Maryland 2023 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB890 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0890
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 890
8	8	J1 3lr3002
9	9	CF HB 340
10	10	By: Senators Zucker and Augustine
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2023
12	12	Assigned to: Rules
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Maryland Department of Health – 2–1–1 Maryland – Oversight 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of defining the term “Health and Human Services Referral System” for 3
21	21	the purposes of certain provisions of law governing the System to mean a certain 4
22	22	coordinated system for health and human resources that is accessible to State 5
23	23	residents, rather than a certain telephone service; altering the definition of “2–1–1 6
24	24	Maryland” to clarify that it is the entity that administers the 2–1–1 system in the 7
25	25	State; repealing the requirement that the Maryland Department of Health evaluate 8
26	26	the performance of certain call centers and make certain recommendations regarding 9
27	27	the quality of service provided by call centers; specifying that a certain agency that 10
28	28	establishes a public information telephone line or hotline is required to consult with 11
29	29	2–1–1 Maryland on certain matters only when appropriate in the agency’s discretion; 12
30	30	and generally relating to 2–1–1 Maryland. 13
31	31
32	32	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
33	33	Article – Health – General 15
34	34	Section 24–1201 through 24–1204 16
35	35	Annotated Code of Maryland 17
36	36	(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 18
37	37
38	38	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
39	39	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
40	40
41	41	Article – Health – General 21
42	42
43	43	24–1201. 22
44	44
45	45	(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 23
46	46
47	47	(b) “Health and Human Services Referral System” means [telephone service that 24 2 SENATE BILL 890
48	48
49	49
50	50	automatically connects an individual dialing the digits 2–1–1 to an established information 1
51	51	and referral answering point] A COORDINATED SYSTEM FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN 2
52	52	SERVICE RESOURCES AC CESSIBLE TO ALL STATE RESIDENTS THROU GH 2–1–1 AND 3
53	53	OTHER DESIGNATED TEC HNOLOGY SYSTEMS . 4
54	54
55	55	(c) “2–1–1” means the abbreviated dialing code assigned by the Federa l 5
56	56	Communications Commission for consumer access to community information and referral 6
57	57	services. 7
58	58
59	59	(d) “2–1–1 Maryland” means the Maryland Information Network, 2 –1–1 8
60	60	Maryland, a 501(c)(3) corporation in the State THAT ADMINISTERS THE 2–1–1 SYSTEM. 9
61	61
62	62	(e) “2–1–1 Maryland call center” means a nonprofit agency or organization 10
63	63	designated by 2–1–1 Maryland to provide 2–1–1 services. 11
64	64
65	65	24–1202. 12
66	66
67	67	(a) The General Assembly: 13
68	68
69	69	(1) Recognizes the importance of a statewide information and referral 14
70	70	system for health and human services; 15
71	71
72	72	(2) Recognizes that an integrated [telephone] TECHNOLOGY system 16
73	73	would provide ACCESS TO a single source for information and referral to health and human 17
74	74	services, community preparedness, and [crisis information] BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CA RE 18
75	75	COORDINATION and could be accessed toll free from anywhere in Maryland, 24 hours a 19
76	76	day, 365 days a year; 20
77	77
78	78	(3) Acknowledges that the three–digit number, 2–1–1, is a nationally 21
79	79	recognized and applied telephone number which may be used for information and referral 22
80	80	and eliminates delays caused by lack of familiarity with health and human services 23
81	81	numbers and by understandable confusion in circumstances of crisis; and 24
82	82
83	83	(4) Recognizes a demonstrated need for an easy to remember, easy to use 25
84	84	telephone number that will enable individuals in need to be directed to available 26
85	85	community resources. 27
86	86
87	87	(b) The purpose of this subtitle is to establish the three–digit number, 2–1–1, as 28
88	88	the primary information and referral telephone number for health and human services in 29
89	89	the State. 30
90	90
91	91	24–1203. 31
92	92
93	93	(a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, an agency or organization 32
94	94	shall be approved by 2–1–1 Maryland as a 2–1–1 Maryland call center in order to provide 33
95	95	2–1–1 services in the State. 34 SENATE BILL 890 3
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99	99	(b) When approving a 2–1–1 service provider, 2–1–1 Maryland shall consider: 1
100	100
101	101	(1) The ability of the proposed 2–1–1 service provider to meet the national 2
102	102	2–1–1 standards recommended by: 3
103	103
104	104	(i) The Alliance of Information and Referral Systems and adopted 4
105	105	by the National 2–1–1 Collaborative; or 5
106	106
107	107	(ii) An equivalent entity; 6
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109	109	(2) The financial stability of the proposed 2–1–1 service provider; 7
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111	111	(3) Any community support for the proposed 2–1–1 service provider; 8
112	112
113	113	(4) Any experience that the proposed 2–1–1 service provider has with other 9
114	114	information and referral services; 10
115	115
116	116	(5) The degree to which the county in which the proposed call center is to 11
117	117	be located has dedicated substantial resources to the establishment of a single telephone 12
118	118	source for non–emergency inquiries regarding county services; and 13
119	119
120	120	(6) Any other criteria that 2–1–1 Maryland considers appropriate. 14
121	121
122	122	(c) If [a unit] AN AGENCY of the State that provides health and human services 15
123	123	establishes a public information telephone line or hotline, the [unit] AGENCY shall, WHEN 16
124	124	APPROPRIATE IN THE A GENCY’S DISCRETION, consult with 2–1–1 Maryland about 17
125	125	using the 2–1–1 system to provide public access to information. 18
126	126
127	127	24–1204. 19
128	128
129	129	(a) The Department shall, in consultation with 2–1–1 Maryland, as appropriate: 20
130	130
131	131	(1) Maintain public information available from State agencies, programs, 21
132	132	and departments that provide health and human services; 22
133	133
134	134	(2) Support projects and activities that further the development of 2–1–1 23
135	135	Maryland; 24
136	136
137	137	(3) Examine and make recommendations to maximize the use of 25
138	138	information technology in making 2–1–1 services available throughout the State; 26
139	139
140	140	[(4) Evaluate the performance of each 2–1–1 Maryland call center; 27
141	141
142	142	(5) Make recommendations to 2–1–1 Maryland regarding the quality of 28
143	143	service provided by call centers or the performance of call centers when issues related to 29
144	144	service quality and performance are presented to the Department;] 30 4 SENATE BILL 890
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148	148	[(6)] (4) Make recommendations regarding corrective action to be taken 1
149	149	by a call center, as appropriate; and 2
150	150
151	151	[(7)] (5) Make recommendations to 2–1–1 Maryland regarding the 3
152	152	establishment of an opt–in mental health services phone call program that: 4
153	153
154	154	(i) Requires a call center to call individuals who have opted in to the 5
155	155	mental health services phone call program on a periodic basis, as determined by 2–1–1 6
156	156	Maryland; and 7
157	157
158	158	(ii) Attempts to connect individuals to a provider of mental health 8
159	159	services if the individual requests to speak to a mental health provider during a call with 9
160	160	2–1–1 Maryland. 10
161	161
162	162	(b) The Governor may include in the annual budget bill an appropriation to the 11
163	163	Department in an amount sufficient to carry out subsection [(a)(7)] (A)(5) of this section. 12
164	164
165	165	(c) On or before December 31, 2005, and every year thereafter, the Department, 13
166	166	in consultation with 2–1–1 Maryland, shall report to the Governor and, subject to § 2–1257 14
167	167	of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly on the activities performed under 15
168	168	subsection (a) of this section. 16
169	169
170	170	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 17
171	171	October 1, 2023. 18
172	172