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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0178*
HOUSE BILL 178
J1 6lr1417
HB 1306/25 – HGO (PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Patterson
Requested: October 29, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Health
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Health – Sickle Cell Disease – Specialized Clinics and Scholarship 2
Program for Medical Residents 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish certain 4
specialized clinics for the management and treatment of sickle cell disease and 5
establish a scholarship program for medical residents who specialize in classical 6
hematology with a focus on sickle cell disease; and generally relating to sickle cell 7
disease. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Health – General 10
Section 18–510 and 18–511 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Health – General 16
18–510. 17
(A) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH THREE SPECIALI ZED 18
CLINICS DEDICATED TO THE MANAGEMENT AND T REATMENT OF SICKLE C ELL 19
DISEASE. 20
(2) THE CLINICS ESTABLISH ED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 21
SUBSECTION SHALL BE LOCATED IN: 22
2 HOUSE BILL 178
(I) MONTGOMERY COUNTY; 1
(II) HARFORD COUNTY; AND 2
(III) A COUNTY LOCATED ON THE EASTERN SHORE. 3
(B) EACH CLINIC ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 4
SHALL: 5
(1) OPERATE UNDER A HUB –AND–SPOKE MODEL WITH A 6
SPECIALIZED SICKLE CELL DISEASE CARE HUB; 7
(2) PROVIDE ROUTINE CARE, PAIN MANAGEMENT , GENETIC 8
COUNSELING, MENTAL HEALTH SERVIC ES, SURVEILLANCE, AND PATIENT 9
EDUCATION; AND 10
(3) IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SPECIALIZED SICK LE CELL 11
DISEASE CARE HUB: 12
(I) ENSURE CONSISTENT ACCESS TO HUB–BASED SICKLE CELL 13
DISEASE SPECIA LISTS THROUGH TELEHE ALTH OR ON –SITE VISITS TO MANAG E 14
COMPLEX PATIENT NEEDS; 15
(II) OFFER COMPREHENSIVE B EHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 16
SOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES TO ADDRESS THE MULTIFACETED CHALLENGES FACED 17
BY INDIVIDUALS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE; 18
(III) OPERATE O R COORDINATE INFUSIO N THERAPY AND 19
STRUCTURED PAIN MANA GEMENT PROGRAMS TAIL ORED TO THE CLINICAL 20
DEMANDS OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE PATIENTS; 21
(IV) COLLABORATE WITH LOCA L PRIMARY CARE PROVI DERS 22
AND SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCIES TO STREAMLINE REFERRALS, REDUCE CARE GAPS, 23
AND ADDRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH WITHIN THE COMMUNITY; AND 24
(V) PARTNER WITH A SICKLE CELL DISEASE –FOCUSED, 25
COMMUNITY–BASED ORGANIZATION LOCATED IN THE STATE TO IDENTIFY AND 26
ADDRESS SOCIAL BARRIERS , INCLUDING ASSISTANCE WITH TRANSPORTA TION, 27
HOUSING, NUTRITION, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL SUPPORTS. 28
(C) (1) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE IN THE 29
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $6,138,000 TO SUPPORT CLINIC 30
OPERATIONS, STAFFING, TRAINING, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES. 31
HOUSE BILL 178 3
(2) A PORTION OF THE FUNDI NG PROVIDED UNDER PA RAGRAPH (1) 1
OF THIS SUBSECTION S HALL BE ALLOCATED TO COMMUNITY–BASED 2
ORGANIZATIONS AND SICKLE CELL DISEASE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LOCATED 3
IN THE STATE TO: 4
(I) ENHANCE PATIENT OUTREACH; 5
(II) PROVIDE EDUCATION; 6
(III) EXPAND SUPPORT SERVICES; 7
(IV) STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS; AND 8
(V) IMPROVE THE OVERALL C ONTINUUM OF CARE FOR 9
INDIVIDUALS LIVING W ITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON 10
SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION FROM PEDIATRIC TO ADULT CARE. 11
(3) THE FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 12
SUBSECTION SHALL BE PRIORITIZED FOR: 13
(I) THE HIRING OF QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, 14
INCLUDING HEMATOLOGI STS, NURSE PRACTITIONERS , NURSE NAVIGATORS , AND 15
COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE WORKERS; 16
(II) ADDRESSING SOCIAL DET ERMINANTS OF HEALTH 17
AFFECTING INDIVIDUALS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE; AND 18
(III) COLLABORATING WITH CO MMUNITY–BASED 19
ORGANIZATIONS AND SICKLE CELL DISEASE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LOCATED 20
IN THE STATE. 21
(D) (1) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR , THE DEPARTMENT 22
SHALL REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF 23
THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON THE CLINICS ESTAB LISHED UNDER THIS 24
SECTION. 25
(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER PARA GRAPH (1) OF THIS 26
SUBSECTION SHALL ADDRESS, FOR EACH CLINIC: 27
(I) CLINIC OPERATIONS; 28
(II) OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS TREATED AT THE CLINIC; 29
4 HOUSE BILL 178
(III) THE OVERALL IMPACT OF EACH CLINIC IN REDUC ING 1
HEALTH DISPARITIES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE; 2
(IV) UTILIZATION RATES , PATIENT VOLUME , AND 3
ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUDING IMPACTS OF HOURS OF OPERATIONS AND GEOGRAPHIC 4
REACH; AND 5
(V) IMPLEMENTATION OF TEL EMEDICINE AND DIGITA L 6
HEALTH TOOLS TO EXPAND AND EXTEND CARE TO UNDERSERVED AREAS. 7
18–511. 8
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR 9
MEDICAL RESIDENTS WH O CHOOSE TO SPECIALI ZE IN CLASSICAL HEMA TOLOGY 10
WITH A FOCUS ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE CARE. 11
(B) THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF 12
THIS SECTION SHALL PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MEDICAL RESIDENT 13
IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RECIPIENT’S COMMITMENT TO PRACTICE IN THE STATE FOR 14
A MINIMUM PERIOD OF TIME, AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT, FOLLOWING 15
THE RECIPIENT’S RESIDENCY OR FELLOWSHIP. 16
(C) TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL USE FEDERAL 17
FUNDING TO SUPPORT T HE SCHOLARSHIP PROGR AM ESTABLISHED UNDER 18
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. 21