Maryland Department of Health - Caregiver Resource Webpage - Establishment

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
amendment.
*hb1434*

HOUSE BILL 1434
J1, O3, O2 6lr3532

By: Delegate McCaskill
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Maryland Department of Health – Caregiver Resource Webpage – Establishment 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to develop and maintain 3
a caregiver resource webpage with information and resources to support certain 4
caregivers in the State; and generally relating to a caregiver resource webpage. 5

BY adding to 6
Article – Health – General 7
Section 20 –2501 through 20 –2503 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 25. 8
Caregiver Resource Webpage” 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13

Article – Health – General 14

SUBTITLE 25. CAREGIVER RESOURCE WEBPAGE. 15

20–2501. 16

IN THIS SUBTITLE: 17

2 HOUSE BILL 1434

(1) “CAREGIVER” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO PROVIDES CARE , 1
SUPERVISION, OR ASSISTANCE TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL DUE TO THE INDIVIDUAL’S 2
AGE, DISABILITY, CHRONIC ILLNESS , COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT , OR OTHER 3
FUNCTIONAL LIMITATION; 4

(2) “CAREGIVER” INCLUDES: 5

(I) A PARENT OR GUARDIAN O F A CHILD WITH A DIS ABILITY, 6
CHRONIC ILLNESS, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, OR OTHER FUNCTIONAL LIMITATION; 7

(II) AN INDIVIDUAL CARING FOR AN ADULT FAMILY MEMBER OR 8
LOVED ONE WITH A DIS ABILITY, CHRONIC ILLNESS, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, OR 9
OTHER FUNCTIONAL LIMITATION; AND 10

(III) A MINOR OR DEPENDENT P ROVIDING CARE TO A P ARENT, 11
GRANDPARENT, OR OTHER ADULT DUE TO THE AGE, DISABILITY, CHRONIC ILLNESS, 12
COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT , OR OTHER FUNCTIONAL LIMITATION OF THE PA RENT, 13
GRANDPARENT, OR OTHER ADULT; AND 14

(3) “CAREGIVER” DOES NOT INCLUDE A P ARENT OR GUARDIAN 15
PROVIDING CARE, SUPERVISION, OR ASSISTANCE TO A CHILD THAT DOES NOT HAVE 16
A DISABILITY, CHRONIC ILLNESS, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, OR OTHER FUNCTIONAL 17
LIMITATION. 18

20–2502. 19

(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A CENTRALIZ ED 20
CAREGIVER RESOURCE WEBPAGE FOR CAREGIVERS IN THE STATE. 21

(B) THE CAREGIVER RESOURCE WEBPAGE SHALL: 22

(1) BE POSTED IN A CONSPICUOUS LOCATION ON THE DEPARTMENT’S 23
WEBSITE; AND 24

(2) PROVIDE PLAIN–LANGUAGE, EASILY ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION 25
TO SUPPORT ALL TYPES OF CAREGIVERS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF CAREGIVING. 26

(C) THE CAREGIVER RESOURC E WEBPAGE SHALL INCL UDE INFORMATION 27
AND LINKS TO RESOURCES RELATED TO: 28

(1) CAREGIVING FOR: 29

HOUSE BILL 1434 3

(I) CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL HEALTH CARE 1
NEEDS, INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL–BASED SUPPORTS; 2

(II) ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES, CHRONIC ILLNESS , OR 3
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS; AND 4

(III) OLDER ADULTS, INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA 5
OR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT; 6

(2) CAREGIVER HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND RESPITE RESOURCES; 7

(3) STATE AND LOCAL PROGR AMS THAT MAY PROVIDE FINANCIAL 8
ASSISTANCE, TRAINING, OR SUPPORT TO CAREGIVERS; 9

(4) SAFETY PLANNING , INCLUDING WANDERING AND ELOPEMENT 10
RISKS; AND 11

(5) PRIVACY, DATA MINIMIZATION , AND DATA SECURITY 12
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN TECHNOLOGY IS USED T O SUPPORT CAREGIVING OR 13
SAFETY. 14

(D) IN DEVELOPING THE WEBPAGE UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 15
SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COORDINATE WITH: 16

(1) THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; 17

(2) THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING; 18

(3) THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ADMINISTRATION; AND 19

(4) ANY OTHER RELEVANT STATE OR LOCAL AGENCIES. 20

(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REVI EW AND UPDATE THE WE BPAGE AS 21
NECESSARY, BUT NOT LESS THAN ANNUALLY. 22

20–2503. 23

THIS SUBTITLE MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT, ANY 24
STATE OR LOCAL AGENCY, OR ANY OTHER PERSON DESCRIBED, LISTED, OR LINKED 25
TO ON THE CAREGIVERS RESOU RCE WEBPAGE TO PROVI DE OR FUND A SPECIFI C 26
SERVICE, DEVICE, RESOURCE, OR PROGRAM DESCRIBED, LISTED, OR LINKED TO ON 27
THE CAREGIVERS RESOURCE WEBPAGE. 28

4 HOUSE BILL 1434

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2026. 2

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.