Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB783 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3		EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4		[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5		-	Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
6		-	Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
7		-	amendment.
8	5		hb0783
9	6
10	7		HOUSE BILL 783
11	8		J1, J2 5lr2111
12	9		CF SB 458
13		-	By: Delegates Pena–Melnyk, Bagnall, Cullison, Kerr, and Rosenberg Rosenberg,
14		-	Alston, Bhandari, Guzzone, Hill, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Lopez, Martinez,
15		-	Taveras, White Holland, Woods, Woorman, and Ross
	10	+	By: Delegates Pena–Melnyk, Bagnall, Cullison, Kerr, and Rosenberg
16	11		Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2025
17	12		Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
18		-	Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
19		-	House action: Adopted
20		-	Read second time: February 27, 2025
21	13
22		-	~~CHAPTER ______~~
	14	+	A BILL ENTITLED
23	15
24	16		AN ACT concerning 1
25	17
26		-	Health Occupations – ~~Implicit Bias and~~ Structural Racism Training 2
	18	+	Health Occupations – Structural Racism Training 2
27	19
28	20		FOR the purpose of requiring applicants for renewal of certain licenses and certain 3
29	21		certificates issued by certain health occupation boards to attest that the applicant 4
30	22		completed an implicit bias and structural racism training program, rather than an 5
31	23		implicit bias training program, approved by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care 6
32		-	Professional Competency Program; altering the implicit bias training programs that 7
33		-	the Program may approve; authorizing certain health occupations boards to adopt 8
34		-	regulations that allow applicants seeking license renewal to receive continuing 9
35		-	education credits for completing an implicit bias and structural racism training 10
36		-	program; and generally relating to implicit bias and structural racism training 11
37		-	programs. 12
	24	+	Professional Competency Program; and generally relating to structural racism 7
	25	+	training programs. 8
38	26
39		-	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
40		-	Article – Health – General 14
41		-	Section 20–1301, 20–1302, and 20–1306 15
42		-	Annotated Code of Maryland 16
43		-	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
	27	+	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
	28	+	Article – Health – General 10
	29	+	Section 20–1301, 20–1302, and 20–1306 11
	30	+	Annotated Code of Maryland 12
	31	+	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
44	32
45		-	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
46		-	Article – Health Occupations 19
47		-	Section 1–225 20
48		-	Annotated Code of Maryland 21 2 HOUSE BILL 783
	33	+	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
	34	+	Article – Health Occupations 15
	35	+	Section 1–225 16
	36	+	Annotated Code of Maryland 17
	37	+	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
	38	+
	39	+	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
	40	+	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
	41	+
	42	+	Article – Health – General 21
	43	+
	44	+	20–1301. 22
	45	+
	46	+	(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 23
	47	+	2 HOUSE BILL 783
49	48
50	49
51		-	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 1
	50	+	(b) “Cultural and linguistic competency” means cultural and linguistic abilities 1
	51	+	that can be incorporated into therapeutic and medical evaluation and treatment, including: 2
52	52
53		-	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
54		-	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
	53	+	(1) Direct communication in the patient’s primary language; 3
55	54
56		-	Article – Health – General 4
	55	+	(2) Understanding and applying the roles that culture, ethnicity, and race 4
	56	+	play in diagnosis, treatment, and clinical care; and 5
57	57
58		-	20–1301. 5
	58	+	(3) Awareness of how the attitudes, values, and beliefs of health care 6
	59	+	providers and patients influence and impact professional and patient relations. 7
59	60
60		-	(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 6
	61	+	(c) “Health care professional” includes a physician, nurse, dentist, social worker, 8
	62	+	psychologist, pharmacist, health educator, or other allied health professional. 9
61	63
62		-	(b) “Cultural and linguistic competency” means cultural and linguistic abilities 7
63		-	that can be incorporated into therapeutic and medical evaluation and treatment, including: 8
	64	+	(d) “Implicit bias” means a bias in judgment that results from subtle cognitive 10
	65	+	processes, including the following prejudices and stereotypes that often operate at a level 11
	66	+	below conscious awareness and without intentional control: 12
64	67
65		-	(1) Direct communication in the patient’s primary language; 9
	68	+	(1) Prejudicial negative feelings or beliefs about a group that an individual 13
	69	+	holds without being aware of the feelings or beliefs; and 14
66	70
67		-	(2) Understanding and applying the roles that culture, ethnicity, and race 10
68		-	play in diagnosis, treatment, and clinical care; and 11
	71	+	(2) Unconscious attributions of particular qualities to a member of a 15
	72	+	specific social group that are influenced by experience and based on learned associations 16
	73	+	between various qualities and social categories, including race and gender. 17
69	74
