SB 411 requires non-state hospitals in Maryland to establish clinical staffing committees with equal representation from management and frontline staff, including nurses, technicians, and other caregivers. These committees must develop evidence-based staffing plans considering patient acuity, staffing gaps, and daily patient needs, which hospitals must implement starting January 1, 2028. Hospitals must annually review these plans, publicly post staffing data on units, and submit annual reports to the Maryland Health Care Commission beginning in 2030. The bill directly affects hospital operations, staffing decisions, and transparency for frontline workers and patients.
SB 326 expands the authority of physician assistants (PAs) in Maryland by allowing them to perform specific healthcare actions currently restricted to physicians. The bill directly affects PAs, patients requiring guardianship, inmates needing infirmary care, and mental health facilities by adding PAs to certification requirements for treatment incapacity (Section 5-606), guardianship petitions (Section 13-705), and inmate infirmary admissions (Section 9-601.1). It also requires the Maryland Department of Health to cover PA examinations for emergency evaluations and adds PAs to the Statewide Advisory Commission on Immunization. These changes aim to align PA practice with other licensed healthcare professionals in defined clinical scenarios.
HB 377 expands the scope of practice for physician assistants (PAs) in Maryland by adding them to specific healthcare roles that previously required physicians or other practitioners. The bill allows PAs to certify incapacity for treatment decisions, participate in guardianship petitions for disabled persons, and order infirmary care for pregnant inmates - previously limited to physicians or nurse practitioners. It also requires the Maryland Department of Health to cover PA examinations for emergency evaluees and adds PAs to the Statewide Advisory Commission on Immunization. These changes aim to create parity by treating PAs as equivalent to other licensed healthcare providers in key clinical and administrative processes.
HB 624 (Safe Staffing Act of 2026) requires most Maryland hospitals to establish clinical staffing committees with equal management and employee representation, including specific frontline staff like nursing assistants and dietary aides. These committees must develop annual staffing plans considering patient acuity, staffing gaps, and evidence-based standards, then post the plans publicly and update them yearly. Hospitals must implement these plans starting in 2028, allow staff to file complaints about violations, and report annually to the Maryland Health Care Commission beginning in 2030. The law directly affects licensed hospitals and frontline healthcare workers by mandating structured, transparent staffing processes to address patient care needs.
SB 439 prohibits Maryland fire and rescue public safety employers from taking negative employment actions (like firing or denying promotions) against employees who use medical cannabis, provided the employee has a valid medical cannabis certification under state law. It amends existing Maryland law to explicitly add this protection for public safety workers, aligning with current medical cannabis certification requirements. The bill does not change how medical cannabis is certified but ensures these employees cannot face discrimination solely for using cannabis legally under the state program. This applies to all fire and rescue employees who meet the state's medical cannabis eligibility criteria.
SB 336 extends the deadline for the existing Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances, established by 2024 law, to continue its work studying natural psychedelic substances like psilocybin and mescaline (excluding peyote). The task force, composed of state officials, experts, and community representatives, will study current laws, scientific data on benefits and risks, and barriers to access, then make recommendations for a state access program and legal changes. This extension allows the task force to finalize its report on creating equitable access to these substances and transitioning away from criminal penalties for nonviolent uses. The bill does not change current laws but prolongs the study period to inform future policy decisions.
SB 449 extends workers' compensation benefits to Carroll County correctional deputies who develop heart disease or hypertension. It creates a legal presumption that these conditions are work-related (and thus compensable) if they result in partial disability or death, provided the condition is more severe than any pre-existing condition and the deputy had a medical exam before employment. The bill amends Maryland law to explicitly include "Carroll County Correctional Deputy" in the definition of "public safety employee" for these benefits. This change applies specifically to Carroll County deputies and requires meeting the severity and medical exam conditions to qualify.
HB 672 amends the Maryland Pediatric Cancer Fund to specify that only nonprofit hospitals, educational institutions, and other nonprofit organizations may receive grants for pediatric cancer research, removing previous eligibility for physicians, laboratories, and individuals. The bill requires grant funds to be used exclusively for direct research costs, prohibiting use for administrative overhead or community-based services. It also mandates annual reporting to the General Assembly on fund administration, promotional efforts, and detailed fund usage.
HB 975 prohibits licensed massage therapists, registered massage practitioners, and third parties acting on their behalf from advertising massage services that imply sexual activity, suggest prostitution services, or appear on sites known for such ads. It requires all advertising for massage therapy to include the full name and license or registration number of the specific practitioner. The bill also sets standards for permissible advertising, such as allowing business-level ads without listing individual therapists, and mandates that trade names not be deceptive. These changes directly affect massage therapy practitioners and their marketing practices in Maryland, effective October 1, 2026.
SB 910 requires Maryland health insurers to reimburse patients for services provided by graduate-level clinical interns in counseling, social work, and psychology, under specific conditions. This affects insured individuals who receive these services and insurers who must cover them. Key conditions include services being provided at outpatient facilities, interns being enrolled in accredited graduate programs, working under direct supervision of a licensed professional, and billed by the supervising provider. The bill amends existing insurance codes (Sections 15-704, 15-707, and 15-714) to add these reimbursement requirements for each profession’s interns.
