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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*sb0240*
SENATE BILL 240
J3 6lr0825
CF 6lr0824
By: Senator Lewis Young
Introduced and read first time: January 15, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
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 regardi ng 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
(B) “ADVISORY COUNCIL” MEANS THE OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE QUALITY 22
STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY COUNCIL. 23
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(C) “OFFICE” MEANS THE OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE QUALITY IN THE 1
DEPARTMENT. 2
19–2702. 3
(A) THERE IS AN OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE QUALITY STAKEHOLDER 4
ADVISORY COUNCIL. 5
(B) THE ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL: 6
(1) PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO T HE OFFICE FROM STAKEHOLD ERS 7
REGARDING MAINTAINING OVERSIGHT OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES; AND 8
(2) NOTIFY THE SECRETARY IF THE OFFICE IS REPORTED 9
NEGLIGENT BY THE ADVISORY COUNCIL IN PROVIDING OVERSIGHT OF HEALTH 10
CARE FACILITIES. 11
(C) THE ADVISORY COUNCIL CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS: 12
(1) ONE MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, APPOINTED BY THE 13
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; 14
(2) ONE MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, APPOINTED BY THE 15
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE; 16
(3) THE SECRETARY, OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; 17
(4) THE SECRETARY OF AGING, OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; 18
(5) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MARYLAND ATTORNEY 19
GENERAL’S HEALTH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY UNIT, DESIGNATED BY THE 20
ATTORNEY GENERAL; 21
(6) THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY: 22
(I) TWO FRONTLINE HOSPITAL WORKERS; 23
(II) TWO NURSING HOME WORKERS; 24
(III) TWO NURSING HOME RESI DENTS OR INDIVIDUALS WITH A 25
FAMILY MEMBER RESIDING IN A NURSING HOME; 26
SENATE BILL 240 3
(IV) ONE REPRESENTATIVE FR OM THE LONG –TERM CARE 1
INDUSTRY; 2
(V) ONE MEMBER OF AN ADVO CACY GROUP FOR THE 3
INTELLECTUALLY AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED; AND 4
(VI) ONE MEMBER OF AN ADVO CACY GROUP FOR BEHAV IORAL 5
HEALTH; 6
(7) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND HOSPITAL 7
ASSOCIATION, DESIGNATED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION; AND 8
(8) THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS DESIGNATED BY THE ORGANIZATION 9
THE INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTS: 10
(I) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF MEDCHI, THE MARYLAND 11
STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY; 12
(II) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF 1199 SEIU UNITED 13
HEALTHCARE WORKERS EAST; 14
(III) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND CHAPTER OF 15
AARP; 16
(IV) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND STATE 17
CONFERENCE NAACP; 18
(V) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF MARYLAND CASA; 19
(VI) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF DISABILITY RIGHTS MARYLAND; 20
AND 21
(VII) ONE MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND CONTINUING CARE 22
RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION. 23
(D) (1) (I) THE TERM OF A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL IS 2 24
YEARS. 25
(II) AT THE END OF A TERM , A MEMBER SHALL CONTI NUE TO 26
SERVE UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED. 27
(2) (I) THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE SHALL SELECT THE CHAIR 28
OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL. 29
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(II) THE TERM OF THE CHAIR IS 2 YEARS. 1
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROV IDE STAFF FOR THE ADVISORY 2
COUNCIL. 3
(F) A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL MAY NOT RECEI VE 4
COMPENSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL. 5
(G) (1) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2027, THE ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL 6
HOLD A VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING ONCE EVERY 6 MONTHS. 7
(2) (I) EACH PUBLIC MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL: 8
1. BE STREAMED LIVE THRO UGH THE DEPARTMENT’S 9
WEBSITE; AND 10
2. INCLUDE A DESIGNATED OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBL IC 11
COMMENT. 12
(II) WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER A PUBLIC MEETING OF THE 13
ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE SUMMARY COMPILED UNDER SUBSECTION (H)(2) OF THIS 14
SECTION AND MEETING MI NUTES SHALL BE POSTE D ON THE DEPARTMENT’S 15
WEBSITE. 16
(H) (1) AT EACH PUBLIC MEETIN G OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE 17
OFFICE SHALL REPORT D ATA FROM THE IMMEDIA TELY PRECEDING 6–MONTH 18
PERIOD REGARDING: 19
(I) THE NUMBER OF: 20
1. HOSPITALS ACTIVELY MONITORED; 21
2. NURSING HOMES INSPECTED; 22
3. COMPLAINTS RECEIVED F ROM HOSPITAL PATIENT S 23
AND LONG–TERM CARE RESIDENTS; AND 24
4. CODE VIOLATIONS IDENTIFIED IN EACH FACILITY; 25
(II) THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME FOR THE OFFICE TO 26
RESPOND TO EACH COMPLAINT; AND 27
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(III) THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RESOLVED BY THE OFFICE. 1
(2) THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE SHALL: 2
(I) 1. REVIEW THE DATA REPOR TS PROVIDED BY THE 3
OFFICE UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 4
2. COMPILE FEEDBACK FROM EACH M EMBER OF THE 5
ADVISORY COUNCIL INTO A SUMMARY REPORT WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE REPORT 6
FROM THE OFFICE; AND 7
(II) DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIO NS TO CONTINUE 8
IMPROVEMENT IN NURSING HOME AND HOSPITAL CARE QUALITY. 9
(I) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR , BEGINNING IN 2027, THE 10
ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE 11
GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 12
ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the terms of the initial 14
non–ex officio members of the Office of Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory Council 15
shall expire as follows: 16
(1) ten members in 2027; and 17
(2) ten members in 2028. 18
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 19
October 1, 2026. 20