EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0611*
SENATE BILL 611
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By: Senator King
Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2025
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation and Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Access to Health Insurance for Child Care Professionals – Outreach and 2
Qualifying Nonprofit Satellite Organizations 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Department of Education, in collaboration with the 4
Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, to promote access to health insurance for child 5
care professionals; authorizing a child care provider that receives a certain amount 6
of funding from a unit of State, local, or federal government to participate in the 7
State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits Program as a satellite 8
organization; and generally relating to access to health insurance and health benefits 9
for child care professionals. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Education 12
Section 1–101(a) and (f) and 7–1A–01(a) and (i) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15
BY adding to 16
Article – Education 17
Section 2–107 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 21
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 22
Section 2–501 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 25
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 26
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 27 2 SENATE BILL 611
Section 2–512 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 3
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 4
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 5
Article – Education 6
1–101. 7
(a) In this article, unless the context requires otherwise, the following words have 8
the meanings indicated. 9
(f) “Department” means the State Department of Education. 10
2–107. 11
THE DEPARTMENT , IN COLLABORATION WIT H THE MARYLAND HEALTH 12
BENEFIT EXCHANGE, SHALL PROMOTE ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE FOR CHIL D 13
CARE PROFESSIONALS B Y: 14
(1) PARTNERING WITH : 15
(I) PREKINDERGARTEN PROVI DER HUBS, AS DEFINED IN § 16
7–1A–01 OF THIS ARTICLE; 17
(II) CHILD CARE ASSOCIATIO NS; AND 18
(III) RELEVANT NONPROFIT OR GANIZATIONS; 19
(2) HELPING CHILD CARE PROFESSIONALS O BTAIN HEALTH 20
INSURANCE THROUGH TH E MARYLAND HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE OR 21
MEDICAID; 22
(3) ASSISTING CHILD CARE PROFESSIONALS WHO LO SE MEDICAID 23
COVERAGE WITH FINDIN G ALTERNATIVE HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS ; 24
(4) HELPING ENSURE HEALTH PLAN OPTIONS MEET THE BUDG ETS 25
AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE NEEDS OF CH ILD CARE PROFESSIONA LS AND 26
CHILD CARE EMPLOYERS ; AND 27
(5) PROVIDING INFORMATION AL RESOURCES OR REFE RRALS FOR 28
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT . 29
SENATE BILL 611 3
7–1A–01. 1
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 2
(i) “Prekindergarten provider hub” means a coordinated partnership between 3
eligible prekindergarten providers and other entities established by the Department under 4
§ 7–1A–09 of this subtitle. 5
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 6
2–501. 7
(a) In this subtitle the following terms have the meanings indicated. 8
(b) (1) “County board” means the board of education of a county. 9
(2) “County board” includes the Baltimore City Board of School 10
Commissioners. 11
(c) “Program” means the State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare 12
Benefits Program. 13
(d) “Satellite organization” means any organization or entity whose employees 14
are eligible to participate in the State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits 15
Program as a separate account. 16
(e) “Wellness program” means a program that is designed to: 17
(1) promote health or prevent or detect disease or illness; 18
(2) improve clinical outcomes; 19
(3) prevent or reduce acute admissions and readmissions to health care 20
facilities; 21
(4) improve treatment compliance for chronic conditions; 22
(5) promote healthy behaviors; or 23
(6) prevent or control injury. 24
2–512. 25
(a) In this section, “qualifying nonprofit organization” means an organization 26
that: 27
4 SENATE BILL 611
(1) (i) 1. receives State funds from the Maryland Department of 1
Health that cover more than one–third of the organization’s operating expenses; OR 2
2. IS A CHILD CARE PROV IDER THAT RECEIVES F UNDS 3
FROM A UNIT OF STATE, LOCAL, OR FEDERAL GOVERNMEN T THAT COVER MORE 4
THAN TWO–THIRDS OF THE ORGANIZATION ’S OPERATING EXPENSES ; and 5
(ii) is: 6
1. described in § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and 7
2. exempt from income tax under § 501(a) of the Internal 8
Revenue Code; 9
(2) is the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.; 10
(3) is a corporation, a limited liability company, or any other entity that is 11
wholly owned by the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.; or 12
(4) is the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center. 13
(b) The Secretary shall adopt regulations for the enrollment and participation of 14
employees of a qualifying nonprofit organization to participate in the Program as a satellite 15
organization. 16
(c) A qualifying nonprofit organization that participates in the Program as a 17
satellite organization shall: 18
(1) pay to the State: 19
(i) a premium in the amount determined by the Secretary; and 20
(ii) any costs, as determined by the Secretary, for the administration 21
of this Program; and 22
(2) determine the extent to which the organization will subsidize 23
participation by its employees in the Program. 24
(d) The participation of a satellite organization in the Program may not impede, 25
undermine, or conflict with the Program’s federal compliance obligations or governmental 26
and cafeteria plan status, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 125. 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2025. 29