Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB947 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	sb0947
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 947
8	8	J1, J5, J4 4lr3202
9	9	CF 4lr2811
10	10	By: Senator Kelly
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
12	12	Assigned to: Finance and Budget and Taxation
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Abortion Care Access Grant Program and Fund – Establishment 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing the Abortion Care Access Grant Program to provide grants 3
21	21	to improve access to abortion care services for individuals in the State; establishing 4
22	22	the Abortion Care Access Grant Program Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund to 5
23	23	provide grants under the Program; requiring that certain premium funds collected 6
24	24	by health insurance carriers be used to provide certain coverage and to support 7
25	25	improving access to abortion care services under certain circumstances; and 8
26	26	generally relating to the Abortion Care Access Grant Program and Fund. 9
27	27
28	28	BY adding to 10
29	29	Article – Insurance 11
30	30	Section 15–147 12
31	31	Annotated Code of Maryland 13
32	32	(2017 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 14
33	33
34	34	BY adding to 15
35	35	Article – Health – General 16
36	36	Section 13–5201 through 13–5204 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 52. Abortion 17
37	37	Care Access Grant Program” 18
38	38	Annotated Code of Maryland 19
39	39	(2023 Replacement Volume) 20
40	40
41	41	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 21
42	42	Article – State Finance and Procurement 22
43	43	Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) 23
44	44	Annotated Code of Maryland 24
45	45	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 25
46	46
47	47	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 26
48	48	Article – State Finance and Procurement 27 2 SENATE BILL 947
49	49
50	50
51	51	Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)189. and 190. 1
52	52	Annotated Code of Maryland 2
53	53	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 3
54	54
55	55	BY adding to 4
56	56	Article – State Finance and Procurement 5
57	57	Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)191. 6
58	58	Annotated Code of Maryland 7
59	59	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 8
60	60
61	61	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
62	62	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 10
63	63
64	64	Article – Insurance 11
65	65
66	66	15–147. 12
67	67
68	68	(A) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 13
69	69
70	70	(1) INSURERS AND NONPROF IT HEALTH SERVICE PL ANS THAT 14
71	71	PROVIDE HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS 15
72	72	ON AN EXPENSE –INCURRED BASIS UNDER HEALTH INSURANCE POL ICIES OR 16
73	73	CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE; AND 17
74	74
75	75	(2) HEALTH MAINTENANCE O RGANIZATIONS THAT PR OVIDE 18
76	76	HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS UNDER 19
77	77	CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE. 20
78	78
79	79	(B) ANY PREMIUM FUNDS COL LECTED BY AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS 21
80	80	SECTION FOR ABORTION COVERAGE IN ACCORDAN CE WITH § 1303(B)(2)(B) AND (C) 22
81	81	OF THE FEDERAL PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT SHALL: 23
82	82
83	83	(1) BE USED TO PROVIDE C OVERAGE FOR ABORTION CARE SERVICES 24
84	84	FOR INSUREDS OR ENRO LLEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 15–857 OF THIS TITLE; AND 25
85	85
86	86	(2) IF THE AMOUNT OF THE ENDING BALANCE OF TH E SEGREGATED 26
87	87	ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED F OR COVERAGE OF ABORT ION CARE SERVICES EX CEEDS 27
88	88	DISBURSEMENTS BY MOR E THAN 10% AFTER THE 12–MONTH PERIOD FOLLOWI NG 28
89	89	THE END OF A PLAN YE AR, BE USED TO SUPPORT I MPROVING ACCESS TO A BORTION 29
90	90	CARE SERVICES IN THE STATE. 30
91	91
92	92	(C) ON OR BEFORE MARCH 1 EACH YEAR, AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS 31
93	93	SECTION SHALL SUBMIT TO THE COMMISSIONER AN ACCOU NTING OF RECEIPTS , 32
94	94	DISBURSEMENTS , AND THE YEAR –END BALANCE FOR SEGR EGATED ACCOUNTS 33 SENATE BILL 947 3
95	95
96	96
97	97	ESTABLISHED BY THE E NTITY UNDER § 1303(B)(2)(B) AND (C) OF THE FEDERAL 1
98	98	PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: 2
99	99
100	100	(1) ON A FORM APPROVED B Y THE COMMISSIONER ; AND 3
101	101
102	102	(2) WITH ANY RELATED DOC UMENTATION REQUIRED BY THE 4
103	103	COMMISSIONER . 5
104	104
105	105	Article – Health – General 6
106	106
107	107	SUBTITLE 52. ABORTION CARE ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM. 7
108	108
109	109	13–5201. 8
110	110
111	111	(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 9
112	112	INDICATED. 10
113	113
