Maryland Department of Health and Office of Health Care Quality - Nursing Home Inspections - Reporting
SB 376 allows counties to conduct nursing home inspections upon request, shifting this responsibility from the state health department. The bill requires the Maryland Department of Health and the requesting county to share the costs of these inspections equally. It does not change existing requirements for annual inspections, unannounced visits, or complaint investigations (which remain under state oversight), but instead modifies how inspections are administered by adding county delegation as an option. This directly affects nursing homes (through potential county inspections) and counties (which gain new inspection authority).
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 17, 2025
Signed May 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
First - Health Facilities - Delegation of Inspection Authority - Nursing Homes
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Third - Health Facilities - Delegation of Inspection Authority - Nursing Homes
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5 edits
MODERATE
This bill expands the delegation of inspection authority from counties to include complaint investigations in addition to site visits and full surveys. It also adds a requirement for the Department of Health to execute a Memorandum of Understanding within 90 days of a county request and clarifies the effective date of the law.
Scope change
The bill now explicitly includes complaint investigations as part of the delegated authority, expanding the scope of what counties can handle when working with the Department of Health.
REQUIREMENT
Added requirement for the Department of Health to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with requesting counties within 90 days of receiving a request.
Added authority for counties to conduct complaint investigations in addition to site visits and full surveys.
TIMELINE
Changed the effective date from October 1, 2025 to July 1, 2025.
DEFINITION
Added requirement that the Memorandum of Understanding be modeled on an existing agreement between the Department and Montgomery County.
TECHNICAL
Removed the requirement that the Department conduct follow-up surveys within 120 days after a full survey was completed.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 24, 2025 · House of Delegates Mar 26, 2025
How they voted
45–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 46
Mar 24, 2025
D
Democratic33
96% Yea
R
Republican13
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
22
Key actions
13
Committee
9
Amendments
1
May 20, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 680
executive
Apr 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Enrolled
upper
Apr 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee Report {
upper
Apr 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
House Conference Committee Appointed (Delegates Cullison, Kaiser and M. Morgan)
lower
Apr 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate Conference Committee Appointed (Senators Kramer, Ready and Hayes)
upper
Apr 7, 2025
Introduced
Senate Refuses Concur House Amendments
upper
Apr 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Health and Government Operations
lower
Mar 26, 2025
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (137-0-2)
house of delegates
Mar 24, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (45-0-1)
senate
Mar 17, 2025
Committee
Referred Health and Government Operations
lower
Mar 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance
upper
Jan 17, 2025
Committee
First Reading Finance
upper
10 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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