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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb0662*
HOUSE BILL 662
O3, P1 EMERGENCY BILL (2lr0928)
ENROLLED BILL
— Appropriations/Finance —
Introduced by Delegate Guyton
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at _________________ _______ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
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) and (e), and 7–112(b) and (d) 7–112, and 7–128 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14 2 HOUSE BILL 662
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 1
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 2
Article – Human Services 3
Section 7–112(a) and 7–127 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 6
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 8
Article – Human Services 9
7–111. 10
(a) (1) There is a State Coordinator for Autism Strategy in the Governor’s 11
Office of Community Initiatives. 12
(2) WITH THE ADVICE AND C ONSENT OF THE SENATE, THE THE 13
GOVERNOR SHALL APPOINT THE STATE COORDINATOR FOR AUTISM STRATEGY. 14
(e) (1) For fiscal year 2023 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor shall 15
include in the annual budget bill an appropriation to fund the position of State Coordinator 16
for Autism Strategy and the Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs. 17
(2) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , 18
THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION 19
IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICI ENT TO FUND ONE SUPP ORT STAFF POSITION F OR THE STATE 20
COORDINATOR FOR AUTISM STRATEGY. 21
7–112. 22
(a) There is an Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs. 23
(b) The Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs consists of the 24
following members: 25
(1) ONE MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, APPOINTED BY THE 26
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; 27
(2) TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, APPOINTED BY 28
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE; 29
[(1)] (3) the State Superintendent of Schools, or the State 30
Superintendent’s designee; 31
HOUSE BILL 662 3
[(2)] (4) the Secretary of Disabilities, or the Secretary’s designee; 1
[(3)] (5) the Secretary of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 2
[(4)] (6) the Secretary of Health, or the Secretary’s designee; 3
[(5)] (7) the State Coordinator for Autism Strategy; 4
[(6)] (8) one representative of the Maryland Speech–Language–Hearing 5
Association; 6
[(7)] (9) one representative of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities 7
Council; 8
[(8)] (10) one representative of the Maryland Occupational Therapy 9
Association; 10
[(9)] (11) one representative of The ARC Maryland; 11
[(10)] (12) one representative of Pathfinders for Autism; 12
[(11)] (13) one representative of Itineris; and 13
[(12)] (14) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 14
(i) a school psychologist; 15
(ii) a physical therapist; 16
(iii) a pediatrician; 17
(iv) two parents of children with autism; 18
(v) two self–advocates with autism; 19
(vi) one representative of public universities in the State; 20
(vii) one representative of local public school systems in the State; 21
AND 22
(viii) one representative from the business community; and 23
(ix) (15) any additional members with expertise or experience in 24
autism–related needs as considered necessary , APPOINTED BY THE STATE 25
COORDINATOR FOR AUTISM STRATEGY. 26 4 HOUSE BILL 662
(c) The State Coordinator for Autism Strategy shall chair the Advisory 1
Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs. 2
(d) The [Department of Disabilities] GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY 3
INITIATIVES shall provide staff for the Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related 4
Needs. 5
(e) IN APPOINTING MEMBERS UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION , 6
THE APPOINTING AUTHO RITY SHALL CONSIDER THE GEOGRAPHICAL DIV ERSITY OF 7
THE STATE SO THAT THE COM POSITION OF THE ADVISORY STAKEHOLDER GROUP 8
ON AUTISM–RELATED NEEDS REFLECTS THE VA RIOUS COMMUNITIES OF THE 9
STATE. 10
(F) A member of the Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs: 11
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Advisory Stakeholder 12
Group on Autism–Related Needs; but 13
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 14
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 15
[(f)] (G) The Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs shall work 16
with the State Coordinator for Autism Strategy to: 17
(1) identify and evaluate existing services for individuals with autism and 18
their families; 19
(2) develop a strategic plan for addressing autism–related needs in the 20
State; 21
(3) promote, monitor, and evaluate implementation of the strategic plan; 22
and 23
(4) recommend and implement changes to the strategic plan. 24
[(g)] (H) (1) The Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related Needs shall 25
hold its initial meeting on or before December 31, 2020. 26
(2) Beginning in 2021, the Advisory Stakeholder Group on Autism–Related 27
Needs shall meet quarterly each calendar year. 28
7–127. 29
(a) There is an Interagency Disabilities Board convened by the Governor. 30
HOUSE BILL 662 5
(b) The purpose of the Board is to develop the State Disabilities Plan. 1
7–128. 2
The Board consists of the following members: 3
(1) the Secretary of Disabilities; 4
(2) the Secretary of Aging, or the Secretary’s designee; 5
(3) the Secretary of Commerce, or the Secretary’s designee; 6
(4) the Secretary of Budget and Management, or the Secretary’s designee; 7
(5) the Secretary of Health, or the Secretary’s designee; 8
(6) the Secretary of Housing and Community Development, or the 9
Secretary’s designee; 10
(7) the Secretary of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 11
(8) the Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee; 12
(9) the Secretary of Planning, or the Secretary’s designee; 13
(10) the State Superintendent of Schools, or the Superintendent’s designee; 14
(11) the Secretary of Transportation, or the Secretary’s designee; 15
(12) the Deputy Director of the Division of Children and Youth of the 16
Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services, or the Deputy Director’s 17
designee; 18
(13) the Director of the Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 19
or the Director’s designee; 20
(14) the Secretary of Juvenile Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 21
(15) the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, or the 22
Secretary’s designee; 23
(16) the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, 24
Youth, and Victim Services, or the Executive Director’s designee; [and] 25
6 HOUSE BILL 662
(17) THE STATE COORDINATOR FOR AUTISM STRATEGY OF THE 1
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, OR THE COORDINATOR ’S 2
DESIGNEE; AND 3
[(17)] (18) representatives from any other unit of State government that the 4
Governor designates. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 6
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 7
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 8
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 9
enacted October 1, 2022. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.