70		-	(3) ~~Awareness of how~~ the ~~attitudes, values,~~ and ~~beliefs of~~ health care 12
71		-	~~providers and patients influence and impact professional and patient relations~~. 13
	75	+	(e) “Program” means the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional 18
	76	+	Competency Program. 19
72	77
73		-	(c) “Health care professional” includes a physician, nurse, dentist, social worker, 14
74		-	psychologist, pharmacist, health educator, or other allied health professional. 15
	78	+	(F) “STRUCTURAL RACISM” MEANS A SYSTEM OF IN HERITED 20
	79	+	INSTITUTIONAL SETTIN GS THAT PROVIDE DIFF ERENTIAL OPPORTUNITI ES FOR 21
	80	+	HEALTH CARE , EDUCATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT , AND THE ENVIRONMENT TO 22
	81	+	AN INDIVIDUAL BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL ’S RACE. 23
75	82
76		-	(d) “Implicit bias” means a bias in judgment that results from subtle cognitive 16
77		-	processes, including the following prejudices and stereotypes that often operate at a level 17
78		-	below conscious awareness and without intentional control: 18
	83	+	20–1302. 24
79	84
80		-	(1) ~~Prejudicial negative feelings or beliefs about~~ a ~~group that an individual 19~~
81		-	~~holds without being aware of the feelings or beliefs; and 20~~
	85	+	(a) There is a Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency 25
	86	+	Program. 26
82	87
83		-	(2) Unconscious attributions of particular qualities to a member of a 21
84		-	specific social group that are influenced by experience and based on learned associations 22
85		-	between various qualities and social categories, including race and gender. 23
	88	+	(b) The purpose of the Program is to: 27
86	89
87		-	(e) “Program~~” means the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional 24~~
88		-	~~Competency Program.~~ 25
	90	+	(1) Provide for a voluntary program in which educational classes are 28
	91	+	offered to health care professionals to teach health care professionals: 29
89	92
90		-	(F) “STRUCTURAL RACISM ” MEANS A SYSTEM OF INHERITE D 26
91		-	INSTITUTIONAL SETTIN GS THAT PROVIDE DIFFERENTIAL OPPORTU NITIES FOR 27
92		-	HEALTH CARE , EDUCATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT , AND THE ENVIRONMENT TO 28
93		-	AN INDIVIDUAL BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL ’S RACE THE TOTALITY OF WAYS IN 29
94		-	WHICH SOCIETIES FOST ER RACIAL DISCRIMINA TION BY MUTUALLY REI NFORCING 30
95		-	SYSTEMS OF HOUSING , EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT , EARNINGS, BENEFITS, CREDIT, 31
96		-	MEDIA, HEALTH CARE , AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE . 32 HOUSE BILL 783 3
	93	+	(i) Methods to improve the health care professionals’ cultural and 30
	94	+	linguistic competency to communicate with non–English speaking patients and patients 31
	95	+	from other cultures who are English speaking; 32
	96	+	HOUSE BILL 783 3
	97	+
	98	+
	99	+	(ii) Cultural beliefs and practices that may impact patient health 1
	100	+	care practices and allow health care professionals to incorporate the knowledge of the 2
	101	+	beliefs and practices in the diagnosis and treatment of patients; and 3
	102	+
	103	+	(iii) Methods to enable health care professionals to increase the 4
	104	+	health literacy of their patients to improve the patient’s ability to obtain, process, and 5
	105	+	understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health care 6
	106	+	decisions; 7
	107	+
	108	+	(2) Establish and provide an evidence–based implicit bias training 8
	109	+	program for health care professionals involved in the perinatal care of patients under § 9
	110	+	20–1305 of this subtitle; and 10
	111	+
	112	+	(3) Identify and approve implicit bias AND STRUCTURAL RACIS M training 11
	113	+	programs for health occupation licensure and certification under § 1–225 of the Health 12
	114	+	Occupations Article. 13
	115	+
	116	+	20–1306. 14
	117	+
	118	+	(a) (1) The Program shall, in coordination with the Office of Minority Health 15
	119	+	and Health Disparities, identify and approve implicit bias AND STRUCTURAL RACIS M 16
	120	+	training programs that an individual may complete to satisfy the requirements of § 1–225 17
	121	+	of the Health Occupations Article. 18
	122	+
	123	+	(2) The Program may approve only implicit bias AND STRUCTURAL 19
	124	+	RACISM training programs under paragraph (1) of this subsection that are recognized by a 20
	125	+	health occupations board established under the Health Occupations Article or accredited 21
	126	+	by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. 22
	127	+
	128	+	(b) The Program shall provide a list of training programs approved under 23
	129	+	subsection (a) of this section on request. 24
	130	+
	131	+	Article – Health Occupations 25
	132	+
	133	+	1–225. 26
	134	+
	135	+	(a) [An] SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, AN applicant for the 27
	136	+	renewal of a license or certificate issued by a health occupations board under this article 28
	137	+	shall attest in the application that the applicant has completed an implicit bias AND 29
	138	+	STRUCTURAL RACISM training program approved by the Cultural and Linguistic Health 30
	139	+	Care Professional Competency Program under § 20–1306 of the Health – General Article. 31
	140	+
	141	+	(b) The [requirements of] REQUIREMENT UNDER subsection (a) of this section 32
	142	+	THAT AN APPLICANT AT TEST TO THE COMPLETI ON OF AN IMPLICIT BI AS AND 33
	143	+	STRUCTURAL RACISM TR AINING PROGRAM shall apply only to an applicant’s first 34
	144	+	license or certificate renewal after April 1, [2022] 2026. 35 4 HOUSE BILL 783
