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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb0871*
HOUSE BILL 871
J3 (5lr2372)
ENROLLED BILL
— Health and Government Operations/Finance —
Introduced by Delegates Bagnall, Cullison, Hill, and Pena–Melnyk Pena–Melnyk,
Alston, Bhandari, Chisholm, Guzzone, Hutchinson, S. Johnson, Kaiser,
Kerr, Kipke, Lopez, Martinez, M. Morgan, Reilly, Rosenberg, Szeliga,
Taveras, Woods, Woorman, and Ross
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Services Cost Review Commission – Community Benefits – Community 2
Health Worker Workforce Program 3
FOR the purpose of altering the definition of “community benefit” to include a certain 4
community health worker workforce program; authorizing a nonprofit hospital and 5
a community–based organization to establish through a memorandum of 6
understanding a community health worker workforce program to provide a 7
community benefit; providing that a partnership that establishes a community health 8
worker workforce program may be executed through a memorandum of 9
understanding; establishing requirements for the memorandum of understanding; 10
requiring authorizing a partnership that establishes a community health worker 11
workforce program to provide health insurance to certain individuals under certain 12 2 HOUSE BILL 871
circumstances; and generally relating to community health worker workforce 1
programs. 2
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 3
Article – Health – General 4
Section 13–3701(a) and (c) 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Health – General 9
Section 19–303(a) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
BY adding to 13
Article – Health – General 14
Section 19–303.1 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Health – General 20
13–3701. 21
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 22
(c) “Community health worker” means a frontline public health worker who: 23
(1) Is a trusted member of, or has an unusually close understanding of, the 24
community being served; 25
(2) Serves as a liaison to, link to, or intermediary between health and social 26
services and the community to: 27
(i) Facilitate access to services; and 28
(ii) Improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery; 29
and 30
(3) Builds individual and community capacity by increasing health 31
knowledge and self–sufficiency through a range of activities, including: 32
(i) Outreach; 33 HOUSE BILL 871 3
(ii) Community education; 1
(iii) The provision of information to support individuals in the 2
community; 3
(iv) Social support; and 4
(v) Advocacy. 5
19–303. 6
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 7
(2) “Commission” means the Health Services Cost Review Commission. 8
(3) (i) “Community benefit” means a planned, organized, and measured 9
activity that is intended to meet identified community health needs within a service area. 10
(ii) “Community benefit” may include: 11
1. A community health service; 12
2. Health professional education; 13
3. Research; 14
4. A financial contribution; 15
5. A community–building activity, including partnerships 16
with community–based organizations; 17
6. Charity care; 18
7. An activity described under subparagraph (i) of this 19
paragraph that is funded by a foundation; 20
8. A mission–driven health service; 21
9. An operation related to an activity described under 22
subparagraph (i) of this paragraph; [and] 23
10. Financial or in–kind support of the Maryland Behavioral 24
Health Crisis Response System; AND 25
4 HOUSE BILL 871
11. A COMMUNITY HEALTH WOR KER WORKFORCE 1
PROGRAM ESTABLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 19–303.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 2
(4) “Community Benefit Reporting Workgroup” means the Community 3
Benefit Reporting Workgroup established in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. 4
(5) “Community health needs assessment” means the process required by 5
the Affordable Care Act by which unmet community health care needs and priorities are 6
identified by a nonprofit hospital in accordance with § 501(r)(3) of the Internal Revenue 7
Code. 8
19–303.1. 9
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “COMMUNITY HEALTH WOR KER” HAS THE MEANING 10
STATED IN § 13–3701 OF THIS ARTICLE. 11
(B) (1) A COMMUNITY BENEFIT UN DER § 19–303 OF THIS SUBTITLE MAY 12
INCLUDE A PARTNERSHI P BETWEEN A NONPROFI T HOSPITAL AND A 13
COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATION T O ESTABLISH A COMMUN ITY HEALTH WORKER 14
WORKFORCE PROGRAM . 15
(2) THE PRIMARY PURPOSE O F A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER 16
WORKFORCE PROGRAM SH ALL BE TO PROVIDE SE RVICES TO PATIENTS O F A 17
NONPROFIT HOSPITAL T HAT ARE INTENDED TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCO MES AND 18
ADDRESS SOCIAL DETER MINANTS OF HEALTH . 19
(C) (1) A PARTNERSHIP ESTABLIS HED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL MAY 20
BE EXECUTED THROUGH A MEMORANDUM OF UNDE RSTANDING BETWEEN A 21
NONPROFIT HOSPITAL A ND A COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATION . 22
(2) THE MEMORANDUM OF UND ERSTANDING SHALL INC LUDE: 23
(I) THE PROGRAM DESIGN ; 24
(II) GOALS FOR PATIENT H EALTH OUTCOMES ; 25
(III) IMPLEMENTATION PROCED URES; 26
(IV) CRITERIA FOR EVALUATI ON AND IMPACT MEASUR EMENT; 27
(V) DATA COLLECTION , MANAGEMENT , AND REPORTING 28
STANDARDS AND PROTOC OLS THAT ARE IN ACCO RDANCE WITH APPLICAB LE 29
FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS , INCLUDING THE FEDERA L HEALTH 30
INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; AND 31
HOUSE BILL 871 5
(VI) AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NONPROFIT HOSPIT AL AND 1
THE COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATION I DENTIFYING WHICH PAR TY WILL BE 2
RESPONSIBLE FOR : 3
1. RECRUITING AND EM PLOYING THE COMMUNIT Y 4
HEALTH WORKER WORKFO RCE; 5
2. SUPERVISING THE WORKF ORCE IN THE SETTINGS IN 6
WHICH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WILL PROVIDE SERVICES TO PATIENTS; 7
3. TRAINING THE WORKFORC E; AND 8
4. PROVIDING EMPLOYER –SPONSORED HEALTH 9
INSURANCE COVERAGE TO EACH COMMUNITY HEALTH WOR KER. 10
(D) A PARTNERSHIP ESTABLIS HED UNDER THIS SECTI ON SHALL MAY 11
PROVIDE HEALTH INSUR ANCE COVERAGE TO EAC H COMMUNITY HEALTH W ORKER 12
FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM IF THE I NDIVIDUAL DOES NOT H AVE HEALTH 13
INSURANCE C OVERAGE AND REQUESTS COVERAGE. 14
(E) A NONPROFIT HOSPITAL A ND A COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATION 15
MAY COLLABORATE TO I DENTIFY FINANCIAL RE SOURCES TO ADDRESS C OSTS 16
ASSOCIATED WITH INCR EASING ADMINISTRATIV E CAPACITY WITHIN TH E 17
COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATION N ECESSARY TO PARTICIP ATE IN THE 18
PARTNERSHIP . 19
(F) SUBJECT TO OTHER PROV ISIONS OF LAW GOVERN ING COMMUNITY 20
BENEFITS AND ON THE AGREEMENT OF THE PAR TIES, A NONPROFIT HOSPITAL MAY 21
PROVIDE FINANCIAL SU PPORT TO A COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATION T O COVER 22
THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASING ADMI NISTRATIVE CAPACITY WITHIN THE 23
COMMUNITY –BASED ORGANIZATION N ECESSARY TO PARTICIP ATE IN THE 24
PARTNERSHIP . 25
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
October 1, 2025. 27