintain a provider resource toolkit for dementia care for health care providers. By January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, MDH must review and update the information in the toolkit. 

HB 811 / SB 530 – Aging-in-Place Programs – Grants – Multigenerational Third Places (Village Multigenerational Third Places Act): These bills authorize MDOA to make grants to nonprofit organizations and area agencies on aging (AAAs) to support social connection for individuals in aging-in-place programs through events or gathers at “multigenerational third places.” The bills codify the authorization for any nonprofit organization or AAA to apply to MDOA for a State grant to be applied toward operational costs, including administrative costs or short-term or long-term leases or rental costs, for a senior village to provide access to multigenerational third places. 

HB 945 – Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities – Notification of Investigations and Establishment of the Health Care Quality Improvement Initiative: This bill requires MDH, when investigating a nursing home complaint alleging actual harm or immediate jeopardy to a resident, to notify the local health department (LDH) for the county in which the nursing home is located within 24 hours after initiating the investigation. To the extent practicable and as permitted by federal law, MDH must consult and coordinate with the LHD on the complaint investigation and response. This provision may not be construed to require an LHD to assist with or otherwise assume nursing home oversight responsibilities as required by federal or State law. The bill also establishes a Health Care Quality Improvement Initiative (Initiative) to be carried out by a task force staffed by MDH. The task force must submit to the Governor and the General Assembly (1) an interim report by December 1, 2027, and (2) a final report by December 1, 2028.