Public Health - Maryland Commission on Health Equity - Membership and Purposes

SB 560 updates Maryland's Commission on Health Equity by expanding its membership to include new state secretaries (like Secretary of Disabilities and Secretary of Housing) and additional community representatives (such as hospital staff, community organizations, and underserved patient advocates). It also revises the Commission's core purpose to explicitly require examining how access to transportation, transit services, and proximity to healthcare facilities impact residents' health. The bill mandates the Commission to develop a statewide health equity plan while analyzing factors like housing, jobs, and economic stability alongside transportation and healthcare access. This change directly affects how the Commission operates and directs its work toward addressing systemic health disparities.