EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0486*
SENATE BILL 486
F5, J1 5lr1920
By: Senator Lam
Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
School Health and Wellness Personnel Assessment and Maryland Council on 2
Advancement of School–Based Health Centers 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Department of Education and the Maryland 4
Department of Health jointly to conduct an assessment of school health and wellness 5
personnel each year; altering the membership of the Maryland Council on 6
Advancement of School–Based Health Centers; and generally relating to school 7
health and wellness personnel and the Maryland Council on Advancement of 8
School–Based Health Centers. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Health – General 11
Section 19–22A–05(a) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Health – General 16
Section 19–22A–06(a) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Health – General 21
Section 24–2501 and 24–2502 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 25. School 22
Health and Wellness Personnel Assessment” 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 25
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 26
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 27 2 SENATE BILL 486
Article – Health – General 1
19–22A–05. 2
(a) There is a Maryland Council on Advancement of School–Based Health Centers 3
in the Department. 4
19–22A–06. 5
(a) The Council consists of the following [15] 16 voting members and 6 ex officio 6
members: 7
(1) One member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 8
the Senate, as an ex officio member; 9
(2) One member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the 10
House, as an ex officio member; 11
(3) The Secretary of Health, or a designee of the Secretary, as an ex officio 12
member; 13
(4) The State Superintendent of Schools as an ex officio member; 14
(5) The Executive Director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange as an 15
ex officio member; 16
(6) The Chairman of the Commission, or a designee of the Chairman, as an 17
ex officio member; and 18
(7) The following [15] 16 members, appointed by the Governor: 19
(i) The President of the Maryland Assembly on School –Based 20
Health Care, or a designee of the President; 21
(ii) Three representatives of school–based health centers, nominated 22
by the Maryland Assembly on School–Based Health Care: 23
1. From a diverse array of sponsoring organizations; and 24
2. For at least one of the representatives, from a nursing 25
background; 26
(iii) One representative of the Public Schools Superintendents 27
Association of Maryland; 28
SENATE BILL 486 3
(iv) One representative of the Maryland Association of Boards of 1
Education; 2
(v) One elementary school principal of a school that has a 3
school–based health center; 4
(vi) One secondary school principal of a school that has a 5
school–based health center; 6
(vii) One representative of the Maryland Hospital Association; 7
(viii) One representative of the Maryland Association of County 8
Health Officers; 9
(ix) One representative of a federally qualified health center, 10
nominated by the Mid–Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers; 11
(x) One representative of a managed care organization; 12
(xi) One representative of a commercial health insurance carrier; 13
(xii) One pediatrician, nominated by the Maryland Chapter of the 14
American Academy of Pediatrics; [and] 15
(xiii) One parent or guardian of a student who utilizes services at a 16
school–based health center; AND 17
(XIV) ONE SCHOOL NURSE , NOMINATED BY THE MARYLAND 18
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL HEALTH NURSES. 19
SUBTITLE 25. SCHOOL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PERSONNEL ASSESSMENT. 20
24–2501. 21
IN THIS SUBTITLE, “SCHOOL HEALTH AND WE LLNESS PERSONNEL ” INCLUDES: 22
(1) COUNSELORS; 23
(2) DENTAL HYGIENISTS ; 24
(3) OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIS TS; 25
(4) OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANTS; 26
(5) PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ; 27 4 SENATE BILL 486
(6) SCHOOL COUNSELORS ; 1
(7) SCHOOL NURSES ; 2
(8) SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS ; 3
(9) SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS ; AND 4
(10) SPEECH–LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST S. 5
24–2502. 6
(A) THE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 7
JOINTLY SHALL CONDUC T AN ASSESSMENT OF T HE SCHOOL HEALTH AND WELLNESS 8
PERSONNEL WORKFORCE IN THE STATE EACH YEAR TO : 9
(1) IDENTIFY THE RATIO OF SCHOOL HEALTH AND WE LLNESS 10
PERSONNEL TO STUDENT S AND SCHOOLS BY JURISDICT ION; 11
(2) OBTAIN INFORMATION FR OM EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM AND 12
LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTM ENT REGARDING VACANC Y RATES FOR EACH TYP E OF 13
PROVIDER OF SCHOOL H EALTH AND WELLNESS S ERVICES; AND 14
(3) OBTAIN FEEDBACK FROM EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SY STEM, EACH 15
LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTM ENT, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDE RS ON STRATEGIES TO 16
IMPROVE THE RECRUITM ENT AND RETENTION OF SCHOOL HEALTH AND WE LLNESS 17
PERSONNEL . 18
(B) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2027, AND EACH DECEMBER 1 19
THEREAFTER , THE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 20
JOINTLY SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE 21
WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON THE FINDINGS OF T HE 22
ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED UNDER THIS SECTION . 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shal l take effect 24
October 1, 2025. 25