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.
*sb0991*
SENATE BILL 991
J1 (4lr3186)
ENROLLED BILL
— Finance/Health and Government Operations —
Introduced by Senator Lam
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.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
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
2 SENATE BILL 991
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Health – General 3
10–927. RESERVED. 4
10–928. RESERVED. 5
PART V. LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM. 6
10–929. 7
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “PROGRAM” MEANS THE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE 8
SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM. 9
(B) THERE IS A LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM. 10
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO: 11
(1) PROVIDE MEANINGFUL AC CESS TO BEHAVIORAL H EALTH CARE 12
TO CHILDREN WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY ; AND 13
(2) ESTABLISH A COMPETITI VE GRANT PROCESS FOR LOCAL 14
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AU THORITIES TO PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT TO BEH AVIORAL 15
HEALTH PROVIDERS FOR LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES, INCLUDING 16
INTERPRETATION AND T RANSLATION SERVICE S TO: 17
(I) CHILDREN WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 18
ACCESSING AND RECEIV ING BEHAVIORAL HEALT H SERVICES; AND 19
(II) PARENTS AND LEGAL GUA RDIANS COORDINATING THE 20
PROVISION OF BEHAVIO RAL HEALTH SERVICES AND MAKING HEALTH CA RE 21
DECISIONS REGARDING THE SERVICES ON BEHALF OF A CHILD. 22
(D) THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 23
(E) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2024, THE THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL 24
ADOPT REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT AND ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING 25
REGULATIONS THAT EST ABLISH THE FOLLOWING THE FOLLOWING REQUIR EMENTS 26
AS PART OF ADMINISTE RING THE PROGRAM: 27
(1) A REQUIREMENT THAT A G RANTEE DOCUMENT AND REPORT: 28
SENATE BILL 991 3
(I) THE NUMBER OF CHILDRE N WHO RECEIVED LANGU AGE 1
ASSISTANCE SERVICES BROKEN DOWN BY PRIMA RY LANGUAGE SPOKEN ; 2
(II) THE NUMBER OF PARENTS AND LEGAL GUARDIANS WHO 3
RECEIVED LANGUAGE AS SISTANCE SERVICES BR OKEN DOWN BY PRIMARY 4
LANGUAGE SPOKEN ; AND 5
(III) THE NUMBER OF LANGUAG E ASSISTANCE SERVICE S THAT 6
WERE REIMBURSED BROK EN DOWN BY THE TYPE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE 7
PROVIDED; AND 8
(2) A REQUIREMENT THAT , TO REQUEST AND RECEI VE A 9
REIMBURSEMENT FROM A PROGRAM GRANTEE , A HEALTH CARE PROVID ER MUST: 10
(I) BE A LICENSED AND ACC REDITED BEHAVIORAL H EALTH 11
PROVIDER; AND 12
(II) HAVE A CURRENT , WRITTEN LANGUAGE ACC ESS PLAN 13
DEMONSTRATING HOW THE PROVIDER ENSURES MEA NINGFUL ACCESS TO IT S 14
PROGRAMS AND ACTIVIT IES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH 15
PROFICIENCY. 16
(F) THE LANGUAGE ACCESS P LAN REQUIRED UNDER S UBSECTION (E)(2)(II) 17
OF THIS SECTION SHAL L: 18
(1) BE PROVIDED TO THE GRANTEE IN ADDITION TO ANY REQUEST 19
FOR REIMBURSEMENT FO R LANGUAGE ASSISTANC E SERVICES; AND 20
(2) INCLUDE: 21
(I) A SELF–ASSESSMENT OF THE CI RCUMSTANCES UNDER 22
WHICH THE PROVIDER M AY ENCOUNTER AN INDI VIDUAL WITH LIMITED ENGLISH 23
PROFICIENCY; 24
(II) A SELF–ASSESSMENT OF THE NU MBER OR PROPORTION O F 25
INDIVIDUALS WITH LIM ITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY F ROM EACH LANGUAGE GR OUP 26
IN THE PROVIDER ’S SERVICE AREA TO DE TERMINE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE 27
ASSISTANCE SERVICES ; 28
(III) THE PROVIDER ’S PROCEDURE FOR IDEN TIFYING AN 29
INDIVIDUAL’S PRIMARY LANGUAGE ; 30
4 SENATE BILL 991
(IV) THE PROVIDER ’S PROCEDURE FOR PROV IDING LANGUAGE 1
ASSISTANCE SERVICES , INCLUDING ORAL AND W RITTEN LANGUAGE ASSI STANCE 2
SERVICES; 3
(V) THE PROVIDER ’S PROCEDURE FOR ENSU RING EFFECTIVE 4
COMMUNICATION WITH I NDIVIDUALS WITH L IMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY I N 5
LANGUAGES ENCOUNTERE D LESS FREQUENTLY ; 6
(VI) THE PROVIDER ’S PLAN FOR TRAINING STAFF ON THE 7
PROVIDER’S POLICIES AND PROCE DURES; AND 8
(VII) THE PROVIDER ’S PROCEDURE FOR PROV IDING NOTICE OF 9
LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES AT NO COST TO INDIVIDUA LS WITH LIMITED 10
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY . 11
(G) FOR EACH OF FISCAL YE ARS 2025 AND 2026, THE GOVERNOR SHALL 12
INCLUDE IN THE ANNUA L BUDGET BILL AN APP ROPRIATION OF $120,000 TO THE 13
PROGRAM. 14
(H) THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL AWARD, AT A MINIMUM , THREE GRANTS 15
OF $30,000 EACH IN EACH OF FISC AL YEARS 2025 AND 2026. 16
(I) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2025, 2026, AND 2027, THE 17
ADMINISTRATION SHALL SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 18
2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY A REPORT 19
ON THE IMPLEMENTATIO N OF THE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES : 20
(1) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF I NDIVIDUALS WITH LIMI TED ENGLISH 21
PROFICIENCY WHO RECE IVED LANGUAGE ASSIST ANCE SERVICES BROKEN DOWN BY 22
JURISDICTION; 23
(2) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF C HILDREN WHO RECEIVED LANGUAGE 24
ASSISTANCE SERVICES BROKEN DOWN BY PRIMA RY LANGUAGE SPOKEN ; 25
(3) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF P ARENTS AND LEGAL GUA RDIANS WHO 26
RECEIVED LANGUAGE AS SISTANCE SERVICES BR OKEN DOWN BY PRIMARY 27
LANGUAGE SPOKEN ; 28
(4) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF L ANGUAGE ASSISTANCE S ERVICES THAT 29
WERE REIMBURSED BROK EN DOWN BY THE TYPE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE 30
PROVIDED; AND 31
(5) THE TOTAL AMOUNT IN G RANT MONEY PROVIDED TO EACH 32
GRANTEE DURING THE I MMEDIATELY PRECEDING FISCAL YEAR. 33 SENATE BILL 991 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2024. It shall remain effective for a period of 4 years and, at the end of June 30, 2028, 2
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 3
of no further force and effect. 4
Approved:
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Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.