EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 212
P1, O2 5lr0037
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 36
By: Chair, Finance Committee (By Request – Departmental – Aging)
Requested: September 28, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Aging – Aging Services – Program Repeal and Consolidation 2
FOR the purpose of repealing provisions of law requiring the Secretary of Aging to develop 3
certain congregate housing and assisted living programs for seniors; repealing the 4
Interagency Committee on Aging Services and transferring certain responsibilities 5
of the Committee to the Department of Aging; authorizing the Department to 6
perform certain duties to implement and coordinate services to older adults and to 7
collaborate with certain entities that establish local interagency committees; 8
requiring the Department to establish, coordinate, and supervise a program to 9
provide single points of entry within each planning and service area; authorizing 10
area agencies on aging to make agreements with certain entities and provide staff at 11
the single points of entry for certain purposes; requiring the Department to develop, 12
coordinate, and administer with area agencies on aging or other persons a certain 13
system to provide certain services to certain older adults; and generally relating to 14
the Department of Aging and aging services. 15
BY repealing 16
Article – Human Services 17
Section 10–209 through 10–211, 10–301 through 10–305, and 10–310 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
Article – Human Services 22
Section 10–101; and 10–306 through 10–309 to be under the amended subtitle 23
“Subtitle 3. Aging Services” 24
Annotated Code of Maryland 25
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 26
2 SENATE BILL 212
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That Section(s) 10–209 through 10–211, 10–301 through 10–305, and 10–310 of 2
Article – Human Services of the Annotated Code of Maryland be repealed. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 4
as follows: 5
Article – Human Services 6
10–101. 7
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 8
(b) “Area agency” means the local agency that the Department designates in 9
accordance with the Older Americans Act of 1965 to administer the delivery of a 10
comprehensive and coordinated plan of social and other services and activities for [seniors] 11
OLDER ADULTS in a planning and service area. 12
(c) “Community for a Lifetime” means a community certified under § 10–804 of 13
this title. 14
(d) [“Congregate housing services” means services provided in an apartment 15
building that promote independent living for an eligible individual. 16
(e)] “Department” means the Department of Aging. 17
[(f) “Interagency Committee” means the unit established in § 10–301 of this title 18
to oversee the coordination and consolidation of services for seniors in the State. 19
(g)] (E) “Planning and service area” means an area of the State that the 20
Department designates in accordance with the Older Americans Act of 1965 for the 21
planning and administration of social, health, and other services for [seniors] OLDER 22
ADULTS. 23
[(h)] (F) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Aging. 24
Subtitle 3. [Interagency Committee on] Aging Services. 25
[10–306.] 10–301. 26
(a) [(1) The Interagency Committee shall develop and update annually a plan 27
for providing coordinated health services, social services, transportation, housing, and 28
employment services to seniors in the State consistent with the priorities that the 29
Department establishes. 30
(2) If the members of the Interagency Committee cannot agree on a plan, 31 SENATE BILL 212 3
the chair shall refer the matter to the Governor for resolution. 1
(b)] The [Interagency Committee shall establish interagency] DEPARTMENT 2
MAY ENTER INTO agreements and CONTRACTS, adopt regulations, AND ADOPT 3
POLICIES AND PROCEDU RES to[: 4
(1)] implement and coordinate services to [seniors consistent with the plan 5
developed under subsection (a) of this section; 6
(2) maximize the sharing of resources among units of State government for 7
services to seniors; 8
(3) consolidate planning and evaluation efforts at the State and local levels; 9
and 10
(4) coordinate and expedite the delivery of services to seniors by providing 11
technical assistance to local agencies] OLDER ADULTS UNDER T HIS TITLE. 12
[(c) (1)] (B) The [Interagency Committee shall assist] DEPARTMENT MAY 13
COLLABORATE WITH county agencies [to], AREA AGENCIES ON AGI NG, NONPROFIT 14
ORGANIZATIONS , OR OTHER PERSONS THA T establish local interagency committees 15
[composed of: 16
(i) the directors of the local health department, local department of 17
social services, and area agency; and 18
(ii) officials from housing, transportation, mental health, 19
employment, and economic development agencies. 20
(2) Local interagency committees shall coordinate and expedite the 21
delivery of services to seniors at the local level]. 22
[10–307.] 10–302. 23
(a) [(1)] The [Interagency Committee] DEPARTMENT shall establish [and], 24
coordinate, AND SUPERVISE a program to provide single points of entry within each 25
planning and service area. 26
[(2) The Department shall supervise the program for the Interagency 27
Committee.] 28
(b) Each area agency ON AGING shall operate a single point of entry program to 29
assess the needs of [seniors] OLDER ADULTS and their caregivers and provide appropriate 30
services. 31
(c) The following services shall be provided through a single point of entry: 32 4 SENATE BILL 212
(1) providing current information on available programs, services, or 1
benefits; 2
