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.
*hb0111*
HOUSE BILL 111
O1, C5, J1 3lr0449
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 26
By: Delegate Charkoudian Delegates Charkoudian, Pena –Melnyk, Cullison,
Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, Guzzone, Hill, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kerr,
R. Lewis, Lopez, Martinez, Rosenberg, Taveras, White, and Woods
Requested: September 26, 2022
Introduced and read first time: January 11, 2023
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 5, 2023
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Medical Assistance Program , and Maryland Children’s Health 2
Program, and Social Services Programs – Eligibility and Enrollment 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish an Express 4
Lane Eligibility Program to enroll individuals, based on certain eligibility, in the 5
Maryland Medical Assistance Program and the Maryland Children’s Health 6
Program; requiring the Department of Human Services to enroll individuals, based 7
on certain eligibility, in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; requiring 8
the Office of Home Energy Programs to enroll individuals, based on certain 9
eligibility, in certain Office of Home Energy Programs assistance programs; altering 10
the eligibility requirements for the electric universal service program; and generally 11
relating to eligibility for and enrollment in the Maryland Medical Assistance 12
Program and social services programs the Maryland Children’s Health Program. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Health – General 15
Section 15–103(a)(1) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 18
BY adding to 19
Article – Health – General 20 2 HOUSE BILL 111
Section 15–103(a)(5) 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 4
Article – Human Services 5
Section 5–501 and 5–5A–07 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 8
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Human Services 10
Section 5–5A–01(a) and (d) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Public Utilities 15
Section 7–512.1(a)(1) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Health – General 21
15–103. 22
(a) (1) The Secretary shall administer the Maryland Medical Assistance 23
Program. 24
(5) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2025, SUBJECT TO THE LIMIT ATIONS 25
OF THE STATE BUDGET, AND AS PERMITTED BY FEDERAL LAW , THE DEPARTMENT : 26
(I) SHALL ESTABLISH AN EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY 27
PROGRAM TO ENROLL IND IVIDUALS IN THE MARYLAND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE 28
PROGRAM AND MARYLAND CHILDREN’S HEALTH PROGRAM BASED ON ELIG IBILITY 29
FINDINGS BY THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; 30
(II) MAY NOT CONSIDER ANY OTHER INCOME OR ELIGIBILITY 31
REQUIREMENTS ; 32
(III) TO THE EXTENT THAT A WAIVER IS NEEDED TO MAXIMIZE 33
THE NUMBER OF STATE RESIDENTS WHO M AY QUALIFY FOR THE EXPRESS LANE 34
ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM, SHALL APPLY TO THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND 35 HOUSE BILL 111 3
MEDICAID SERVICES FOR A WAIVER ONE OR MORE WAIVERS UNDER § 1115 OF THE 1
FEDERAL SOCIAL SECURITY ACT TO IMPLEMENT THE EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY 2
PROGRAM; AND 3
(IV) SHALL MAKE ALL REASON ABLE EFFORTS TO EXPE DITE 4
ENROLLMENT OF ELIGIB LE INDIVIDUALS IN TH E EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY 5
PROGRAM, PROVIDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAY PROPOS E OR IMPLEMENT THE 6
USE OF EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY FOR RENEW ALS BEFORE PROPOSING OR 7
IMPLEMENTING THE USE OF EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY FOR INITI AL 8
ENROLLMENT . 9
Article – Human Services 10
5–501. 11
(a) (1) The Department may implement a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 12
Program in accordance with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 13
(2) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program shall include: 14
(i) a Restaurant Meals Program in accordance with § 5–505 of this 15
subtitle; and 16
(ii) a Heat and Eat Program in accordance with § 5–506 of this 17
subtitle. 18
(b) The State shall bear the nonfederal portion of the administrative costs of the 19
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for each county. 20
(c) Each local department shall administer the Supplemental Nutrition 21
Assistance Program: 22
(1) under the supervision and control of the Department; and 23
(2) in accordance with the regulations of the Department and federal law. 24
(d) If a household includes an individual who is at least 62 years old and receives 25
a federally funded benefit in an amount less than $40 per month under the Supplemental 26
Nutrition Assistance Program, the State shall provide a supplement to increase the total 27
benefit to $40 per month. 28
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENRO LL IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION 29
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ANY INDIVIDUA L WHO MEETS THE FINA NCIAL ELIGIBILITY 30
REQUIREMENTS ESTABLI SHED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR A RECI PIENT OF 31
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME. 32
4 HOUSE BILL 111
5–5A–01. 1
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 2
(d) “Office” means the Office of Home Energy Programs. 3
5–5A–07. 4
(a) (1) The Office shall: 5
(i) carry out an energy emergency crisis intervention program to 6
prevent low–income households, including the near poor, the elderly, households with 7
children, and those on fixed incomes from experiencing danger to health or survival as a 8
result of an energy emergency; 9
(ii) establish intake procedures for those experiencing an energy 10
emergency; 11
(iii) establish guidelines for the income and program eligibility of 12
applicants; and 13
(iv) identify local public or private agencies to administer the crisis 14
intervention program. 15
(2) (i) The Office shall make payments to fuel vendors and utility 16
vendors that have provided service to persons qualifying for the crisis intervention 17
program. 18
(ii) The amount of assistance shall be based on need. 19
(b) (1) The Office shall carry out one or more fuel and utility assistance 20
programs to make payments on behalf of qualified households to defray fuel and utility 21
costs. 22
(2) (I) The Office shall determine program and income eligibility 23
guidelines. 24
(II) THE OFFICE SHALL ENROLL I N ANY FUEL AND UTILI TY 25
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM A NY INDIVIDUAL WHO MEETS THE FIN ANCIAL ELIGIBILITY 26
REQUIREMENTS ESTABLI SHED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR A RECI PIENT OF: 27
1. THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 28
PROGRAM; 29
2. TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES; 30
HOUSE BILL 111 5
3. SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME; OR 1
4. MEANS–TESTED VETERANS AFFAIRS BENEFITS . 2
(3) The amount of assistance shall be based on need. 3
(c) For fiscal year 2023 only, the Governor shall appropriate to the Office an 4
amount equal to the unexpended appropriation to the Office for fiscal year 2021 funding 5
that was included in Supplemental Budget No. 5. 6
Article – Public Utilities 7
7–512.1. 8
(a) (1) The Commission shall establish an electric universal service program 9
to assist electric customers with annual incomes[: 10
(i) at or below 175% of the federal poverty level; or 11
(ii) for a customer at least 67 years of age,] at or below 200% of the 12
federal poverty level. 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 14
October 1, 2023. 15
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.