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.
*hb1066*
HOUSE BILL 1066
J1 5lr2109
By: Delegates Ruth and Guzzone, Guzzone, Pena–Melnyk, Cullison, Alston,
Bagnall, Hill, Hutchinson, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kipke, Lopez, Martinez,
Rosenberg, Taveras, Woods, Woorman, and Ross
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access – Membership 2
and Workgroups 3
FOR the purpose of altering the membership of the Commission on Behavioral Health Care 4
Treatment and Access; requiring the Commission on Behavioral Health Care 5
Treatment and Access to establish a workgroup on the improvement of health, social, 6
and economic outcomes related to substance use; and generally relating to the 7
Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Health – General 10
Section 13–4802 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Health – General 15
Section 13–4803 and 13–4806 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20 2 HOUSE BILL 1066
Article – Health – General 1
13–4802. 2
There is a Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access, which 3
shall meet jointly with the Behavioral Health Advisory Council. 4
13–4803. 5
(a) The Commission consists of the following members: 6
(1) One member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 7
the Senate; 8
(2) One member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the 9
House; 10
(3) One representative of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation; 11
(4) The Secretary of Health, or the Secretary’s designee; 12
(5) The Secretary of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 13
(6) The Secretary of Juvenile Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 14
(7) The Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health, or the Deputy Secretary’s 15
designee; 16
(8) The Maryland Insurance Commissioner, or the Commissioner’s 17
designee; 18
(9) The Executive Director of the Health Services Cost Review 19
Commission, or the Executive Director’s designee; 20
(10) The Executive Director of the Maryland Health Care Commission, or 21
the Executive Director’s designee; 22
(11) The Executive Director of the Maryland Community Health Resources 23
Commission, or the Executive Director’s designee; 24
(12) The Executive Director of the State–designated health information 25
exchange, or the Executive Director’s designee; 26
(13) The Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention 27
and Policy, or the Executive Director’s designee; 28
HOUSE BILL 1066 3
(14) The Secretary of the Maryland Department of Disabilities, or the 1
Secretary’s designee; 2
(15) The Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional 3
Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 4
(16) The Special Secretary of the Governor’s Office for Children, or the 5
Special Secretary’s designee; 6
(17) The Special Secretary of Opioid Response, or the Special Secretary’s 7
designee; 8
(18) The Secretary of Aging, or the Secretary’s designee; and 9
(19) The following members appointed by the Governor: 10
(i) One representative of the Mental Health Association of 11
Maryland; 12
(ii) One representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness; 13
(iii) One representative of the Community Behavioral Health 14
Association of Maryland; 15
(iv) One representative of a provider of residential behavioral health 16
services; 17
(v) One representative of an acute care hospital; 18
(vi) One representative of an inpatient psychiatric hospital; 19
(vii) One individual with experience as a consumer of behavioral 20
health services; 21
(viii) One family member of an individual with experience as a 22
consumer of behavioral health services; 23
(ix) One representative of a provider of substance use treatment 24
services; 25
(x) One representative of a school–based health center; 26
(xi) One individual with expertise in social determinants of health; 27
(xii) One individual with expertise in health economics; 28
(xiii) One representative of a health insurance carrier; 29 4 HOUSE BILL 1066
(xiv) One representative of a managed care organization; 1
(xv) One representative from the Office of the Public Defender; 2
(xvi) One representative of the Developmental Disability Coalition; 3
(xvii) One representative of the Maryland Chapter of the National 4
Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence; 5
(xviii) One representative of the Maryland Psychological Association; 6
(xix) One representative of Disability Rights Maryland; 7
(xx) One representative of a Federally Qualified Health Center; 8
(xxi) One representative of a local behavioral health authority; 9
(xxii) One individual with an intellectual disability who uses 10
self–directed behavioral health services; [and] 11
(xxiii) One representative of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ 12
Association; 13
(XXIV) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF A PROVIDER OF HARM 14
REDUCTION SERVICES ; 15
(XXV) ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH E XPERTISE IN PROVIDIN G HOUSING 16
OPTIONS FOR INDIVIDU ALS WHO HAVE OR PREV IOUSLY HAD A SUBSTAN CE USE 17
DISORDER; 18
(XXVI) ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH E XPERTISE IN PROVIDIN G 19
HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS EXPER IENCING HOMELESSNESS ; 20