(2) determining the service needs of each [senior] OLDER ADULT who 3
requests service; 4
(3) processing requests for service from [seniors] OLDER ADULTS ; 5
(4) through widely publicized local outreach facilities and communications 6
systems, providing access to available public and private programs and services for 7
[seniors] OLDER ADULTS , including: 8
(i) transportation services; 9
(ii) health and nutrition services; 10
(iii) financial assistance; 11
(iv) social services; 12
(v) educational services; 13
(vi) services available through volunteer organizations or private 14
agencies; 15
(vii) appropriate housing arrangements; 16
(viii) health insurance counseling; 17
(ix) employment and volunteer opportunities; 18
(x) respite care services; and 19
(xi) other programs, information, counseling, or benefits for [seniors] 20
OLDER ADULTS ; 21
(5) monitoring the outcome of requests for service or information; and 22
(6) arranging with other agencies for individual assessment to determine 23
the service needs of [a frail or health–impaired senior] OLDER ADULTS IN NEED OF 24
LONG–TERM SERVICES AND SUPPORTS. 25
(d) To the extent possible, each single point of entry shall be: 26
(1) located in a senior citizen center; and 27 SENATE BILL 212 5
(2) available for access at least 5 days a week. 1
(e) [Local interagency committees on services to seniors] AREA AGENCIES ON 2
AGING shall make agreements [among themselves] WITH NONPROFIT ORGAN IZATIONS 3
OR OTHER PERSONS AS NEEDED and [with other agencies to] provide staff on a regular 4
basis at the single points of entry to: 5
(1) provide information and services to [seniors] OLDER ADULTS; and 6
(2) administer agency programs. 7
[10–308.] 10–303. 8
Each planning and service area shall have a telephone information and referral 9
service that is available on a 24–hour basis. 10
[10–309.] 10–304. 11
(a) [(1)] The [Interagency Committee] DEPARTMENT shall[: 12
(i)] develop, COORDINATE , AND ADMINISTER WITH AREA 13
AGENCIES ON AGING OR OTHER PERSONS a system to provide services to [frail or 14
health–impaired seniors at risk of institutionalization; and 15
(ii) coordinate the system among the agencies represented on the 16
Interagency Committee. 17
(2) The Department shall administer the system for the Interagency 18
Committee] OLDER ADULTS IN NEED OF LONG–TERM SERVICES AND SU PPORTS TO 19
ALLOW OLDER ADULTS TO AGE IN A LOCATION SELECTED BY THE OLDER ADU LT 20
WITH APPROPRIATE SER VICES, SUPPORTS, AND HOUSING OPPORTUN ITIES. 21
(b) The services [shall] MAY include: 22
(1) integrated screening and evaluation; 23
(2) development of an individual plan of care; 24
(3) in–home services such as [minor] home repair OR OTHER HOME 25
MODIFICATIONS , shopping assistance, homemaking, CHORE SERVICES , personal care, 26
meal delivery or preparation, TRANSPORTATION SERVI CES, HEALTH SERVICES , AND 27
OTHER supportive services [to group or shared living arrangements, transportation 28
services, and health services; and]; 29
6 SENATE BILL 212
(4) [community] COMMUNITY –BASED services such as day care, 1
[congregate meals] FOOD AND OTHER MEAL COORDINATION , and other [programs] 2
EFFORTS to assist [seniors] OLDER ADULTS or adult caregivers [in providing care for 3
seniors]; 4
(5) A SUBSIDY FOR THE CO STS OF AN ASSISTED L IVING PROGRAM AS 5
DEFINED IN § 19–1801 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; 6
(6) ANY OTHER SERVICE TH AT MAY MITIGATE THE RISK OF IMPACT 7
TO, OR IMPROVE RESILIENC E OF, HOUSING OR SERVICES OF OLDER ADULTS BY 8
NATURAL, TECHNOLOGICAL , OR HUMAN–MADE THREATS AND HAZ ARDS, INCLUDING 9
CLIMATE CHANGE ; AND 10
(7) ANY OTHER SERVICE AUTHORIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT . 11
(c) To be eligible to participate in the system, a county, [or counties] AREA 12
AGENCY ON AGING, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ON, OR ANY OTHER PERSON shall 13
[establish a community–based plan that: 14
(1) is developed by a local or regional committee composed of: 15
(i) the directors of the local health department, local department of 16
social services, and area agency; and 17
(ii) officials of other relevant agencies, such as local housing, 18
transportation, employment, and economic development officials; 19
(2) is consistent with the plan developed under § 10–306(a) of this subtitle; 20
(3) specifies administrative arrangements to evaluate and develop care 21
plans for frail or health–impaired seniors; 22
(4) encourages further coordination of service delivery; 23
(5) fosters individual contributions for services provided; 24
(6) fosters the development of innovative service delivery; 25
(7) fosters the development of services in conjunction with the private 26
sector; and 27
(8) fosters community involvement through the use of volunteers ] 28
COMPLY WITH DEPARTMENT STANDARDS . 29
SENATE BILL 212 7
[(d) The Interagency Committee, through the Department, shall work with local 1
health departments, local departments of social services, area agencies, and local housing, 2
transportation, economic development, and employment development officials to: 3
(1) a system to designate case managers to secure and manage necessary 4
services for each frail or health–impaired senior in need; and 5
(2) guidelines, to establish local or regional committees to coordinate the 6
services system to implement this section.] 7
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall be construed to 8
apply only prospectively and may not be applied or interpreted to have any effect on or 9
application to any cause of action arising before the effective date of this Act. 10
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER EN ACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 11
1, 2026. 12