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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING 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
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*hb0882*
HOUSE BILL 882
J1 6lr3296
By: Delegates Kaufman and Taveras
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 18, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Consumer Health Information – Termination Date and Mandatory Funding for 2
the State’s Consumer Health Information Hub – Repeal 3
FOR the purpose of repealing the requirement that the Governor include in the annual 4
budget bill a certain appropriation to the State’s Consumer Health Information Hub; 5
requiring the Hub to carry out certain duties to the extent funding is available; 6
repealing the terminatio n date for certain provisions of law related to consumer 7
health information and the State’s Consumer Health Information Hub ; and 8
generally relating to consumer health information. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Health – General 11
Section 20–2203 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Health – General 16
Section 20–2204 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 20
Chapter 679 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2022 21
Section 2 22
2 HOUSE BILL 882
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Health – General 3
20–2203. 4
State and local agencies shall use plain language in public communications about 5
health, health insurance, safety, and social services benefits. 6
20–2204. 7
(a) The University of Maryland Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy 8
is designated as the State’s Consumer Health Information Hub. 9
(b) The purpose of the Hub is to promote and ensure public access to accurate, 10
consistent, evidence–based, plain–language information in preferred languages to inform 11
decisions about health, safety, and social services benefits. 12
(c) [The] TO THE EXTENT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, THE Hub shall: 13
(1) Protect and promote public health by engaging with State and local 14
government agencies, health systems, nonprofit and community–based organizations, and 15
other entities to carry out the Hub’s purpose and duties under this subtitle; 16
(2) Establish and promote health literacy criteria, certifications, and best 17
practices that advance the effectiveness of the State’s health care system; 18
(3) Identify health lite racy challenges and provide recommendations to 19
agencies and organizations on how to address the challenges, including by improving 20
programs and materials to provide the public with access to plain–language health, safety, 21
and social services benefits information; 22
(4) Monitor and report on the use of health literacy and plain –language 23
initiatives and support public reporting of vital public health information, including health 24
care quality reports from the Maryland Health Care Commission; and 25
(5) Support the identification and ongoing training of health literacy 26
officers in State and local agencies. 27
(d) [For fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor shall 28
include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $350,000 to the Hub. 29
(e)] On or before July 1 each year, beginning in 2024, the Hub shall submit a 30
report to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health [and Government 31
Operations] Committee, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State Government Article, on 32
HOUSE BILL 882 3
the implementation of this subtitle, including the status of statewide health literacy efforts 1
and materials provided. 2
Chapter 679 of the Acts of 2022 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 4
1, 2022. [It shall remain effective for a period of 4 years and, at the end of June 30, 2026, 5
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 6
of no further force and effect.] 7
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 8
1, 2026. 9
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.