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HB 158 Maryland House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Department of Aging - Senior Call-Check and Social Connections Program

HB 158 renames Maryland's "Senior Call-Check Service" to the "Social Connections Program" and expands its purpose from basic check-in calls to promoting wellness and social engagement for older adults. It directly affects Maryland residents aged 65+ who are at risk of social isolation, requiring regular communication (via phone, text, or video) from the Department of Aging or its designee. Key provisions include integrating services with Maryland's Telecommunications Access Program, allowing follow-up calls to designated contacts if participants don't respond, and collaborating with the Department of Disabilities on budget planning. The bill replaces outdated language and mechanisms from previous law to focus on proactive social connection rather than verification of call responsiveness.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Sep 2024
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Sep 28, 2024 Signed Apr 8, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Department of Aging - Social Connections Program - Establishment → Third - Department of Aging - Senior Call-Check and Social Connections Program · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to expand the program's name and scope from just 'Social Connections Program' to include both 'Senior Call-Check' and 'Social Connections' services. The changes clarify that the program now includes various forms of direct communication beyond just telephone calls, such as text messages and in-person interactions, and updates legal references to reflect the expanded program name.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include both the Senior Call-Check Service and the Social Connections Program under a unified framework, with broader definitions of communication methods.
SCOPE

Program name changed from 'Social Connections Program' to 'Senior Call-Check and Social Connections Program' to reflect the combined nature of services.

DEFINITION

Definition of 'Regular, Direct Communication' expanded to include text messages, web-based, virtual, video, and in-person communications beyond just telephone calls.

REQUIREMENT

Added flexibility allowing the Department of Aging to approve additional forms of communication for the program.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and line number adjustments throughout the document to accommodate the expanded text.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
8
Committee
6
Apr 8, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 35
executive
Apr 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Returned Passed
lower
Mar 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
upper
Mar 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable Report by Finance
upper
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
Referred Finance
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Feb 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Health and Government Operations
lower
Jan 8, 2025
Committee
First Reading Health and Government Operations
lower
Sep 28, 2024
Introduced
Pre-filed
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.