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.
*sb0506*
SENATE BILL 506
O4, F5 2lr0903
CF HB 725
By: Senator King
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
Re–referred to: Budget and Taxation, February 8, 2022
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2022
CHAPTER ______
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 SENATE BILL 506
(2) “DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS , PHYSICAL DISABILITIE S, OR DELAYS 1
IN SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, OR BEHAVIORAL FUNCTI ONING” MEANS: 2
(I) A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPM ENTAL DELAY OR ATYPI CAL 3
DEVELOPMENT , AS IDENTIFIED BY A HEALT H PROFESSIONAL , IN: 4
1. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT ; 5
2. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT ; 6
3. LANGUAGE AND SPEECH D EVELOPMENT ; 7
4. PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPM ENT; OR 8
5. SELF–HELP SKILLS; 9
(II) PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA , AS IDENTIFIED THROUG H AN 10
EVALUATION BY A MENT AL HEALTH PROFESSION AL; OR 11
(III) A DIAGNOSED PHYSICAL , DEVELOPMENTAL , OR MENTAL 12
HEALTH CONDITION THA T IMPACTS DAILY LIVI NG AND LIMITS PARTIC IPATION IN 13
TYPICAL EARLY CHILDH OOD EDUCATION OR CHI LD CARE SETTINGS . 14
(3) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE THERAPEUTIC CHILD CARE PROGRAM. 15
(B) THERE IS A THERAPEUTIC CHILD CARE PROGRAM IN THE STATE. 16
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED CHILD 17
CARE AND EARLY CHILD HOOD EDUCATION BY ED UCATORS, EARLY INTERVENTION 18
PROVIDERS, MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS , AND HEALTH CARE PROV IDERS TO 19
CHILDREN UNDER THE A GE OF 6 YEARS WHO HAVE : 20
(1) DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS ; 21
(2) PHYSICAL DISABILITIES ; OR 22
(3) DELAYS IN SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, OR BEHAVIORAL FUNCTI ONING. 23
(D) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION, FOR FISCAL 24
YEAR 2024, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN 25
APPROPRIATION TO THE PROGRAM IN AN AMOUNT NOT LESS THAN THE PE R PUPIL 26
FUNDING AMOUNT OF $45,000 FOR EACH CHILD SERVE D WHO HAS DEVELOPMEN TAL 27 SENATE BILL 506 3
DELAYS, PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, OR DELAYS IN SOCIAL , EMOTIONAL, OR 1
BEHAVIORAL FUNCTIONI NG. 2
(2) (I) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, FOR PROVIDERS IN THE PROGRAM 3
THAT BEGAN PROVIDING CARE TO CHILDREN ON OR BEFOR E MARCH 5, 2020, THE 4
PER PUPIL FUNDING AM OUNT SHALL BE CALCULATED USING THE HIGHER OF : 5
1. THE JANUARY 1, 2019, ENROLLMENT ; OR 6
2. THE JANUARY 1, 2023, ENROLLMENT . 7
(II) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, FOR PROVIDERS IN THE PROGRAM 8
THAT BEGAN PROVIDING CARE TO CHILDREN AFTER MARCH 5, 2020, THE PER PUPIL 9
FUNDING AMOUNT SHALL BE CALCULATED USING THE JANUARY 1, 2023, 10
ENROLLMENT . 11
(3) BEGINNING IN FISCAL Y EAR 2025 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 12
THEREAFTER , THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCREA SE THE PER PUPIL FUN DING AMOUNT 13
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION B Y THE LESSER OF: 14
(I) THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR ALL URBAN 15
CONSUMERS FOR THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA, OR ANY SUCCESSOR 16
INDEX; OR 17
(II) 1.5%. 18
(4) THE PROGRAM MAY BE FUNDED FROM: 19
(I) THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE; AND 20
(II) ANY OTHER SOURCES . 21
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 22
1, 2022. 23