EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0293*
HOUSE BILL 293
J1 2lr1524
CF SB 241
By: Delegates K. Young, Belcastro, Charkoudian, Forbes, Healey, Kaiser, Kerr,
McComas, Reznik, and Ruth Ruth, Pendergrass, Pena–Melnyk, Bagnall,
Bhandari, Carr, Chisholm, Cullison, Hill, Johnson, Kelly, Kipke, Landis,
R. Lewis, Morgan, Rosenberg, Saab, and Sample –Hughes
Introduced and read first time: January 17, 2022
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations and Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 13, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Behavioral Health Crisis Response Services – 9–8–8 Trust Fund 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the 9–8–8 Trust Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund; 3
requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to the Fund; requiring the 4
Maryland Department of Health to designate 9–8–8 as the primary phone number 5
for the State’s behavioral health crisis hotline; requiring the Department to work to 6
promote public messaging relating to 9–8–8 services in a certain manner; and 7
generally relating to behavioral health crisis response services and the 9–8–8 8
hotline. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Health – General 11
Section 7.5–5A–01 through 7.5–5A–04 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 5A. 12
9–8–8 Trust Fund” 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 15
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 16
Article – State Finance and Procurement 17
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2021 Replacement Volume) 20 2 HOUSE BILL 293
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – State Finance and Procurement 2
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)144. and 145. 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume) 5
BY adding to 6
Article – State Finance and Procurement 7
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)146. 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2021 Replacement Volume) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Health – General 13
SUBTITLE 5A. 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 14
7.5–5A–01. 15
IN THIS SUBTITLE, “FUND” MEANS THE 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 16
7.5–5A–02. 17
(A) THERE IS A 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 18
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO PROVIDE RE IMBURSEMENT FOR 19
COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH : 20
(1) DESIGNATING AND MAINT AINING 9–8–8 AS THE UNIVERSAL 21
TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR A NATIONAL SUICIDE P REVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH 22
CRISIS HOTLINE IN AC CORDANCE WITH THE FE DERAL NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE 23
DESIGNATION ACT OF 2020; AND 24
(2) DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTI NG A STATEWIDE INITI ATIVE FOR 25
THE COORDINATION AND DELIVERY OF THE CONT INUUM OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 26
CRISIS RESPONSE SERV ICES IN THE STATE, INCLUDING: 27
(I) CRISIS CALL CENTERS ; 28
(II) MOBILE CRISIS TEAM SE RVICES; 29
(III) CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER S; AND 30
HOUSE BILL 293 3
(IV) OTHER ACUTE BEHAVIORA L HEALTH CARE SERVIC ES. 1
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE FUND. 2
(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 3
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 4
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 5
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 6
(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 7
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 8
(2) INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND; AND 9
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACCEPTED FOR 10
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 11
(F) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR CARRYING OUT THE PURPOSE OF 12
THE FUND. 13
(G) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 14
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 15
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO 16
THE FUND. 17
(H) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 18
WITH THE STATE BUDGET . 19
(I) MONEY EXPENDED FROM T HE FUND FOR CARRYING OUT THE PURPOSE 20
OF THE FUND IS SUPPLEMENTAL TO AND IS NOT INTEND ED TO TAKE THE PLACE OF 21
FUNDING THAT OTHERWI SE WOULD BE APPROPRI ATED FOR CARRYING OU T THE 22
PURPOSE OF THE FUND. 23
(J) NO PART OF THE FUND MAY REVERT OR BE CREDITED TO: 24
(1) THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE; OR 25
(2) ANY OTHER SPECIAL FUND OF THE STATE. 26
(K) THE FUND IS SUBJECT TO AU DIT BY THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE 27
AUDITS AS PROVIDED IN § 2–1220 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 28
4 HOUSE BILL 293
7.5–5A–03. 1
THE DEPARTMENT , IN COLLABORATION WIT H THE FEDERAL SUBSTANCE 2
ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, THE NATIONAL 3
SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE, THE NATIONAL VETERANS CRISIS LINE, AND 4
OTHER APPROPRIATE EN TITIES, SHALL WORK TO PROMOT E THE PUBLIC 5
MESSAGING OF 9–8–8 SERVICES IN A CONSIS TENT MANNER . 6
7.5–5A–04. 7
ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT 8
A REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE, THE SENATE BUDGET AND 9
TAXATION COMMITTEE, AND THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, IN 10
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THAT 11
INCLUDES FOR THE IMM EDIATELY PREC EDING FISCAL YEAR A DETAILED 12
DESCRIPTION OF : 13
(1) THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS T RANSFERRED AND DISTR IBUTED FROM 14
THE FUND IN ACCORDANCE WI TH § 7.5–5A–02(B) OF THIS SUBTITLE; 15
(2) THE ADDITIONAL SERVIC ES PROVIDED BY THE F UNDING IN EACH 16
LOCAL JURISDICTION ; 17
(3) THE AMOUNT OF ANY UNS PENT FUNDS IN THE FUND; AND 18
(4) THE REASONS FUNDS IDE NTIFIED UNDER ITEM (3) OF THIS 19
SECTION WERE NOT SPE NT. 20
Article – State Finance and Procurement 21
6–226. 22
(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 23
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 24
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 25
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 26
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 27
Fund of the State. 28
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 29
to the following funds: 30
144. the Health Equity Resource Community Reserve Fund; 31
[and] 32
HOUSE BILL 293 5
145. the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund; AND 1
146. THE 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That before July 16, 2022, the 3
Maryland Department of Health shall designate 9–8–8 as the primary phone number for 4
the State’s behavioral health crisis hotline to provide crisis intervention services and crisis 5
care coordination to individuals accessing suicide prevention and behavioral health services 6
from any jurisdiction within the State 24 hours a day, 7 days a week under the federal 7
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020. 8
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, for fiscal year 2024, the 9
Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $10,000,000 10
$5,500,000 to the 9–8–8 Trust Fund established under § 7.5–5A–02 of the Health – General 11
Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act. 12
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 13
1, 2022. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.