EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 241
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By: Senator Augustine
Introduced and read first time: January 13, 2022
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
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
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
Article – State Finance and Procurement 22
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)144. and 145. 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2021 Replacement Volume) 25
BY adding to 26
Article – State Finance and Procurement 27 2 SENATE BILL 241
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)146. 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2021 Replacement Volume) 3
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 4
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 5
Article – Health – General 6
SUBTITLE 5A. 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 7
7.5–5A–01. 8
IN THIS SUBTITLE, “FUND” MEANS THE 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 9
7.5–5A–02. 10
(A) THERE IS A 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 11
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO PROVIDE REIMBURSE MENT FOR 12
COSTS ASSOCIATED WIT H: 13
(1) DESIGNATING AND MAINT AINING 9–8–8 AS THE UNIVERSAL 14
TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR A NATIONAL SUICIDE P REVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH 15
CRISIS HOTLINE IN AC CORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE 16
DESIGNATION ACT OF 2020; AND 17
(2) DEVELOPING AND IMPLEM ENTING A STATEWIDE INITIATIVE FOR 18
THE COORDINATION AND DELIVERY OF THE CONT INUUM OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 19
CRISIS RESPONSE SERV ICES IN THE STATE, INCLUDING: 20
(I) CRISIS CALL CENTERS ; 21
(II) MOBILE CRISIS TEAM SE RVICES; 22
(III) CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTERS; AND 23
(IV) OTHER ACUTE BEHAVIORA L HEALTH CARE SERVIC ES. 24
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE FUND. 25
(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 26
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 27
SENATE BILL 241 3
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 1
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 2
(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 3
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 4
(2) INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND; AND 5
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE AC CEPTED FOR 6
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 7
(F) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR CARRYING OUT THE PURPOSE OF 8
THE FUND. 9
(G) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 10
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 11
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO 12
THE FUND. 13
(H) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 14
WITH THE STATE BUDGET . 15
(I) MONEY EXPENDED FROM T HE FUND FOR CARRYING OUT THE PURPOSE 16
OF THE FUND IS SUPPLEMENTAL TO A ND IS NOT INTENDED TO TAKE T HE PLACE OF 17
FUNDING THAT OTHERWI SE WOULD BE APPROPRI ATED FOR CARRYING OUT THE 18
PURPOSE OF THE FUND. 19
(J) NO PART OF THE FUND MAY REVERT OR BE CREDITED TO: 20
(1) THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE; OR 21
(2) ANY OTHER SPECIAL FUN D OF THE STATE. 22
(K) THE FUND IS SUBJECT TO AU DIT BY THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE 23
AUDITS AS PROVIDED IN § 2–1220 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 24
7.5–5A–03. 25
THE DEPARTMENT , IN COLLABORATION WIT H THE FEDERAL SUBSTANCE 26
ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION , THE NATIONAL 27
SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE, THE NATIONAL VETERANS CRISIS LINE, AND 28 4 SENATE BILL 241
OTHER APPROPRIATE EN TITIES, SHALL WORK TO PROMOT E THE PUBLIC 1
MESSAGING OF 9–8–8 SERVICES IN A CONSIS TENT MANNER . 2
7.5–5A–04. 3
ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBMIT 4
A REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE, THE SENATE BUDGET AND 5
TAXATION COMMITTEE, AND THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, IN 6
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THAT 7
INCLUDES FO R THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING FISCAL YEA R A DETAILED 8
DESCRIPTION OF : 9
(1) THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS TRANS FERRED AND DISTRIBUT ED FROM 10
THE FUND IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 7.5–5A–02(B) OF THIS SUBTITLE; 11
(2) THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES P ROVIDED BY THE FUNDI NG IN EACH 12
LOCAL JURISDICTION; 13
(3) THE AMOUNT OF ANY UNSPENT FUNDS IN THE FUND; AND 14
(4) THE REASONS FUNDS IDENTIF IED UNDER ITEM (3) OF THIS 15
SECTION WERE NOT SPENT . 16
Article – State Finance and Procurement 17
6–226. 18
(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 19
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 20
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 21
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 22
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 23
Fund of the State. 24
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 25
to the following funds: 26
144. the Health Equity Resource Community Reserve Fund; 27
[and] 28
145. the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund; AND 29
146. THE 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 30
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That before July 16, 2022, the 31 SENATE BILL 241 5
Maryland Department of Health shall designate 9–8–8 as the primary phone number for 1
the State’s behavioral health crisis hotline to provide crisis intervention services and crisis 2
care coordination to individuals accessing suicide prevention and behavioral health services 3
from any jurisdiction within the State 24 hours a day, 7 days a week under the federal 4
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020. 5
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That , for fiscal year 2024, the 6
Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $10,000,000 to the 7
9–8–8 Trust Fund established under § 7.5–5A–02 of the Health – General Article, as 8
enacted by Section 1 of this Act. 9
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10
1, 2022. 11