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.
*hb1315*
HOUSE BILL 1315
J5, J1 5lr2486
By: Delegates Guzzone, Pena–Melnyk, Barnes, Crutchfield, Cullison, Embry, Fair,
Forbes, Harris, Hill, Kaiser, R. Lewis, Lopez, Martinez, Palakovich Carr,
Pruski, Ruff, Schindler, Smith, Stewart, Terrasa, Williams, and Woorman
Woorman, Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, S. Johnson, Kerr, Rosenberg, Ross,
Taveras, White Holland, and Woods
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Insurance – Vaccinations by Pharmacists and Health Insurance 2
Coverage for Child Wellness Services – Immunizations 3
FOR the purpose of altering the vaccinations that a pharmacist may administer, subject to 4
certain requirements, to an individual of at least a certain age; altering the 5
vaccinations included in the minimum package of child wellness services for which 6
certain health insurers and nonprofit health service plans are required to provide 7
coverage; and generally relating to health insurance coverage for child wellness 8
services immunizations. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Health Occupations 11
Section 12–508 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Insurance 16
Section 15–817(a), (b), and (f) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19 2 HOUSE BILL 1315
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – Insurance 2
Section 15–817(c) 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 5
BY adding to 6
Article – Insurance 7
Section 15–817(g) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Health Occupations 13
12–508. 14
(a) (1) Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, a pharmacist may order and 15
administer a vaccination to an individual who is at least 3 years old if: 16
(i) The vaccine is: 17
1. An influenza vaccine; 18
2. A COVID–19 vaccine; or 19
3. Used in response to a public health emergency; 20
(ii) The pharmacist has completed a practical training program of at 21
least 20 hours that is approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and 22
includes: 23
1. Hands–on injection techniques; 24
2. Clinical evaluation of indications and contraindications of 25
vaccines; and 26
3. The recognition and treatment of emergency reactions to 27
vaccines; 28
(iii) The pharmacist has a current certificate in basic 29
cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 30
HOUSE BILL 1315 3
(iv) The pharmacist has completed a minimum of 2 hours of 1
continuing pharmaceutical education related to immunizations that is approved by the 2
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as part of the license renewal requirements 3
under § 12–309 of this title; 4
(v) The pharmacist complies with the record–keeping and reporting 5
requirements in paragraph (5) of this subsection and any corresponding regulations 6
adopted by the Board; and 7
(vi) If the vaccination is administered to an individual under the age 8
of 18 years, the pharmacist informs the child vaccination patient and adult caregiver who 9
is accompanying the child of the importance of well–child visits with a pediatric primary 10
care provider and refers the patient to a pediatric primary care provider when appropriate. 11
(2) Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, a pharmacist who has met 12
the requirement of paragraph (1)(ii) through (vi) of this subsection may administer to an 13
individual who is at least 7 years old a vaccination that is: 14
(i) Recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and 15
Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; or 16
(ii) Approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug 17
Administration. 18
(3) Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, a pharmacist who has met 19
the requirement of paragraph (1)(ii), (iii), and (iv) of this subsection may administer to an 20
adult a vaccination that is recommended in the Centers for Disease Control and 21
Prevention’s Health Information for International Travel. 22
(4) (I) A pharmacist shall administer a vaccination under paragraph 23
(1), (2), or (3) of this subsection under a written protocol that: 24
[(i)] 1. Is vaccine specific; and 25
[(ii)] 2. Meets criteria established by the Department, in 26
consultation with the Board, the Board of Physicians, and the Board of Nursing, in 27
regulation. 28
(II) THE RECOMMENDATIONS O F THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE 29
CONTROL AND PREVENTION’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION 30
PRACTICES CITED IN TH IS SECTION REFER TO FEDERAL STATUTES , RULES, AND 31
GUIDANCE IN EFFECT : 32
1. ON DECEMBER 31, 2024; OR 33
4 HOUSE BILL 1315
2. AT A LATER DATE TO AC COUNT FOR ANY NEW 1
VACCINES RECOMMENDED BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 2
PREVENTION’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES AFTER 3
DECEMBER 31, 2024. 4
