Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Community Violence Prevention Services - Reimbursement and Provision of Services

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0561*

SENATE BILL 561
J1 6lr2002

By: Senator Sydnor
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Finance

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Community Violence Prevention 2
Services – Reimbursement and Provision of Services 3

FOR the purpose of establishing requirements and prohibitions governing the provision of 4
community violence prevention ser vices through telehealth under the Maryland 5
Medical Assistance Program; requiring the Program to reimburse community 6
violence prevention services that are provided in –person regardless of the location 7
at which the services were provided; altering the minimum number of training and 8
certification programs for certified violence prevention professionals that the 9
Maryland Department of Health is required to approve; prohibiting certain entities 10
that employ or contract with a certified violence prevention professional from being 11
required to maintain an affiliation with a hospital or trauma center ; and generally 12
relating to community violence prevention services provided under the Maryland 13
Medical Assistance Program. 14

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Health – General 16
Section 15–141.3 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21

Article – Health – General 22

15–141.3. 23

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 24

2 SENATE BILL 561

(2) “Certified violence prevention professional” means a prevention 1
professional who meets the requirements of subsection (c) of this section. 2

(3) “Community violence” means intentional acts of interpersonal violence 3
committed in public areas by individuals who are not family members or intimate partners 4
of the victim. 5

(4) (i) “Community violence prevention services” means 6
evidence–based, trauma –informed, supportive, and nonpsychotherapeutic services 7
provided by a certified violence prevention professional, within or outside a clinical setting, 8
for the purpose of promoting improved health outcomes and positive behavioral change, 9
preventing injury recidivis m, and reducing the likelihood that an individual who is the 10
victim of community violence will commit or promote violence. 11

(ii) “Community violence prevention services” includes peer support 12
and counseling, mentorship, conflict mediation, crisis interv ention, targeted case 13
management referrals to certified or licensed health care professionals or social services 14
providers, patient education, and screening services to victims of violence. 15

(5) “DISTANT SITE PROVIDER ” MEANS THE CERTIFIED VIOLENCE 16
PREVENTION SPECIALIS T WHO PROVIDES COMMUNITY VIOLENCE P REVENTION 17
SERVICES TO A PROGRAM RECIPIENT AT AN ORIGINATING SITE FROM A DIFFERENT 18
PHYSICAL LOCATION THAN THE LOCATION OF THE PROGRAM RECIPIENT. 19

[(5)] (6) “Interpersonal violence” means the intentional use of physical 20
force or power against another individual by an individual or a small group of individuals. 21

(7) “ORIGINATING SITE ” MEANS THE LOCATION O F THE PROGRAM 22
RECIPIENT DURING THE PROVISION OF COMMUNITY VIOLENCE P REVENTION 23
SERVICES THROUGH TELEHEALTH. 24

[(6)] (8) “Prevention professional” has the meaning provided by the 25
National Uniform Claim Committee, or its successor, under Code Number 405300000X. 26

(9) (I) “TELEHEALTH” MEANS THE DELIVERY O F COMMUNITY 27
VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES TO A PROGRAM RECIPIENT AT AN ORIGINATING 28
SITE BY A CERTIFIED VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROFESSIONAL THROUGH THE USE OF 29
TECHNOLOGY–ASSISTED COMMUNICATION. 30

(II) “TELEHEALTH” INCLUDES: 31

1. SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS INTERACTIONS; 32
AND 33

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2. AN AUDIO –ONLY TELEPHONE CONVE RSATION 1
BETWEEN A CERTIFIED VIOLENCE P REVENTION PROFESSIONAL AND A PROGRAM 2
RECIPIENT THAT RESULTS IN THE DELIVERY OF BILLABLE, COVERED COMMUNITY 3
VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES. 4

(III) “TELEHEALTH” DOES NOT INCLUDE THE PROVISION OF 5
COMMUNITY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES SOLELY THROUGH: 6