114	114	(B) “FUND” MEANS THE ABORTION CARE ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM FUND. 11
115	115
116	116	(C) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE ABORTION CARE ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM. 12
117	117
118	118	13–5202. 13
119	119
120	120	(A) THERE IS AN ABORTION CARE ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM. 14
121	121
122	122	(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO IMPROVE 15
123	123	ACCESS TO ABORTION C ARE SERVICES FOR IND IVIDUALS IN THE STATE. 16
124	124
125	125	(C) (1) THE SECRETARY SHALL PROVI DE OPERATING AND CAP ITAL 17
126	126	GRANTS TO ABORTION C ARE PROVIDERS TO PRO TECT THE SECURITY OF THEIR 18
127	127	PATIENTS, STAFF, AND VOLUNTEERS . 19
128	128
129	129	(2) GRANT FUNDS UNDER THE PROGRAM MAY BE USED F OR: 20
130	130
131	131	(I) COLLABORATION WITH FE DERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAW 21
132	132	ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO ENSURE THAT APPRO PRIATE MEASURES ARE 22
133	133	UNDERTAKEN TO PROTEC T PATIENTS, STAFF, AND VOLUNTE ERS UNDER EXISTING 23
134	134	FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS ; 24
135	135
136	136	(II) SECURITY STAFFING SER VICES; 25
137	137
138	138	(III) EQUIPMENT AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ; AND 26
139	139	4 SENATE BILL 947
140	140
141	141
142	142	(IV) OTHER MEASURES THAT I MPROVE SAFETY AND SE CURITY. 1
143	143
144	144	13–5203. 2
145	145
146	146	(A) THERE IS AN ABORTION CARE ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM FUND. 3
147	147
148	148	(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO PROVIDE GR ANTS UNDER THE 4
149	149	PROGRAM. 5
150	150
151	151	(C) THE SECRETARY SHALL ADMIN ISTER THE FUND. 6
152	152
153	153	(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 7
154	154	SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 8
155	155
156	156	(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 9
157	157	AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 10
158	158
159	159	(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 11
160	160
161	161	(1) MONEY TRANSFERRED TO THE FUND UNDER § 15–147 OF THE 12
162	162	INSURANCE ARTICLE; 13
163	163
164	164	(2) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 14
165	165
166	166	(3) INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND; AND 15
167	167
168	168	(4) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 16
169	169	THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 17
170	170
171	171	(F) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR THE PROGRAM. 18
172	172
173	173	(G) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 19
174	174	IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 20
175	175
176	176	(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO 21
177	177	THE FUND. 22
178	178
179	179	(H) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 23
180	180	WITH THE STATE BUDGET. 24
181	181
182	182	13–5204. 25
183	183	SENATE BILL 947 5
184	184
185	185
186	186	(A) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2024, THE GOVERNOR SHALL ALLOCA TE BY 1
187	187	BUDGET AMENDMENT AT LEAST $1,000,000 OF THE FUND FOR THE ABORTION CARE 2
188	188	ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YE AR 2025. 3
189	189
190	190	(B) BEGINNING IN FISCAL Y EAR 2026, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INC LUDE IN 4
191	191	THE ANNUAL BUDGET BI LL AN APPROPRIATION OF AT LEAST 75% OF THE FUNDS 5
192	192	TRANSFERRED TO THE FUND UNDER § 15–147 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE IN THE 6
193	193	IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G FISCAL YEAR. 7
194	194
195	195	Article – State Finance and Procurement 8
196	196
197	197	6–226. 9
198	198
199	199	(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 10
200	200	inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 11
201	201	terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 12
202	202	State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 13
203	203	receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 14
204	204	Fund of the State. 15
205	205
206	206	(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 16
207	207	to the following funds: 17
208	208
209	209	189. the Teacher Retention and Development Fund; [and] 18
210	210
211	211	190. the Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Fund; AND 19
212	212
213	213	191. THE ABORTION CARE ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM 20
214	214	FUND. 21
215	215
216	216	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Maryland Department of 22
217	217	Health shall collaborate with federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies to evaluate 23
218	218	if further actions are needed to ensure the safety of the patients, staff, and volunteers of 24
219	219	abortion care providers in the State. 25
220	220
221	221	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
222	222	October 1, 2024. 27
223	223