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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb0111*
HOUSE BILL 111
O1, C5, J1 (3lr0449)
ENROLLED BILL
— Health and Government Operations/Finance —
Introduced 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
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Medical Assistance Program , and, Maryland Children’s Health 2
Program, and Social Services Programs – Eligibility and Enrollment, and 3
Workgroup on Low–Income Utility Assistance 4
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish an Express 5
Lane Eligibility Program to enroll individuals, based on certain eligibility, in the 6
Maryland Medical Assistance Program and the Maryland Children’s Health 7
Program; requiring the Workgroup on Low–Income Utility Assistance to submit a 8
final report to certain committees of the General Assembly on or before a certain date 9
with certain recommendations; requiring the Department of Human Services to 10
enroll individuals, based on certain eligibility, in the Supplemental Nutrition 11
Assistance Program; requiring the Office of Home Energy Programs to enroll 12
individuals, based on certain eligibility, in certain Office of Home Energy Programs 13 2 HOUSE BILL 111
assistance programs; altering the eligibility requirements for the electric universal 1
service program; and generally relating to eligibility for and enrollment in the 2
Maryland Medical Assistance Program and, social services programs the Maryland 3
Children’s Health Program, and the Workgroup on Low–Income Utility Assistance. 4
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
Article – Health – General 6
Section 15–103(a)(1) 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Health – General 11
Section 15–103(a)(5) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Human Services 16
Section 5–501 and 5–5A–07 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 20
Article – Human Services 21
Section 5–5A–01(a) and (d) 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 24
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 25
Article – Public Utilities 26
Section 7–512.1(a)(1) 27
Annotated Code of Maryland 28
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 29
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 30
Chapter 638 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2021 31
Section 3(a) 32
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 33
Chapter 638 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2021 34
Section 3(g) 35
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 36
Chapter 639 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2021 37
Section 3(a) 38
HOUSE BILL 111 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Chapter 639 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2021 2
Section 3(g) 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
15–103. 7
(a) (1) The Secretary shall administer the Maryland Medical Assistance 8
Program. 9
(5) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2025, SUBJECT TO THE LIMIT ATIONS 10
OF THE STATE BUDGET, AND AS PERMITTED BY FEDERAL LAW , THE DEPARTMENT : 11
(I) SHALL ESTABLISH AN EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY 12
PROGRAM TO ENROL L INDIVIDUALS IN THE MARYLAND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE 13
PROGRAM AND MARYLAND CHILDREN’S HEALTH PROGRAM BASED ON ELIG IBILITY 14
FINDINGS BY THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; 15
(II) MAY NOT CONSIDER ANY OTHER INCOME OR ELIG IBILITY 16
REQUIREMENTS ; 17
(III) TO THE EXTENT THAT A WAIVER IS NEEDED TO MAXIMIZE 18
THE NUMBER OF STATE RESIDENTS WHO M AY QUALIFY FOR THE EXPRESS LANE 19
ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM, SHALL APPLY TO THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND 20
MEDICAID SERVICES FOR A WAIVER ONE OR MORE WAIVERS UNDER § 1115 OF THE 21
FEDERAL SOCIAL SECURITY ACT TO IMPLEMENT THE EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY 22
PROGRAM; AND 23
(IV) SHALL MAKE ALL REASON ABLE EFFORTS TO EXPE DITE 24
ENROLLMENT OF ELIGIB LE INDIVIDUALS IN TH E EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY 25
PROGRAM, PROVIDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAY PROPOSE OR IMPLEMENT THE 26
USE OF EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY FOR RENEW ALS BEFORE PROPOSING OR 27
IMPLEMENTING THE USE OF EXPRESS LANE ELIGIBILITY FOR INITI AL 28
ENROLLMENT . 29
Article – Human Services 30
5–501. 31
(a) (1) The Department may implement a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 32
Program in accordance with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 33 4 HOUSE BILL 111
(2) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program shall include: 1
(i) a Restaurant Meals Program in accordance with § 5–505 of this 2
subtitle; and 3
(ii) a Heat and Eat Program in accordance with § 5–506 of this 4
subtitle. 5
(b) The State shall bear the nonfederal portion of the administrative costs of the 6
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for each county. 7