(XXVII) ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH P RIOR LIVED EXPERIENC E 21
WITH A SUBSTANCE USE DI SORDER; 22
(XXVIII) ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH E XPERIENCE SEEKING OR 23
RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER WHILE INCAR CERATED; 24
(XXIX) ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH E XPERIENCE AS A 25
PARTICIPANT IN A DRU G COURT PROGRAM ; AND 26
(XXX) ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH EXPE RTISE IN DRUG POLICY 27
REFORM. 28
HOUSE BILL 1066 5
(b) To the extent practicable, the membership of the Commission shall reflect the 1
geographic and ethnic diversity of the State. 2
(c) The Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House 3
jointly shall designate the chair of the Commission. 4
(d) The Department shall provide staff for the Commission. 5
(e) A member of the Commission: 6
(1) May not receive compensation as a member of the Commission; but 7
(2) Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 8
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 9
(f) The Commission shall meet at least three times per year at the times and 10
places determined jointly by the Commission and the Behavioral Health Advisory Council. 11
13–4806. 12
(a) The Commission shall establish the following workgroups: 13
(1) Geriatric behavioral health; 14
(2) Youth behavioral health, individuals with developmental disabilities, 15
and individuals with complex behavioral health needs; 16
(3) Criminal justice–involved behavioral health; [and] 17
(4) Behavioral health workforce development, infrastructure, coordination, 18
and financing; AND 19
(5) IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTH , SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC OUTCOME S 20
RELATED TO SUBSTANCE USE. 21
(B) THE WORKGROUP RE QUIRED UNDER SUBSECT ION (A)(5) OF THIS 22
SECTION SHALL : 23
(1) EVALUATE AND REVIEW : 24
(I) THE AVAILABILITY , AFFORDABILITY , AND ACCESSIBILITY 25
OF TREATMENT FOR SUB STANCE USE DISORDER AND RECOVERY SUPPORT 26
SERVICES, INCLUDING HOUSING AN D EMPLOYMENT SERVICE S, IN THE STATE; 27
6 HOUSE BILL 1066
(II) THE NUMBER AND PERCEN TAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE 1
DIRECTED TO SERVICES DESCRIBED IN ITEM (I) OF THIS ITEM BY THE CRIMINAL 2
JUSTICE SYSTEM OF TH E STATE; 3
(III) THE HEALTH OUTCOMES A FTER RECEIVING SERVI CES 4
DESCRIBED IN ITEM (I) OF THIS ITEM DISAGGREGATED B Y WHETHER THE SERVIC ES 5
WERE SOUGHT VOLUNTAR ILY OR MANDATED BY T HE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OF 6
THE STATE; 7
(IV) THE IMPACT OF CURRENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE 8
INVOLVEMENT RELATED TO SUBSTANCE USE IN THE STATE ON THE HEALTH A ND 9
WELL–BEING OF INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES ; 10
(V) THE COST TO THE STATE AND LOCAL GOVER NMENTS 11
RESULTING FROM CURRE NT CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT RELATED TO 12
SUBSTANCE USE IN THE STATE; 13
(VI) THE EQUITABLE APPLICA TION OF CURRENT CRIM INAL 14
JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT RELATED TO SUBSTANCE USE IN THE STATE; 15
(VII) THE CURRENT RESEARCH ON THE EFFICACY OF 16
VOLUNTARY TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE DI SORDER COMPARED TO 17
TREATMENT MANDATED B Y CRIMINAL JUSTICE S YSTEMS, INCLUDING CRIMINAL 18
JUSTICE SYSTEMS OUTS IDE THE STATE; AND 19
(VIII) THE AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF DAT A ON THE 20
ISSUES ENUMERATED IN THIS ITEM; AND 21
(2) EVALUATE AND REVIEW T HE DEPARTMENT ’S REGULATIONS ON 22
THE STANDARDS FOR TH E DISCHARGE OF PATIE NTS FROM SUBSTANCE U SE 23
TREATMENT PROGRAMS T O ASSESS WHETHER THE STANDARDS ADEQUA TELY 24
CONSIDER THE PATIENT ’S MENTAL HEALTH OR S UBSTANCE USE DISORDE R 25
DIAGNOSIS AND THE IM PACT OF THE DISCHARG E STANDARDS ON THE P ATIENT; AND 26
(2) (3) (I) MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON CHANGES TO STATE 27
LAWS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES NEEDED TO MITIGATE THE HARMS R ELATED TO 28
THE CRIMINALIZATION OF SUBSTANCE USE WIT H THE GOAL OF IMPROV ING THE 29
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SA FETY OF RESIDENTS OF THE STATE; AND 30
(II) MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON CHANGES TO STATE LAWS, 31
POLICIES, AND PRACTICES RELATE D TO THE DISCHA RGE OF PATIENTS FROM 32
SUBSTANCE USE TREATM ENT PROGRAMS TO CONS IDER THE PATIENT ’S MENTAL 33
HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER DIAGNOS IS IN MAKING AN APPR OPRIATE 34
PLACEMENT . 35 HOUSE BILL 1066 7
[(b)] (C) The workgroups established under subsection (a) of this section shall 1
meet at least two times per year at the times and places determined by the workgroup. 2
[(c)] (D) The workgroups established under subsection (a) of this section shall 3
include members of the Commission and may include individuals invited by the 4
Commission or the Behavioral Health Advisory Council to serve on the workgroup. 5
[(d)] (E) On or before July 1 each year, beginning in 2024, the workgroups 6
established under subsection (a) of this section shall report and make recommendations to 7
the Commission and the Behavioral Health Advisory Council. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
October 1, 2025. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.