(5) A pharmacist shall: 5
(i) Report all vaccinations administered by the pharmacist to the 6
ImmuNet Program established under § 18–109 of the Health – General Article; 7
(ii) If the vaccination has been administered in accordance with a 8
prescription, document at least one effort to inform the individual’s authorized prescriber 9
that the vaccination has been administered; and 10
(iii) Except for an influenza vaccination administered under 11
paragraph (1) of this subsection, if the authorized prescriber is not the individual’s primary 12
care provider or if the vaccination has not been administered in accordance with a 13
prescription, document at least one effort to inform the individual’s primary care provider 14
or other usual source of care that the vaccination has been administered. 15
(b) The Board shall: 16
(1) Set reasonable fees for the administration of vaccinations under this 17
section; and 18
(2) Adopt regulations that require a pharmacist to submit a registration 19
form to the Board that includes verification that the pharmacist: 20
(i) Has successfully completed a certification course approved by the 21
Board that included instruction in the guidelines and recommendations of the Centers for 22
Disease Control and Prevention regarding vaccinations IN EFFECT ON DECEMBER 31, 23
2024; and 24
(ii) Is certified in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation and obtained 25
the certification through in–person classroom instruction. 26
Article – Insurance 27
15–817. 28
(a) In this section, “child wellness services” means preventive activities designed 29
to protect children from morbidity and mortality and promote child development. 30
(b) This section applies to each individual hospital or major medical insurance 31
policy, group or blanket health insurance policy, and nonprofit health service plan that: 32
HOUSE BILL 1315 5
(1) is delivered or issued for delivery in the State; 1
(2) is written on an expense–incurred basis; and 2
(3) provides coverage for a family member of the insured. 3
(c) (1) A policy or plan subject to this section shall include under the family 4
member coverage a minimum package of child wellness services that are consistent with: 5
(i) public health policy; 6
(ii) professional standards; and 7
(iii) scientific evidence of effectiveness. 8
(2) The minimum package of child wellness services shall cover at least: 9
(i) all visits for and costs of childhood and adolescent 10
immunizations: 11
1. recommended by the Advisory Committee on 12
Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; OR 13
2. RECOMMENDED BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF 14
PEDIATRICS IN ITS CHILD AND ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE BY AGE AS 15
OF DECEMBER 31, 2024; 16
(ii) visits for the collection of adequate samples, the first of which is 17
to be collected before 2 weeks of age, for hereditary and metabolic newborn screening and 18
follow–up between birth and 4 weeks of age; 19
(iii) universal hearing screening of newborns provided by a hospital 20
before discharge; 21
(iv) all visits for and costs of age–appropriate screening tests for 22
tuberculosis, anemia, lead toxicity, hearing, and vision as determined by the American 23
Academy of Pediatrics; 24
(v) all visits for obesity evaluation and management; 25
(vi) all visits for and costs of developmental screening as 26
recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics; 27
(vii) a physical examination, developmental assessment, and 28
parental anticipatory guidance services at each of the visits required under items (i), (ii), 29
(iv), (v), and (vi) of this paragraph; and 30 6 HOUSE BILL 1315
(viii) any laboratory tests considered necessary by the physician as 1
indicated by the services provided under items (i), (ii), (iv), (v), (vi), or (vii) of this paragraph. 2
(f) (1) A policy or plan subject to this section may not impose a deductible on 3
the coverage required under this section. 4
(2) Each health insurance policy and certificate shall contain a notice of the 5
prohibition established by paragraph (1) of this subsection in a form approved by the 6
Commissioner. 7
(G) THE COMMISSIONER MAY ADOP T REGULATIONS NECESS ARY TO CARRY 8
OUT SUBPARAGRAPH (C)(2)(I) OF THIS SECTION , CONSISTENT WITH FEDE RAL 9
STATUTES, RULES, AND GUIDANCE IN EFFE CT: 10
(1) ON DECEMBER 31, 2024; OR 11
(2) AT A LATER DATE TO A CCOUNT FOR ANY NEW V ACCINES 12
RECOMMENDED BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION’S 13
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2024. 14
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 1 of this Act shall 15
apply to all policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the 16
State on or after January 1, 2026. 17
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
January 1, 2026 June 1, 2025. 19
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.