Maryland 2025 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB136 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 02/25/2025

                     
 
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. 
          *hb0136*  
  
HOUSE BILL 136 
E4, J1   	5lr0128 
  	(PRE–FILED) 	CF SB 199 
By: Chair, Judiciary Committee (By Request – Departmental – Office of Crime 
Prevention and Policy) 
Requested: September 29, 2024 
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025 
Assigned to: Judiciary 
Committee Report: Favorable 
House action: Adopted 
Read second time: February 22, 2025 
 
CHAPTER ______ 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Criminal Procedure – Sexual Assault Exam and Treatment Reimbursement 2 
 
FOR the purpose of providing that the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, 3 
rather than the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, is responsible for payment 4 
to a physician, qualified health care provider, and hospital for providing certain 5 
services to a victim of an alleged rape or sexual offense or a victim of alleged child 6 
sexual abuse; and generally relating to reimbursement for sexual assault exams and 7 
treatments. 8 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9 
 Article – Criminal Procedure 10 
 Section 11–1007(b) and 11–1008(c)(2) 11 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 12 
 (2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14 
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15 
 
Article – Criminal Procedure 16 
 
11–1007. 17 
  2 	HOUSE BILL 136  
 
 
 (b) If a physician, a qualified health care provider, or a hospital provides a service 1 
described in subsection (c) of this section to a victim of an alleged rape or sexual offense or 2 
a victim of alleged child sexual abuse: 3 
 
 (1) the services shall be provided without charge to the individual; and 4 
 
 (2) the physician, qualified health care provider, or hospital: 5 
 
 (i) is entitled to be paid by [the Criminal Injuries Compensation 6 
Board as provided under Subtitle 8 of this title] THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME 7 
PREVENTION AND POLICY for the costs of providing the services; 8 
 
 (ii) shall provide written or electronic verification signed by a 9 
physician or qualified health care provider to [the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board] 10 
THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY that services 11 
described in subsection (c) of this section were rendered to a victim of an alleged rape or 12 
sexual offense or a victim of alleged child sexual abuse; and 13 
 
 (iii) may not include in any request to obtain payment under this 14 
subsection a narrative describing the alleged offense of a victim or a photograph of the 15 
victim. 16 
 
11–1008. 17 
 
 (c) (2) (i) A victim who receives treatment under this subsection may 18 
decline to provide health insurance information or submit personal information to a 19 
payment assistance program if the victim believes that providing the information would 20 
interfere with personal privacy or safety. 21 
 
 (ii) The physician, qualified health care provider, or hospital 22 
providing a victim with treatment and follow–up care under paragraph (1) of this 23 
subsection shall inform the victim of the victim’s right to decline to provide health 24 
insurance information or submit personal information to a payment assistance program. 25 
 
 (iii) If a victim declines to provide health insurance information or to 26 
submit personal information to a payment assistance program: 27 
 
 1. the treatment and follow–up care shall be provided 28 
without charge to the victim; and 29 
 
 2. the physician, qualified health care provider, or hospital 30 
providing the treatment or follow–up care is entitled to be paid by [the Criminal Injuries 31 
Compensation Board as provided under Subtitle 8 of this title] THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE 32 
OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY for the costs of providing the services. 33 
   	HOUSE BILL 136 	3 
 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 1 
1, 2025. 2 
 
 
 
 
Approved: 
________________________________________________________________________________  
 Governor. 
________________________________________________________________________________  
  Speaker of the House of Delegates. 
________________________________________________________________________________  
         President of the Senate.