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SB 560

Child Welfare

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Ileana Garcia

SB 560 expands the Maryland Health Equity Commission's membership and requires a health-equity analysis of transportation access and proximity to care to curb disparities.

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Bill Summary · SB 560

Summary — SB 560 (Maryland)

Public Health — Maryland Commission on Health Equity — Membership and Purposes

Status: Introduced Jan 23, 2025; Hearing scheduled Feb 13, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date (if enacted): July 1, 2025

Main purpose

SB 560 expands the membership of the Maryland Commission on Health Equity (MCHE) and broadens the commission’s statutory charge to explicitly require a health‑equity analysis of (1) access to transportation, transit programs and services, and (2) proximity to health care facilities and primary care providers. The goal is to strengthen the Commission’s ability to address transportation- and access-related drivers of health disparities.

Key provisions

  • Membership additions (statutory): require inclusion of the
    • Commissioner of Correction (or designee),
    • Secretary of the Environment (or designee),
    • Secretary of Veterans and Military Families (or designee),
    • Director of the Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ) (or designee),
    • At least one member of the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition.
  • Purpose/scope changes: MCHE must use a health equity framework to examine:
    • Access to transportation, transit programs, and transit services (as defined in Transportation Article §7‑101),
    • Proximity to health care facilities (as defined in Health — General §19‑114) and to primary care providers,
    • In addition to the existing list of social determinants (housing, education, employment, economic stability, environment, public safety, food insecurity, etc.).
  • Conforming and organizational language: updates to the statutory list of members and to the enumerated duties in current law.
  • Effective date: July 1, 2025.

Who is affected

  • State agencies: Maryland Department of Health (MDH) (staff to MCHE), Departments represented among new members (Environment; Veterans & Military Families; Public Safety & Correctional Services), Office of Health Care Quality, and local health departments.
  • Health sector stakeholders: hospitals, federally qualified health centers, community organizations, nursing home quality stakeholders (via the Moving Forward Coalition), and residents whose health is influenced by transportation and proximity to care.
  • Policy/planning processes: statewide health equity planning and coordination across transportation, land use, and health systems.

Fiscal and programmatic impact

  • MDH indicated potential need to hire two part‑time staff to lead a subcommittee and support OHCQ representation, estimating roughly $110,000 in FY2026 rising thereafter.
  • The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) concluded most changes can likely be absorbed with existing resources but noted that if the Commission conducts an active study of transportation and proximity to care, contractual services of about $200,000 may be required.
  • No dedicated appropriation is specified in the bill.

Context and potential effects

  • MCHE (established 2021) already addresses social determinants of health and develops a statewide health equity plan. This bill explicitly links transportation access and proximity to care to that mandate — an area increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of health equity.
  • If enacted, the bill may prompt new data collection, interagency coordination (health + transportation + environment + corrections + veterans), and potentially targeted recommendations or studies to reduce access-related health disparities.

Procedural note

  • Introduced in the Senate (Finance) Jan 23, 2025; hearing scheduled Feb 13, 2025, 1:00 p.m.; would take effect July 1, 2025 if enacted.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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