(c) Each local department shall admin ister the Supplemental Nutrition 8
Assistance Program: 9
(1) under the supervision and control of the Department; and 10
(2) in accordance with the regulations of the Department and federal law. 11
(d) If a household includes an individual who is at least 62 years old and receives 12
a federally funded benefit in an amount less than $40 per month under the Supplemental 13
Nutrition Assistance Program, the State shall provide a supplement to increase the total 14
benefit to $40 per month. 15
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENR OLL IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION 16
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ANY INDIVIDUA L WHO MEETS THE FINA NCIAL ELIGIBILITY 17
REQUIREMENTS ESTABLI SHED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR A RECI PIENT OF 18
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME. 19
5–5A–01. 20
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 21
(d) “Office” means the Office of Home Energy Programs. 22
5–5A–07. 23
(a) (1) The Office shall: 24
(i) carry out an energy emergency crisis intervention program to 25
prevent low–income households, including the near poor, the elderly, households with 26
children, and those on fixed incomes from experiencing danger to health or survival as a 27
result of an energy emergency; 28
(ii) establish intake procedures for those experiencing an energy 29
emergency; 30 HOUSE BILL 111 5
(iii) establish guidelines for the income and program eligibility of 1
applicants; and 2
(iv) identify local public or private agencies to administer the crisis 3
intervention program. 4
(2) (i) The Office shall make payments to fuel vendors and utility 5
vendors that have provided service to persons qualifying for the crisis intervention 6
program. 7
(ii) The amount of assistance shall be based on need. 8
(b) (1) The Office shall carry out one or more fuel and utility assistance 9
programs to make payments on behalf of qualified households to defray fuel and utility 10
costs. 11
(2) (I) The Office shall determine program and income eligibility 12
guidelines. 13
(II) THE OFFICE SHALL ENROLL I N ANY FUEL AND UTILI TY 14
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM A NY INDIVIDUAL WHO ME ETS THE FINANCIAL EL IGIBILITY 15
REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR A RECI PIENT OF: 16
1. THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 17
PROGRAM; 18
2. TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES; 19
3. SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME; OR 20
4. MEANS–TESTED VETERANS AFFAIRS BENEFITS . 21
(3) The amount of assistance shall be based on need. 22
(c) For fiscal year 2023 only, the Governor shall appropriate to the Office an 23
amount equal to the unexpended appropriation to the Office for fiscal year 2021 funding 24
that was included in Supplemental Budget No. 5. 25
Article – Public Utilities 26
7–512.1. 27
(a) (1) The Commission shall establish an electric universal service program 28
to assist electric customers with annual incomes[: 29
6 HOUSE BILL 111
(i) at or below 175% of the federal poverty level; or 1
(ii) for a customer at least 67 years of age,] at or below 200% of the 2
federal poverty level. 3
Chapter 638 of the Acts of 2021 4
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 5
(a) There is a Workgroup on Low–Income Utility Assistance. 6
(g) (1) The Workgroup shall submit [a] AN INITIAL report of the study, 7
findings, and recommendations, including recommended legislation and regulatory 8
changes, to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Economic Matters Committee, in 9
accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on or before January 1, 2022. 10
(2) THE WORKGROUP SHALL SUBMI T A FINAL REPORT OF THE STUDY, 11
FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS , INCLUDING RECOMMENDE D LEGISLATION AND 12
REGULATORY CHANGES , TO THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE 13
ECONOMIC MATTERS COMMITTEE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 14
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2024. 15
Chapter 639 of the Acts of 2021 16
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 17
(a) There is a Workgroup on Low–Income Utility Assistance. 18
(g) (1) The Workgroup shall submit [a] AN INITIAL report of the study, 19
findings, and recommendations, including recommended legislation and regulatory 20
changes, to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Economic Matters Committee, in 21
accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on or before January 1, 2022. 22
(2) THE WORKGROUP SHALL SUBMI T A FINAL REPORT OF THE STUDY, 23
FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS , INCLUDING RECOMMENDE D LEGISLATION AND 24
REGULATORY CHANGES , TO THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE 25
ECONOMIC MATTERS COMMITTEE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 26
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2024. 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2023. 29