EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0991*
SENATE BILL 991
J1 4lr3186
CF 4lr1252
By: Senator Lam
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Behavioral Health – Language Assistance Services Pilot Program 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Language Assistance Services Pilot Program in the 3
Behavioral Health Administration to provide grants to local behavioral health 4
authorities to reimburse behavioral health providers for language assistance 5
services for certain children, parents, and legal guardians; and generally relating to 6
the Language Assistance Services Pilot Program. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Health – General 9
Section 10–929 to be under the new part “Part V. Language Assistance Services Pilot 10
Program” 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2023 Replacement Volume) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Health – General 16
10–927. RESERVED. 17
10–928. RESERVED. 18
PART V. LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM. 19
10–929. 20
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PROGRAM” MEANS THE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE 21
SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM. 22 2 SENATE BILL 991
(B) THERE IS A LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM. 1
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO: 2
(1) PROVIDE MEANINGFUL AC CESS TO BEHAVIORAL H EALTH CARE 3
TO CHILDREN WITH LIM ITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY ; AND 4
(2) ESTABLISH A COMPETITI VE GRANT PROCESS FOR LOCAL 5
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AU THORITIES TO PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT TO BEH AVIORAL 6
HEALTH PROVIDERS FOR LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES, INCLUDING 7
INTERPRETATION AND T RANSLATION SERVICES TO: 8
(I) CHILDREN WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 9
ACCESSING AND RECEIV ING BEHAVIORAL HEALT H SERVICES; AND 10
(II) PARENTS AND LEGAL GUA RDIANS COORDINATING THE 11
PROVISION OF BEHAVIO RAL HEALTH SERVICES AND MAKING HEALTH CA RE 12
DECISIONS REGARDING THE SERVICES ON BEHA LF OF A CHILD. 13
(D) THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 14
(E) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2024, THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL ADOPT 15
REGULATIONS TO IMPLE MENT AND ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING 16
REGULATIONS THAT EST ABLISH THE FOLLOWING : 17
(1) A REQUIREMENT THAT A G RANTEE DOCUMENT AND REPORT: 18
(I) THE NUMBER OF CHILDRE N WHO RECEIVED LANGU AGE 19
ASSISTANCE SERVICES BROKEN DOWN BY PRIMARY LANGUAGE SPOKEN; 20
(II) THE NUMBER OF PARENTS AND LEGAL GUARDIANS WHO 21
RECEIVED LANGUAGE AS SISTANCE SERVICES BR OKEN DOWN BY PRIMARY 22
LANGUAGE SPOKEN ; AND 23
(III) THE NUMBER OF LANGUAG E ASSISTANCE SERVICE S THAT 24
WERE REIMBUR SED BROKEN DOWN BY T HE TYPE OF BEHAVIORA L HEALTH SERVICE 25
PROVIDED; AND 26
(2) A REQUIREMENT THAT , TO REQUEST AND RECEI VE A 27
REIMBURSEMENT FROM A PROGRAM GRANTEE , A HEALTH CARE PROVID ER MUST: 28
SENATE BILL 991 3
(I) BE A LICENSED AND ACC REDITED BEHAVIORAL H EALTH 1
PROVIDER; AND 2
(II) HAVE A CURRENT , WRITTEN LANGUAGE ACC ESS PLAN 3
DEMONSTRATING HOW TH E PROVIDER ENSURES M EANINGFUL ACCESS TO ITS 4
PROGRAMS AND ACTIVIT IES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH 5
PROFICIENCY. 6
(F) THE LANGUAGE ACCESS P LAN REQUIRED UNDER S UBSECTION (E)(2)(II) 7
OF THIS SECTION SHAL L: 8
(1) BE PROVIDED TO THE GR ANTEE IN ADDITION TO ANY REQUEST 9
FOR REIMBURSEMENT FO R LANGUAGE ASSISTANC E SERVICES; AND 10
(2) INCLUDE: 11
(I) A SELF–ASSESSMENT OF THE CI RCUMSTANCES UNDER 12
WHICH THE PROVIDER M AY ENCOUNTER AN INDIVIDUAL WITH LIMI TED ENGLISH 13
PROFICIENCY; 14
(II) A SELF–ASSESSMENT OF THE NU MBER OR PROPORTION O F 15
INDIVIDUALS WITH LIM ITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY F ROM EACH LANGUAGE GR OUP 16
IN THE PROVIDER ’S SERVICE AREA TO DE TERMINE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE 17
ASSISTANCE SERVICE S; 18
(III) THE PROVIDER ’S PROCEDURE FOR IDEN TIFYING AN 19
INDIVIDUAL’S PRIMARY LANGUAGE ; 20
(IV) THE PROVIDER ’S PROCEDURE FOR PROV IDING LANGUAGE 21
ASSISTANCE SERVICES , INCLUDING ORAL AND W RITTEN LANGUAGE ASSI STANCE 22
SERVICES; 23
(V) THE PROVIDER ’S PROCEDURE FOR ENSURING EFFECTI VE 24
COMMUNICATION WITH I NDIVIDUALS WITH LIMI TED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY I N 25
LANGUAGES ENCOUNTERE D LESS FREQUENTLY ; 26
(VI) THE PROVIDER ’S PLAN FOR TRAINING STAFF ON THE 27
PROVIDER’S POLICIES AND PROCE DURES; AND 28
(VII) THE PROVIDER ’S PROCEDU RE FOR PROVIDING NOT ICE OF 29
LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES AT NO COST TO INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED 30
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY . 31
4 SENATE BILL 991
(G) FOR EACH OF FISCAL YE ARS 2025 AND 2026, THE GOVERNOR SHALL 1
INCLUDE IN THE ANNUA L BUDGET BILL AN APP ROPRIATION OF $120,000 TO THE 2
PROGRAM. 3
(H) THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL AWARD, AT A MINIMUM , THREE GRANTS 4
OF $30,000 EACH IN EACH OF FISC AL YEARS 2025 AND 2026. 5
(I) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2025, 2026, AND 2027, THE 6
ADMINISTRATION SHALL SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 7
2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY A REPORT 8
ON THE IMPLEMENTATIO N OF THE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES : 9
(1) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF I NDIVIDUALS WITH LIMI TED ENGLISH 10
PROFICIENCY WHO RECE IVED LANGUAGE ASSIST ANCE SERVICES BROKEN DOWN BY 11
JURISDICTION; 12
(2) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF C HILDREN WHO RECEIVED LANGUAGE 13
ASSISTANCE SERVICES BROKEN DOWN BY PRIMA RY LANGUAGE SPOKEN ; 14
(3) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF P ARENTS AND LEGAL GUA RDIANS WHO 15
RECEIVED LANGUAGE AS SISTANCE SERVICES BR OKEN DOWN BY PRIMARY 16
LANGUAGE SPOKEN; 17
(4) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF L ANGUAGE ASSISTANCE S ERVICES THAT 18
WERE REIMBURSED BROK EN DOWN BY THE TYPE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE 19
PROVIDED; AND 20
(5) THE TOTAL AMOUNT IN G RANT MONEY PROVIDED TO EACH 21
GRANTEE DURING THE I MMEDIATELY PRECEDING FISCAL YEAR. 22
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 23
1, 2024. It shall remain effective for a period of 4 years and, at the end of June 30, 2028, 24
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 25
of no further force and effect. 26