Public Health - Expedited Partner Therapy - Bacterial Vaginosis

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.
*sb0394*

SENATE BILL 394
J1, J2 6lr1894
CF HB 422
By: Senator Gile
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 16, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Health – Expedited Partner Therapy – Bacterial Vaginosis and Licensed 2
Certified Midwives 3

FOR the purpose of adding bacterial vaginosis to the list of diagnoses for which certain 4
health care providers practitioners may prescribe, dispense, or otherwise provide 5
antibiotic therapy to a sexual partner of a diagnosed patient without making a 6
certain assessment of the sexual partner; adding licensed certified midwives to the 7
list of health care practitioners who may pres cribe, dispense, or otherwise provide 8
antibiotic therapy to a sexual partner of a diagnosed patient without making a 9
certain assessment of the sexual partner; and generally relating to expedited partner 10
therapy. 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Health – General 13
Section 18–214.1 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18

Article – Health – General 19

18–214.1. 20

2 SENATE BILL 394

(a) The purpose of expedited partner therapy is to provide antibiotic therapy to 1
any partner of a patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection AN INFECTION 2
TRANSMITTED THROUGH SEXUAL ACTIVITY identified in subsection (b) of this section in 3
order to: 4

(1) Contain and stop the further spread of the infection; and 5

(2) Reduce the likelihood of reinfection in the diagnosed patient. 6

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the followin g health care 7
providers may prescribe, dispense, or otherwise provide antibiotic therapy to [any] A sexual 8
partner of a patient diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea, [or] trichomoniasis, OR 9
BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS without making a personal physical assessment of the patient’s 10
partner: 11

(1) A physician licensed under Title 14 of the Health Occupations Article; 12

(2) An advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority 13
licensed under Title 8 of the Health Occupations Article acting in accordance with § 8–508 14
of the Health Occupations Article; 15

(3) An authorized physician assistant licensed under Title 15 of the Health 16
Occupations Article acting in accordance with § 15–302.2 of the Health Occupations Article; 17
and 18

(4) A registered nurse employed by a local health department who complies 19
with: 20

(i) The formulary developed and approved under § 3 –403(b) of this 21
article; and 22

(ii) The requirements established under § 8 –512 of the Health 23
Occupations Article; AND 24

(5) A CERTIFIED MIDWIFE LICENSED UNDER TITLE 8, SUBTITLE 6D 25
OF THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE. 26

(c) This section may not be construed to otherwise expand the prescribing or 27
dispensing authority of an advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority 28
or a physician assistant. 29

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pharmacist licensed under Title 30
12 of the Health Occupations Article may dispense antibiotic therapy prescribed in 31
accordance with subsection (b) of this section. 32

SENATE BILL 394 3

(e) The Secretary shall adopt regulations to implement the requirements of this 1
section in public and private health care settings in the State. 2

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 3
October 1, 2026. 4

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