Federally Qualified Health Centers Grant Program - Acquisition of Land

HB 43 expands Maryland's Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) Grant Program to explicitly include funding for land acquisition. The bill authorizes the Board of Public Works, upon the Secretary of Health's recommendation, to provide grants to counties, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations for purchasing land to build or operate FQHCs. This change adds "acquisition of land for construction or use" as a sixth eligible grant purpose, previously limited to building conversion, renovation, equipment, or construction planning. The policy directly supports community health centers - particularly in underserved areas - by easing access to land for new facilities, without altering existing grant categories. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.