EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING 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.
*sb0241*
SENATE BILL 241
J1 2lr1475
CF HB 293
By: Senator Augustine Senators Augustine, Beidle, Benson, Feldman, Hayes,
Hershey, Jennings, Kelley, Klausmeier, Kramer, and Ready
Introduced and read first time: January 13, 2022
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 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
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21 2 SENATE BILL 241
Article – State Finance and Procurement 1
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)144. and 145. 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2021 Replacement Volume) 4
BY adding to 5
Article – State Finance and Procurement 6
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)146. 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2021 Replacement Volume) 9
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
Article – Health – General 12
SUBTITLE 5A. 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 13
7.5–5A–01. 14
IN THIS SUBTITLE, “FUND” MEANS THE 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 15
7.5–5A–02. 16
(A) THERE IS A 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 17
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO PROVIDE RE IMBURSEMENT FOR 18
COSTS ASSOCIATED WIT H: 19
(1) DESIGNATING AND MAINT AINING 9–8–8 AS THE UNIVERSAL 20
TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR A NATIONAL SUICIDE P REVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH 21
CRISIS HOTLINE IN AC CORDANCE WITH THE FE DERAL NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE 22
DESIGNATION ACT OF 2020; AND 23
(2) DEVELOPING AND IMPLEM ENTING A STATEWIDE I NITIATIVE FOR 24
THE COORDINATION AND DELIVERY OF THE CONT INUUM OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 25
CRISIS RESPONSE SERV ICES IN THE STATE, INCLUDING: 26
(I) CRISIS CALL CENTERS ; 27
(II) MOBILE CRISIS TEAM SE RVICES; 28
(III) CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTERS; AND 29
(IV) OTHER ACUTE BEHAVIORA L HEALTH CARE SERVIC ES. 30 SENATE BILL 241 3
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE FUND. 1
(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 2
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 3
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 4
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 5
(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 6
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 7
(2) INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND; AND 8
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 9
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 10
(F) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR CARRYING OUT THE PURPOSE OF 11
THE FUND. 12
(G) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 13
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 14
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO 15
THE FUND. 16
(H) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 17
WITH THE STATE BUDGET . 18
(I) MONEY EXPENDED FROM T HE FUND FOR CARRYING OUT THE PUR POSE 19
OF THE FUND IS SUPPLEMENTAL TO AND IS NOT INTEND ED TO TAKE THE PLACE OF 20
FUNDING THAT OTHERWI SE WOULD BE APPROPRI ATED FOR CARRYING OU T THE 21
PURPOSE OF THE FUND. 22
(J) NO PART OF THE FUND MAY REVERT OR BE CREDITED TO: 23
(1) THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE; OR 24
(2) ANY OTHER SPECIAL FUN D OF THE STATE. 25
(K) THE FUND IS SUBJECT TO AU DIT BY THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE 26
AUDITS AS PROVIDED IN § 2–1220 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 27
7.5–5A–03. 28 4 SENATE BILL 241
THE DEPARTMENT , IN COLLABORATION WIT H THE FEDERAL SUBSTANCE 1
ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION , THE NATIONAL 2
SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE, THE NATIONAL VETERANS CRISIS LINE, AND 3
OTHER APPROPRIATE EN TITIES, SHALL WORK TO PROMOT E THE PUBLIC 4
MESSAGING OF 9–8–8 SERVICES IN A CONSIS TENT MANNER. 5
7.5–5A–04. 6
ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT 7
A REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE, THE SENATE BUDGET AND 8
TAXATION COMMITTEE, AND THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, IN 9
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THAT 10
INCLUDES FOR THE IMM EDIATELY PRECEDING F ISCAL YEAR A DETAILE D 11
DESCRIPTION OF : 12
(1) THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS T RANSFERRED AND DISTR IBUTED FROM 13
THE FUND IN ACCORDANCE WI TH § 7.5–5A–02(B) OF THIS SUBTITLE; 14
(2) THE ADDITIONAL SERVIC ES PROVIDED BY THE FUNDI NG IN EACH 15
LOCAL JURISDICTION ; 16
(3) THE AMOUNT OF ANY UNS PENT FUNDS IN THE FUND; AND 17
(4) THE REASONS FUNDS IDE NTIFIED UNDER ITEM (3) OF THIS 18
SECTION WERE NOT SPE NT. 19
Article – State Finance and Procurement 20
6–226. 21
(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 22
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 23
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 24
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 25
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 26
Fund of the State. 27
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 28
to the following funds: 29
144. the Health Equity Resource Community Reserve Fund; 30
[and] 31
145. the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund; AND 32 SENATE BILL 241 5
146. THE 9–8–8 TRUST FUND. 1
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That before July 16, 2022, the 2
Maryland Department of Health shall designate 9–8–8 as the primary phone number for 3
the State’s behavioral health crisis hotline to provide crisis intervention services and crisis 4
care coordination to individuals accessing suicide prevention and behavioral health services 5
from any jurisdiction within the State 24 hours a day, 7 days a week under the federal 6
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020. 7
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, for fiscal year 2024, the 8
Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $10,000,000 9
$5,500,000 to the 9–8–8 Trust Fund established under § 7.5–5A–02 of the Health – General 10
Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act. 11
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effec t July 12
1, 2022. 13
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.