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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0965*
HOUSE BILL 965
J3 6lr0824
CF SB 240
By: Delegates Woorman, Alston, Boyce, Guzzone, Kaufman, Tomlinson, Wolek,
and Wu
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Health
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Office of Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory Council – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Office of Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory 3
Council to provide feedback to the Office of Health Care Quality regarding 4
maintaining oversight of health care facilities and to notify the Secretary of Health 5
if the Office is negligent in providing oversight ; and generally relating to the Office 6
of Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory Council. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Health – General 9
Section 19–2701 and 19–2702 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 27. Office of 10
Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory Council” 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
SUBTITLE 27. OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE QUALITY STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY 17
COUNCIL. 18
19–2701. 19
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 20
INDICATED. 21
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(B) “ADVISORY COUNCIL” MEANS THE OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE QUALITY 1
STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY COUNCIL. 2
(C) “OFFICE” MEANS THE OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE QUALITY IN THE 3
DEPARTMENT. 4
19–2702. 5
(A) THERE IS AN OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE QUALITY STAKEHOLDER 6
ADVISORY COUNCIL. 7
(B) THE ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL: 8
(1) PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO T HE OFFICE FROM STAKEHOLD ERS 9
REGARDING MAINTAINING OVERSIGHT OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES; AND 10
(2) NOTIFY THE SECRETARY IF THE OFFICE IS REPORTED 11
NEGLIGENT BY THE ADVISORY COUNCIL IN PROVIDING OVERSIG HT OF HEALTH 12
CARE FACILITIES. 13
(C) THE ADVISORY COUNCIL CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS: 14
(1) ONE MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, APPOINTED BY THE 15
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; 16
(2) ONE MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, APPOINTED BY THE 17
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE; 18
(3) THE SECRETARY, OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; 19
(4) THE SECRETARY OF AGING, OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; 20
(5) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MARYLAND ATTORNEY 21
GENERAL’S HEALTH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY UNIT, DESIGNATED BY THE 22
ATTORNEY GENERAL; 23
(6) THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY: 24
(I) TWO FRONTLINE HOSPITAL WORKERS; 25
(II) TWO NURSING HOME WORKERS; 26
HOUSE BILL 965 3
(III) TWO NURSING HOME RESI DENTS OR INDIVIDUALS WITH A 1
FAMILY MEMBER RESIDING IN A NURSING HOME; 2
(IV) ONE REPRESENTATIVE FR OM THE LONG –TERM CARE 3
INDUSTRY; 4
(V) ONE MEMBER OF AN ADVO CACY GROUP FOR THE 5
INTELLECTUALLY AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED; AND 6
(VI) ONE MEMBER OF AN ADVO CACY GROUP FOR BEHAV IORAL 7
HEALTH; 8
(7) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND HOSPITAL 9
ASSOCIATION, DESIGNATED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION; AND 10
(8) THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS DESIGNATED BY THE ORGANIZATION 11
THE INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTS: 12
(I) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF MEDCHI, THE MARYLAND 13
STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY; 14
(II) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF 1199 SEIU UNITED 15
HEALTHCARE WORKERS EAST; 16
(III) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND CHAPTER OF 17
AARP; 18
(IV) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND STATE 19
CONFERENCE NAACP; 20
(V) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF MARYLAND CASA; 21
(VI) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF DISABILITY RIGHTS MARYLAND; 22
AND 23
(VII) ONE MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND CONTINUING CARE 24
RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION. 25
(D) (1) (I) THE TERM OF A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL IS 2 26
YEARS. 27
(II) AT THE END OF A TERM , A MEMBER SHALL CONTI NUE TO 28
SERVE UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED. 29
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(2) (I) THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE SHALL SELECT THE CHAIR 1
OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL. 2
(II) THE TERM OF THE CHAIR IS 2 YEARS. 3
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE STAFF FOR THE ADVISORY 4
COUNCIL. 5
(F) A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL MAY NOT RECEIVE 6
COMPENSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL. 7
(G) (1) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2027, THE ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL 8
HOLD A VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING ONCE EVERY 6 MONTHS. 9
(2) (I) EACH PUBLIC MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL: 10
1. BE STREAMED LIVE THROUG H THE DEPARTMENT’S 11
WEBSITE; AND 12
2. INCLUDE A DESIGNATED OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC 13
COMMENT. 14
(II) WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER A PUBLIC MEETING OF THE 15
ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE SUMMARY COMPILED UNDER SUBSECTION (H)(2) OF THIS 16
SECTION AND MEETING MINUTES SHALL BE POSTED ON T HE DEPARTMENT’S 17
WEBSITE. 18
(H) (1) AT EACH PUBLIC MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE 19
OFFICE SHALL REPORT DATA FROM THE IMMEDI ATELY PRECEDING 6–MONTH 20
PERIOD REGARDING: 21
(I) THE NUMBER OF: 22
1. HOSPITALS ACTIVELY MONITORED; 23
2. NURSING HOMES INSPECTED; 24
3. COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FROM HOSPITAL PATIENTS 25
AND LONG–TERM CARE RESIDENTS; AND 26
4. CODE VIOLATIONS IDENTIFIED IN EACH FACILITY; 27
HOUSE BILL 965 5
(II) THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME FOR THE OFFICE TO 1
RESPOND TO EACH COMPLAINT; AND 2
(III) THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RESOLVED BY THE OFFICE. 3
(2) THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE SHALL: 4
(I) 1. REVIEW THE DATA REPORTS PROVIDED BY THE 5
OFFICE UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 6
2. COMPILE FEEDBACK FROM EACH MEMBER OF THE 7
ADVISORY COUNCIL INTO A SUMMARY REPORT WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE REPORT 8
FROM THE OFFICE; AND 9
(II) DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIO NS TO CONTINUE 10
IMPROVEMENT IN NURSING HOME AND HOSPITAL CARE QUALITY. 11
(I) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR , BEGINNING IN 2027, THE 12
ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE 13
GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 14
ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the terms of the initial 16
non–ex officio members of the Office of Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory Council 17
shall expire as follows: 18
(1) ten members in 2027; and 19
(2) ten members in 2028. 20
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 21
October 1, 2026. 22