97	145
98	146
99	147
100		-	20–1302. 1
	148	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, if an applicant for the 1
	149	+	renewal of a license or certificate issued by a health occupations board under the Health 2
	150	+	Occupations Article is applying on or after the effective date of this Act but before April 1, 3
	151	+	2026, for the applicant’s first license or certificate renewal, the applicant shall attest in the 4
	152	+	application that the applicant has completed an implicit bias training program approved 5
	153	+	by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program under § 6
	154	+	20–1306 of the Health – General Article. 7
101	155
102		-	(a) There is a Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency 2
103		-	Program. 3
104		-
105		-	(b) The purpose of the Program is to: 4
106		-
107		-	(1) Provide for a voluntary program in which educational classes are 5
108		-	offered to health care professionals to teach health care professionals: 6
109		-
110		-	(i) Methods to improve the health care professionals’ cultural and 7
111		-	linguistic competency to communicate with non–English speaking patients and patients 8
112		-	from other cultures who are English speaking; 9
113		-
114		-	(ii) Cultural beliefs and practices that may impact patient health 10
115		-	care practices and allow health care professionals to incorporate the knowledge of the 11
116		-	beliefs and practices in the diagnosis and treatment of patients; and 12
117		-
118		-	(iii) Methods to enable health care professionals to increase the 13
119		-	health literacy of their patients to improve the patient’s ability to obtain, process, and 14
120		-	understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health care 15
121		-	decisions; 16
122		-
123		-	(2) Establish and provide an evidence–based implicit bias training 17
124		-	program for health care professionals involved in the perinatal care of patients under § 18
125		-	20–1305 of this subtitle; and 19
126		-
127		-	(3) Identify and approve implicit bias AND STRUCTURAL RACIS M training 20
128		-	programs for health occupation licensure and certification under § 1–225 of the Health 21
129		-	Occupations Article. 22
130		-
131		-	20–1306. 23
132		-
133		-	(a) (1) The Program shall, in coordination with the Office of Minority Health 24
134		-	and Health Disparities, identify and approve implicit bias AND STRUCTURAL RACIS M 25
135		-	training programs that an individual may complete to satisfy the requirements of § 1–225 26
136		-	of the Health Occupations Article. 27
137		-
138		-	(2) The Program may approve only implicit bias AND STRUCTURAL 28
139		-	RACISM training programs under paragraph (1) of this subsection that are recognized by a 29
140		-	health occupations board established under the Health Occupations Article or accredited 30
141		-	by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education OR THE ACCREDITATION 31
142		-	COUNCIL FOR PHARMACY EDUCATION. 32
143		-	4 HOUSE BILL 783
144		-
145		-
146		-	(b) The Program shall provide a list of training programs approved under 1
147		-	subsection (a) of this section on request. 2
148		-
149		-	Article – Health Occupations 3
150		-
151		-	1–225. 4
152		-
153		-	(a) [An] SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (B) (C) OF THIS SECTION, AN applicant for 5
154		-	the renewal of a license or certificate issued by a health occupations board under this article 6
155		-	shall attest in the application that the applicant has completed an implicit bias AND 7
156		-	STRUCTURAL RACISM training program approved by the Cultural and Linguistic Health 8
157		-	Care Professional Competency Program under § 20–1306 of the Health – General Article. 9
158		-
159		-	(b) EACH HEALTH OCCUPATIO NS BOARD MAY ADOPT R EGULATIONS THAT 10
160		-	ALLOW AN APPLICANT S EEKING LICENSE RENEW AL TO RECEIVE CONTIN UING 11
161		-	EDUCATION CREDITS F OR COMPLETING AN IMP LICIT BIAS AND STRUC TURAL 12
162		-	RACISM TRAINING PROG RAM. 13
163		-
164		-	(C) The [requirements of] REQUIREMENT UNDER subsection (a) of this section 14
165		-	THAT AN APPLICANT AT TEST TO THE COMPLETI ON OF AN IMPLICIT BI AS AND 15
166		-	STRUCTURAL RACISM TR AINING PROGRAM shall apply only to an applicant’s first 16
167		-	license or certificate renewal after April 1, [2022] 2026. 17
168		-
169		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, if an applicant for the 18
170		-	renewal of a license or certificate issued by a health occupations board under the Health 19
171		-	Occupations Article is applying on or after the effective date of this Act but before April 1, 20
172		-	2026, for the applicant’s first license or certificate renewal, the applicant shall attest in the 21
173		-	application that the applicant has completed an implicit bias training program approved 22
174		-	by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program under § 23
175		-	20–1306 of the Health – General Article. 24
176		-
177		-	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That it is the intent of the General 25
178		-	Assembly that the structural racism training required under this Act be developed and 26
179		-	offered using funding from the grant provided to the Maryland Nurses Association from the 27
180		-	American Nurses Association to advance antiracism efforts. 28
181		-
182		-	SECTION 3. 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 29
183		-	October 1, 2025. 30
	156	+	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 8
	157	+	October 1, 2025. 9
184	158