1. AN E–MAIL MESSAGE; OR 7

2. A FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION. 8

(b) The Program [shall]: 9

(1) SHALL provide community violence prevention services to Program 10
recipients who have: 11

[(1)] (i) 1. Been exposed to community violence; or 12

[(ii)] 2. A personal history of injury sustained as a result of an act 13
of community violence; and 14

[(2)] (II) Been referred by a certified or licensed health care provider or 15
social services provider to a certified violence prevention professional to receive community 16
violence prevention services after the provider makes a determination that the Program 17
recipient is at an elevated risk of violent injury or retaliation resulting from another act of 18
community violence; 19

(2) SHALL REIMBURSE FOR C OMMUNITY VIOLENCE PR EVENTION 20
SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION THAT ARE PROVIDED IN 21
PERSON, REGARDLESS OF THE LO CATION AT WHICH THE SERVICE S WERE 22
PROVIDED; 23

(3) SHALL: 24

(I) PROVIDE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES 25
APPROPRIATELY DELIVE RED THROUGH TELEHEAL TH TO PROGRAM RECIPIENTS 26
REGARDLESS OF THE LO CATION OF THE PROGRAM RECIPIENT AT THE TIME 27
TELEHEALTH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED; AND 28

(II) ALLOW A DISTANT SITE PROVIDER TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY 29
VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES TO A PROGRAM RECIPIENT FROM ANY LOCATION 30
AT WHICH THE COMMUNI TY VIOLENCE PREVENTI ON SERVICES MAY BE 31
APPROPRIATELY DELIVERED THROUGH TELEHEALTH; AND 32
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(4) MAY NOT EXCLUDE FROM COVERAG E A COMMUNITY VIOLEN CE 1
PREVENTION SERVICE: 2

(I) SOLELY BECAUSE IT IS PROVID ED THROUGH TELEHEALTH 3
AND IS NOT PROVIDED THROUGH AN IN –PERSON CONSULTATION OR CONTACT 4
BETWEEN A CERTIFIED VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROFESSIONAL AND A PROGRAM 5
RECIPIENT; OR 6

(II) PROVIDED TO A PROGRAM RECIPIENT IN PERSON SOLELY 7
BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE P REVENTION SERVICE MAY ALSO BE 8
PROVIDED THROUGH TELEHEALTH. 9

(c) A prevention professional seeking certification as a certified violence 10
prevention professional shall: 11

(1) Complete [an accredited ] A training and certification program for 12
certified violence prevention professionals, approved in accordance with subsection (d) of 13
this section; and 14

(2) Maintain the certification completed under item (1) of this subsection. 15

(d) [On or before January 1, 2023, the] THE Department shall approve at least 16
[one accredited ] THREE training and certification [program] PROGRAMS for certified 17
violence prevention professionals, which shall include: 18

(1) At least 35 hours of initial training, addressing the following: 19

(i) The profound effects of trauma and violence and the basics of 20
trauma–informed care; 21

(ii) Community violence prevention strategies, including conflict 22
mediation and retaliation prevention related to community violence; 23

(iii) Case management and advocacy practices; and 24

(iv) Patient privacy and the federal Health Insurance Portability and 25
Accountability Act of 1996; and 26

(2) At least 6 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 27

(e) An entity that employs or contracts with a certified violence prevention 28
professional to provide community violence prevention services [shall]: 29

SENATE BILL 561 5

(1) [Maintain] SHALL MAINTAIN documentation that the certified 1
violence prevention professional has met the requirements of subsection (c) of this section; 2
[and] 3

(2) [Ensure] SHALL ENSURE that the certified violence prevention 4
professional is providing community violence prevention services in compliance with any 5
applicable standard of care, rule, regulation, and State or federal law; AND 6

(3) MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO M AINTAIN AN AFFILIATI ON WITH A 7
HOSPITAL OR TRAUMA CENTER. 8

(f) This section may not be construed to alter the scope of practice for any health 9
care professional. 10

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 11
October 1, 2026. 12