Healthcare

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1507: Motor Vehicles - Enhanced Tinted Windows - Medical Exemption

HB 1507 allows out-of-state physicians licensed to practice medicine to issue medical exemption certifications for vehicles with tinted windows darker than Maryland's standard 35% light transmittance requirement. It removes the previous 2-year expiration limit for these exemptions, making them valid indefinitely for permanent medical conditions (like photosensitivity disorders). This directly affects Maryland residents requiring dark window tint for medical reasons, who previously needed in-state physician certifications with time limits. The bill does not change the 35% light transmittance rule itself, only the process for obtaining medical exemptions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves 2-year expiration for medical exemptions, improving access for patients with permanent conditions like photosensitivity disorders.90% confidence

Track

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 1060: Primary and Secondary Schools - Petitions for Emergency Evaluation - Requirement for Tracking and Reporting and Study

HB 1060 requires Maryland public and nonpublic schools to track and report petitions for emergency student evaluations (e.g., for mental health crises) using a standardized system. Schools must collect specific data including student demographics (age, race, gender), whether the student has an IEP or 504 plan, the reason for the petition, if handcuffs were used, and outcomes like hospitalization. County boards and certain schools must submit these reports to the State Department of Education by monthly or annual deadlines, which the Department will verify and compile. The Department must then annually report disaggregated data (by school, student characteristics, and petition reasons) to the legislature and post it publicly, while also convening a workgroup to study these petitions. This bill directly affects all Maryland primary and secondary schools and their staff who initiate such evaluations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires tracking mental health crisis evaluations in schools, enabling data-driven improvements to student mental health services90% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

Track

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 26, 2026

HB 1365: Health Occupations, Public Health, and Insurance - Menopause - Provider Training Coverage Requirements, Policy Initiatives, and Access to Care

HB 1365 requires healthcare providers (like doctors and nurses) to complete menopause-specific training to earn continuing education credits, with licensing boards mandated to grant double credit (2 hours for every 1 hour of training). It also requires insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover the evaluation and management of menopause and related symptoms. The law applies to all relevant providers and insurers in Maryland, effective January 1, 2027. The Department must identify a standardized training program after consulting with professional associations like The Menopause Society.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurer coverage for menopause evaluation/management and requires provider training, expanding access to care and improving health services standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 1372: Public Health - Office of Health Care Quality Information and Maryland Health Centralization Commission

HB 1372 requires the Maryland Health Care Commission, working with the Office of Health Care Quality, to create a process for publishing health facility inspection data (including inspection dates, quality ratings, next inspection dates, and compliance statements) on a public website. It establishes the Maryland Department of Health Centralization Commission, composed of legislators, department officials, and health board leaders, to advise on improving efficiency between the Department and health occupations boards. The bill also mandates that all health occupations boards meet minimum cybersecurity standards set by the Secretary of Information Technology. These changes directly affect health care facilities subject to inspections, health occupations boards, and the Maryland Department of Health.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires public posting of facility inspection data and establishes commission to improve department efficiency, enhancing transparency and oversight in healthcare quality management.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 13, 2026

SB 963: Maryland Department of Health - Medicaid Management Information System - Mainframe System Replacement

This bill requires Maryland's Department of Health to replace its outdated Medicaid mainframe system with a modern, modular system by 2028. The new system must maintain all current Medicaid functions - including provider enrollment, claims processing, and data reporting - while improving security, accuracy, and performance. The Department must integrate the replacement with the Medicaid Enterprise System by January 2027 and fully transition all applications from the old system by January 2028, decommissioning the legacy system afterward. This change directly affects the Department’s internal operations, not Medicaid beneficiaries or providers, and aligns with federal requirements for Medicaid IT systems.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill modernizes Medicaid IT infrastructure to maintain/upgrade critical healthcare functions (claims processing, enrollment), improving system security and performance for Medicaid services.92% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates modern system replacement with explicit focus on improving security, accuracy, and performance for Medicaid data processing, directly enhancing cybersecurity infrastructure.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

