EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1306*
HOUSE BILL 1306
J1 5lr2881
By: Delegates Patterson, Addison, Alston, Bartlett, Boafo, Boyce, Cardin, Hill,
Holmes, Ivey, Kaiser, J. Long, McCaskill, McComas, Mireku–North, Pasteur,
Phillips, Roberson, Ruff, Taylor, Toles, Turner, Wells, White Holland, Wims,
and Woods
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Health – Sickle Cell Disease – Specialized Clinics and Scholarship 2
Program for Medical Residents 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish certain 4
specialized clinics for the management and treatment of sickle cell disease and 5
establish a scholarship program for medical residents with a certain specialization 6
and focus on sickle cell disease; and generally relating to sickle cell disease. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Health – General 9
Section 18–510 and 18–511 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Health – General 15
18–510. 16
(A) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH THREE SPEC IALIZED 17
CLINICS DEDICATED TO THE MAN AGEMENT AND TREATMEN T OF SICKLE CELL 18
DISEASE. 19
(2) THE CLINICS ESTABLISH ED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 20
SUBSECTION SHALL BE LOCATED IN: 21 2 HOUSE BILL 1306
(I) MONTGOMERY COUNTY; 1
(II) HARFORD COUNTY; AND 2
(III) A COUNTY LOCATED ON TH E EASTERN SHORE. 3
(B) EACH CLINIC ESTABLISH ED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 4
SHALL: 5
(1) OPERATE UNDER A HUB –AND–SPOKE MODEL WITH A 6
SPECIALIZED SICKLE C ELL DISEASE CARE HUB; 7
(2) PROVIDE ROUTINE CARE , PAIN MANAGEMENT , GENETIC 8
COUNSELING , MENTAL HEALTH SERVIC ES, SURVEILLANCE , AND PATIENT 9
EDUCATION; AND 10
(3) IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SPECIALIZED SICK LE CELL CARE 11
HUB: 12
(I) ENSURE CONSISTENT ACC ESS TO HUB–BASED SICKLE CELL 13
DISEASE SPECIALISTS THROUGH TELEHEALTH O R ON–SITE VISITS TO MANAG E 14
COMPLEX PATIENT NEED S; 15
(II) OFFER COMPREHENSIVE B EHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 16
SOCIAL SUPPORT SERVI CES TO ADDRESS THE M ULTIFACETED CHALLENG ES FACED 17
BY INDIVIDUALS WITH SICKLE CELL DIS EASE; 18
(III) OPERATE OR COORDINATE INFUSION THERAPY AND 19
STRUCTURED PAIN MANA GEMENT PROGRAMS TAIL ORED TO THE CLINICAL 20
DEMANDS OF SICKLE CE LL DISEASE PATIENTS ; 21
(IV) COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL PRIMARY C ARE PROVIDERS 22
AND SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCIES TO STREAMLI NE REFERRALS , REDUCE CARE GAPS , 23
AND ADDRESS SOCIAL D ETERMINANTS OF HEALTH WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ; AND 24
(V) PARTNER WITH A SICKLE CELL DISEASE –FOCUSED 25
COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATION T O IDENTIFY AND RESOL VE SOCIAL BARRIERS , 26
INCLUDING ASSISTANCE WITH TRANSPORTATION , HOUSING, NUTRITION, AND 27
OTHER CRITICAL SUPPO RTS. 28
HOUSE BILL 1306 3
(C) (1) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 1
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $6,000,000 TO SUPPORT CLINIC 2
OPERATIONS, STAFFING, TRAINING, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT S ERVICES. 3
(2) A PORTION OF THE FUNDI NG PROVIDED UNDER PA RAGRAPH (1) 4
OF THIS SUBSECTION S HALL BE ALLOCATED TO COMMUNITY –BASED 5
ORGANIZATIONS AND SI CKLE CELL DISEASE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO 6
ENHANCE PATIENT OUTR EACH, PROVIDE EDUCATION , EXPAND SUPPORT SERVI CES, 7
AND STRENG THEN COMMUNITY PARTN ERSHIPS TO IMPROVE S ICKLE CELL DISEASE 8
CARE. 9
(3) THE FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 10
SUBSECTION SHALL BE PRIORITIZED FOR : 11
(I) THE HIRING OF QUALIFI ED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS , 12
INCLUDING HEMATOLOGI STS, NURSE PRACTITIONERS , AND COMMUNITY HEALTH 13
CARE WORKERS ; 14
(II) ADDRESSING SOCIAL DET ERMINANTS OF HEALTH 15
AFFECTING INDIVIDUAL S WITH SICKLE CELL D ISEASE; AND 16
(III) COLLABORATING WITH CO MMUNITY–BASED 17
ORGANIZATIONS AND SI CKLE CELL DISEASE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ONS. 18
(D) (1) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT 19
SHALL REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF 20
THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON THE CLINICS ESTAB LISHED UNDER THIS 21
SECTION. 22
(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 23
SUBSECTION SHALL ADD RESS, FOR EACH CLINIC : 24
(I) CLINIC OPERATIONS ; 25
(II) OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS TREATED AT THE CLINIC; 26
(III) THE OVERALL IMPACT OF EACH CLINIC IN REDUCING 27
HEALTH DISPARITIES I N INDIVIDUALS WITH S ICKLE CELL DISEASE ; 28
(IV) UTILIZATION RATES , PATIENT VOLUME , AND 29
ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUDING IMPACTS OF HOURS OF OPERATIONS AND GEOGRAPHIC 30
REACH; AND 31
4 HOUSE BILL 1306
(V) IMPLEMENTATION OF TEL EMEDICINE AND DIGITA L 1
HEALTH TOOLS TO EXTEND CARE TO UN DERSERVED AREAS . 2
18–511. 3
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRA M FOR 4
MEDICAL RESIDENTS WHO CHOOSE TO SPECIALIZE IN BENIGN OR CLASSICAL 5
HEMATOLOG Y WITH A FOCUS ON SICK LE CELL CARE. 6
(B) THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGR AM ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF 7
THIS SECTION SHALL P ROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MEDICAL RESID ENT 8
IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RECIPIENT’S COMMITMENT TO PRAC TICE IN THE STATE FOR 9
A MINIMUM PERIOD OF TIME, AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT , FOLLOWING 10
THE RECIPIENT’S RESIDENCY OR FELLO WSHIP. 11
(C) TO THE EXTENT PRACTIC ABLE, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL USE FEDERAL 12
FUNDING TO SUPPORT T HE SCHOLARSHIP PROGR AM ESTABLISHED UNDER 13
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 14
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15
October 1, 2025. 16