EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 506
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By: Senator King
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Children – Therapeutic Child Care Program – Funding 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Therapeutic Child Care Program to provide specialized 3
child care and early childhood education by educators, early intervention providers, 4
mental health providers, and health care providers to children under a certain age 5
who have delays in development, physical disabilities, or delays in social, emotional, 6
or behavioral functioning; and generally relating to the Therapeutic Child Care 7
Program. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 8–420 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Education 16
8–420. 17
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 18
INDICATED. 19
(2) “DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS , PHYSICAL DISABILITIE S, OR DELAYS 20
IN SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, OR BEHAVIORAL FUNCTI ONING” MEANS: 21
(I) A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPM ENTAL DELAY OR ATYPI CAL 22
DEVELOPMENT , AS IDENTIFIED BY A H EALTH PROFESSIONAL , IN: 23 2 SENATE BILL 506
1. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT ; 1
2. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT ; 2
3. LANGUAGE AND SPEECH DEVELOPMENT ; 3
4. PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPM ENT; OR 4
5. SELF–HELP SKILLS; 5
(II) PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA , AS IDENTIFIED THROUG H AN 6
EVALUATION BY A MENT AL HEALTH PROFESSION AL; OR 7
(III) A DIAGNOSED PHYSICAL , DEVELOPMENTAL , OR MENTAL 8
HEALTH CONDITION THAT IMPACTS DAILY L IVING AND LIMITS PAR TICIPATION IN 9
TYPICAL EARLY CHILDH OOD EDUCATION OR CHI LD CARE SETTINGS . 10
(3) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE THERAPEUTIC CHILD CARE PROGRAM. 11
(B) THERE IS A THERAPEUTIC CHILD CARE PROGRAM IN THE STATE. 12
(C) THE PURPOSE OF TH E PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED CHILD 13
CARE AND EARLY CHILD HOOD EDUCATION BY ED UCATORS, EARLY INTERVENTION 14
PROVIDERS, MENTAL HEALTH PROVID ERS, AND HEALTH CARE PROV IDERS TO 15
CHILDREN UNDER THE A GE OF 6 YEARS WHO HAVE : 16
(1) DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS ; 17
(2) PHYSICAL DISABILITIES ; OR 18
(3) DELAYS IN SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, OR BEHAVIORAL FUNCTI ONING. 19
(D) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , FOR FISCAL 20
YEAR 2024, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN 21
APPROPRIATION TO THE PROGRAM IN AN AMOUNT NOT LESS THAN THE PER PUPIL 22
FUNDING AMOUNT OF $45,000 FOR EACH CHILD SERVE D WHO HAS DEVELOPMEN TAL 23
DELAYS, PHYSICAL DISABILITIE S, OR DELAYS IN SOCIAL , EMOTIONAL, OR 24
BEHAVIORAL FUNCTIONI NG. 25
(2) (I) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, FOR PROVIDERS IN THE PROGRAM 26
THAT BEGAN PROVIDING CARE TO CHILDREN ON OR BEFOR E MARCH 5, 2020, THE 27
PER PUPIL FUNDING AM OUNT SHALL BE CALCULATED USING THE HIGHER OF : 28 SENATE BILL 506 3
1. THE JANUARY 1, 2019, ENROLLMENT ; OR 1
2. THE JANUARY 1, 2023, ENROLLMENT . 2
(II) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, FOR PROVIDERS IN THE PROGRAM 3
THAT BEGAN PROVIDING CARE TO CHILDREN AFTER MARCH 5, 2020, THE PER PUPIL 4
FUNDING AMOUNT SHALL BE CALCULATED USING THE JANUARY 1, 2023, 5
ENROLLMENT . 6
(3) BEGINNING IN FISCAL Y EAR 2025 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 7
THEREAFTER , THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCREA SE THE PER PUPIL FUN DING AMOUNT 8
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION B Y THE LESSER OF: 9
(I) THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR ALL URBAN 10
CONSUMERS FOR THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA, OR ANY SUCCES SOR 11
INDEX; OR 12
(II) 1.5%. 13
(4) THE PROGRAM MAY BE FUNDED FROM: 14
(I) THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE; AND 15
(II) ANY OTHER SOURCES . 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17
1, 2022. 18