Track

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 9, 2026

HB 965: Office of Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory Council - Establishment

HB 965 establishes the Office of Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory Council to improve oversight of health care facilities in Maryland. The council, composed of 15 members including legislative appointees, frontline workers, facility residents, advocacy groups, and industry representatives, provides feedback to the Office of Health Care Quality and notifies the Secretary of Health if oversight is deemed negligent. Key mechanisms include biannual public meetings (with live streaming and public comment), annual data reporting on facility inspections and complaints, and a requirement for the council to compile feedback and recommendations into an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly starting in 2027. This bill directly affects the Office of Health Care Quality, health care facilities, and stakeholders by adding structured accountability to oversight processes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes advisory council to enhance oversight of healthcare facilities, improving quality and accountability through stakeholder input and negligence reporting.95% confidence

Track

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 876: Recovery Residences - Certification - Requirement

SB 876 requires recovery residences in Maryland to obtain certification from an approved credentialing entity before operating, beginning January 1, 2027. This directly affects recovery residences - housing facilities providing alcohol- and drug-free living for individuals with substance use disorders (but not clinical treatment services). The bill mandates credentialing entities to establish standards, conduct inspections, and issue annual certificates, with penalties of up to $1,000 per violation for operating without certification or falsely advertising certification. It replaces existing authorization language with a mandatory requirement and adds transparency through public lists of certified residences and credentialing entities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates certification standards for recovery residences (housing for substance use disorder patients), ensuring quality care infrastructure and safety without clinical treatment, aligning with mental health service support indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Substance Abuse

Track

signed · Maryland · Senate May 26, 2026

SB 813: Health Insurance and Dental Plan Organizations - Dentists - Assignment of Benefits and Reimbursement of Nonpreferred Providers

SB 813 prohibits dental insurers and plan organizations from blocking direct payments to dentists (nonpreferred providers) when patients assign benefits to them, instead of paying patients who then pay dentists. It requires dentists to provide patients with clear cost disclosures - including potential balance billing - before services and submit a disclosure form to insurers. The bill applies specifically to dental care under Maryland law, amending sections 14-205.3 and adding 14-410.1 to the Insurance Article. Insurers may refuse direct payment only in limited cases, such as if a patient paid the dentist upfront or withdrew assignment after payment. This aims to simplify reimbursement for dental patients and dentists outside insurance networks.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits insurer barriers to direct dentist payments and mandates cost disclosures, enhancing patient access and transparency in dental insurance coverage.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 13, 2026

HB 1435: Health Insurance - Required Coverage - Hormone-Related Care

HB 1435 requires Maryland health insurance companies, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover hormone-related care for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. This includes hormone therapy, hormone-modulating medications, related lab testing, and clinical visits, with coverage not denied based on diagnosis (like menopause symptoms), age, or prior treatment history. The bill prohibits extra approval steps, stricter limitations, or higher costs for this care compared to similar treatments. It also mandates that coverage decisions follow evidence-based guidelines and the treating provider’s clinical judgment, ensuring timely access to care.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for hormone-related care, prohibits denials based on diagnosis/age, and expands access to menopausal health services per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

Track

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 1389: Public Health - Female Genital Mutilation

HB 1389 updates Maryland law to explicitly include female genital mutilation (FGM) under the legal definition of "abuse" for child protection purposes. This requires healthcare workers, educators, and others to report suspected FGM cases - just like other forms of child abuse - and increases penalties for violations. The bill also allows victims to file civil lawsuits and mandates the Maryland Department of Health to create educational materials about FGM. These changes directly affect mandated reporters, medical professionals, and individuals at risk of FGM.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates healthcare workers to report FGM as child abuse, requires health department educational materials, and protects victims through civil lawsuits - strengthening patient safety and public health protections.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health