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.
*sb0611*
SENATE BILL 611
J5, P4 5lr2383
CF HB 859
By: Senator King
Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2025
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation and Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 16, 2025
CHAPTER ______
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; requiring the Exchange to conduct a certain survey; and generally 9
relating to access to health insurance and health benefits 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 2 SENATE BILL 611
Section 2–501 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 4
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 5
Section 2–512 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Insurance 10
Section 31–125 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Education 16
1–101. 17
(a) In this article, unless the context requires otherwise, the following words have 18
the meanings indicated. 19
(f) “Department” means the State Department of Education. 20
2–107. 21
7–1A–01. 22
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 23
(i) “Prekindergarten provider hub” means a coordinated partnership between 24
eligible prekindergarten providers and other entities established by the Department under 25
§ 7–1A–09 of this subtitle. 26
Article – Insurance 27
31–125. 28
THE DEPARTMENT , IN COLLABORATION WIT H THE MARYLAND HEALTH 29
BENEFIT EXCHANGE, SHALL PROMOTE ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE FOR CHILD 30
CARE PROFESSIONALS B Y: 31
SENATE BILL 611 3
(1) PARTNERING PARTNERING WITH: 1
(I) PREKINDERGARTEN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 2
EDUCATION; 3
(II) PREKINDERGARTEN PROVIDER HUBS , AS DEFINED IN § 4
7–1A–01 OF THIS ARTICLE THE EDUCATION ARTICLE; 5
(II) (III) CHILD CHILD CARE ASSOCIATIONS ; AND 6
(III) (IV) RELEVANT RELEVANT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ONS; 7
(2) HELPING HELPING CHILD CARE PROFESSIONALS OBTAIN HEALTH 8
INSURANCE THROUGH TH E MARYLAND HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE OR 9
MEDICAID; 10
(3) ASSISTING ASSISTING CHILD CARE PROFESSIO NALS WHO LOSE 11
MEDICAID COVERAGE WIT H FINDING ALTERNATIV E HEALTH INSURANCE O PTIONS; 12
(4) HELPING HELPING ENSURE HEALTH PLAN OPTIONS MEET THE 13
BUDGETS AND HEALTH I NSURANCE COVERAGE NE EDS OF CHILD CARE 14
PROFESSIONALS AND CH ILD CARE EMPLOYERS ; AND 15
(5) PROVIDING PROVIDING INFORMATIONAL RESOUR CES OR 16
REFERRALS FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT , INCLUDING FLYERS , WEBINARS, 17
IN–PERSON EVENTS , AND OTHER OUTREACH M ATERIALS TARGETED TO THE CHILD 18
CARE PROVIDER COMMUN ITY; AND 19
(6) ASSESSING CURRENT LE VELS OF HEALTH CARE ACCESS ACROSS 20
THE CHILD CARE COMMU NITY BY CONDUCTING A SURVEY: 21
(I) DEVELOPED IN CONSULT ATION WITH THE STATE 22
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND RELEVAN T NONPROFIT ORGANIZA TIONS; AND 23
(II) WITH A PARTICULAR EM PHASIS ON PROVIDERS WHO 24
ACCEPT CHILD CARE SC HOLARSHIP VOUCHERS . 25
7–1A–01. 26
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 27
(i) “Prekindergarten provider hub” means a coordinated partnership between 28
eligible prekindergarten providers and other entities established by the Department under 29
§ 7–1A–09 of this subtitle. 30
4 SENATE BILL 611
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 1
2–501. 2
(a) In this subtitle the following terms have the meanings indicated. 3
(b) (1) “County board” means the board of education of a county. 4
(2) “County board” includes the Baltimore City Board of School 5
Commissioners. 6
(c) “Program” means the State Employee and Retir ee Health and Welfare 7
Benefits Program. 8
(d) “Satellite organization” means any organization or entity whose employees 9
are eligible to participate in the State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits 10
Program as a separate account. 11
(e) “Wellness program” means a program that is designed to: 12
(1) promote health or prevent or detect disease or illness; 13
(2) improve clinical outcomes; 14
(3) prevent or reduce acute admissions and readmissions to health care 15
facilities; 16
(4) improve treatment compliance for chronic conditions; 17
(5) promote healthy behaviors; or 18
(6) prevent or control injury. 19
2–512. 20
(a) In this section, “qualifying nonprofit organization” means an organization 21
that: 22
(1) (i) 1. receives State funds from the Maryland Department of 23
Health that cover more than one–third of the organization’s operating expenses; OR 24
2. IS A CHILD CARE PROV IDER THAT RECEIVES F UNDS 25
FROM A UNIT OF STATE, LOCAL, OR FEDERAL GOVERNMEN T THAT COVER MORE 26
THAN TWO–THIRDS OF THE ORGANI ZATION’S OPERATING EXPENSES ; and 27
(ii) is: 28
SENATE BILL 611 5
1. described in § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and 1
2. exempt from income tax under § 501(a) of the Internal 2
Revenue Code; 3
(2) is the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.; 4
(3) is a corporation, a limited liability company, or any other entity that is 5
wholly owned by the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.; or 6
(4) is the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center. 7
(b) The Secretary shall adopt regulations for the enrollment and participation of 8
employees of a qualifying nonprofit organization to participate in the Program as a satellite 9
organization. 10
(c) A qualifying nonprofit organization that participates in the Program as a 11
satellite organization shall: 12
(1) pay to the State: 13
(i) a premium in the amount determined by the Secretary; and 14
(ii) any costs, as determined by the Secretary, for the administration 15
of this Program; and 16
(2) determine the extent to which the organization will subsidize 17
participation by its employees in the Program. 18
(d) The participation of a satellite organization in the Program may not impede, 19
undermine, or conflict with the Program’s federal compliance obligations or governmental 20
and cafeteria plan status, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 125. 21
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 22
October 1, 2025. 23