EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0662*
HOUSE BILL 662
O3, P1 EMERGENCY BILL 2lr0928
By: Delegate Guyton
Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2022
Assigned to: Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism –Related Needs, Interagency Disabilities 2
Board, and the State Coordinator for Autism Strategy – Membership, Staffing, 3
and Appointment 4
FOR the purpose of requiring the Governor to appoint the State Coordinator for Autism 5
Strategy; altering the membership and staffing of the Advisory Stakeholder Group 6
on Autism–Related Needs; adding the State Coordinator for Autism Strategy to the 7
Interagency Disabilities Board; and generally relating to the Advisory Stakeholder 8
Group on Autism–Related Needs, the Interagency Disabilities Board, and the State 9
Coordinator for Autism Strategy. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Human Services 12
Section 7–111(a), 7–112(b) and (d), and 7–128 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 15
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 16
Article – Human Services 17
Section 7–112(a) and 7–127 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
Article – Human Services 23
7–111. 24
2 HOUSE BILL 662
(a) (1) There is a State Coordinator for Autism Strategy in the Governor’s 1
Office of Community Initiatives. 2
(2) WITH THE ADVICE AND C ONSENT OF THE SENATE, THE 3
GOVERNOR SHALL APPOIN T THE STATE COORDINATOR FOR AUTISM STRATEGY. 4
7–112. 5
(a) There is an Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs. 6
(b) The Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs consists of the 7
following members: 8
(1) ONE MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, APPOINTED BY THE 9
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; 10
(2) TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, APPOINTED BY 11
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE; 12
[(1)] (3) the State Superintendent of Schools, or the State 13
Superintendent’s designee; 14
[(2)] (4) the Secretary of Disabilities, or the Secretary’s designee; 15
[(3)] (5) the Secretary of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 16
[(4)] (6) the Secretary of Health, or the Secretary’s designee; 17
[(5)] (7) the State Coordinator for Autism Strategy; 18
[(6)] (8) one representative of the Maryland Speech–Language–Hearing 19
Association; 20
[(7)] (9) one representative of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities 21
Council; 22
[(8)] (10) one representative of the Maryland Occupational Therapy 23
Association; 24
[(9)] (11) one representative of The ARC Maryland; 25
[(10)] (12) one representative of Pathfinders for Autism; 26
[(11)] (13) one representative of Itineris; and 27
HOUSE BILL 662 3
[(12)] (14) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 1
(i) a school psychologist; 2
(ii) a physical therapist; 3
(iii) a pediatrician; 4
(iv) two parents of children with autism; 5
(v) two self–advocates with autism; 6
(vi) one representative of public universities in the State; 7
(vii) one representative of local public school systems in the State; 8
(viii) one representative from the business community; and 9
(ix) any additional members with expertise or experience in 10
autism–related needs as considered necessary. 11
(d) The [Department of Disabilities] GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY 12
INITIATIVES shall provide staff for the Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related 13
Needs. 14
7–127. 15
(a) There is an Interagency Disabilities Board convened by the Governor. 16
(b) The purpose of the Board is to develop the State Disabilities Plan. 17
7–128. 18
The Board consists of the following members: 19
(1) the Secretary of Disabilities; 20
(2) the Secretary of Aging, or the Secretary’s designee; 21
(3) the Secretary of Commerce, or the Secretary’s designee; 22
(4) the Secretary of Budget and Management, or the Secretary’s designee; 23
(5) the Secretary of Health, or the Secretary’s designee; 24
(6) the Secretary of Housing and Community Development, or the 25
Secretary’s designee; 26 4 HOUSE BILL 662
(7) the Secretary of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 1
(8) the Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee; 2
(9) the Secretary of Planning, or the Secretary’s designee; 3
(10) the State Superintendent of Schools, or the Superintendent’s designee; 4
(11) the Secretary of Transportation, or the Secretary’s designee; 5
(12) the Deputy Director of the Division of Children and Youth of the 6
Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services, or the Deputy Director’s 7
designee; 8
(13) the Director of the Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 9
or the Director’s designee; 10
(14) the Secretary of Juvenile Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 11
(15) the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, or the 12
Secretary’s designee; 13
(16) the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, 14
Youth, and Victim Services, or the Executive Director’s designee; [and] 15
(17) THE STATE COORDINATOR FOR AUTISM STRATEGY OF THE 16
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, OR THE COORDINATOR ’S 17
DESIGNEE; AND 18
[(17)] (18) representatives from any other unit of State government that the 19
Governor designates. 20
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FUR THER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 21
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 22
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 23
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 24
enacted. 25