EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0790*
SENATE BILL 790
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By: Senator Augustine
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Department of Health – Workgroup to Implement Early and Periodic 2
Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Requirements 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to convene a workgroup 4
to implement Early and Peri odic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment 5
requirements; and generally relating to a workgroup to implement Early and 6
Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment requirements. 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
That: 9
(a) The Maryland Department of Health shall convene a workgroup to implement 10
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment requirements. 11
(b) The workgroup shall include the following members: 12
(1) behavioral health professionals who work with children and families; 13
(2) childhood mental health specialists; 14
(3) clinicians who work with children and families; 15
(4) children with behavioral health issues; 16
(5) behavioral health advocates; 17
(6) parents and caregivers with experience navigating the behavioral 18
health system on behalf of children; and 19
(7) other interested stakeholders. 20
2 SENATE BILL 790
(c) The workgroup shall create a plan to implement the recommendations in 1
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services State Health Official letter #24–005: Best 2
Practices for Adhering to Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment 3
(EPSDT) Requirements for children, including: 4
(1) screening and assessment of behavioral health conditions; 5
(2) the feasibility of implementing the DC:0–5 Diagnostic Classification of 6
Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood as a 7
diagnostic tool for patients under the age of 5 years; 8
(3) community–based services to correct and ameliorate a wide range of 9
behavioral health conditions; and 10
(4) services to: 11
(i) ensure children’s behavioral health; 12
(ii) address early symptoms of concern, with or without a diagnosis; 13
and 14
(iii) address urgent and crisis needs. 15
(d) On or before December 1, 2025, the Maryland Department of Health shall 16
submit a report of the findings and recommendations of the workgroup to the General 17
Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 19
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of June 30, 2026, this 20
Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no 21
further force and effect. 22