Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Renaming

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.
*sb0665*

SENATE BILL 665
P1 6lr3179
CF HB 439
By: Senator Harris
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf 2
and Hard of Hearing – Renaming 3

FOR the purpose of renaming the Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to be the Office 4
of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing; renaming the Maryland Advisory 5
Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing to be the Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf, 6
Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing; and generally relating to renaming the Office of the 7
Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf and Hard of 8
Hearing. 9

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Education 11
Section 23–109(b) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Health – General 16
Section 7.5–302 and 13–603(a) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 20
Article – Health – General 21
Section 7.5–303(a)(1)(xiii) and 13–603(b)(2)(ix) 22
2 SENATE BILL 665

Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 3
Article – Human Services 4
Section 7–127(a) and 7–802 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Human Services 9
Section 7–128(13), 7–803(a)(8), and 10–1002(e) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – State Government 14
Section 9–2401(a) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – State Government 19
Section 9–2401(e) and (o), 9–2402(a), and 9–2404(a) to be under the amended subtitle 20
“Subtitle 24. Office of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing”; and 21
10–1103.1(c)(2) 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 24

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 25
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 26
Section 29–304(10) 27
Annotated Code of Maryland 28
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 29

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 30
Article – Transportation 31
Section 7–1109(b) 32
Annotated Code of Maryland 33
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 34

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 35
Article – Transportation 36
Section 7–1109(c)(10) 37
Annotated Code of Maryland 38
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 39

SENATE BILL 665 3

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2

Article – Education 3

23–109. 4

(b) The Deaf Culture Digital Library shall: 5

(1) Conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps in library services for deaf 6
patrons and to implement strategies to fill the gaps and better coordinate library services 7
for the deaf; 8

(2) In coordination with the Governor’s Office of the Deaf , DEAFBLIND, 9
and Hard of Hearing, develop and provide sensitivity training for State and county library 10
staff to help them better understand deaf patrons and their needs; 11

(3) Develop a website that will allow for information sharing and 12
coordination between the Deaf Culture Digital Library and county library systems; 13

(4) In coordination with the State Library Agency, develop deaf –related 14
programs and materials and share them with county library systems and other libraries in 15
the State; 16

(5) Develop partnerships and strategic alliances with other entities, 17
including: 18

(i) The Governor’s Office of the Deaf , DEAFBLIND, and Hard of 19
Hearing; 20

(ii) County library systems; 21

(iii) The State Library Agency; 22

(iv) Veterans’ groups; 23

(v) State and local arts councils; 24

(vi) Senior citizens organizations; and 25

(vii) Deaf and hard of hearing organizations, including: 26

1. The National Association of the Deaf; 27

2. The Hearing Loss Association of America; and 28

3. The Maryland Association of the Deaf; 29
4 SENATE BILL 665

(6) Encourage partnerships and collaborations with information service 1
providers to help provide virtual access to information and research; 2

(7) Form a Deaf Culture Digital Library Advisory Board to provide advice 3
on initiatives that further advance the mis sion and goals of the Deaf Culture Digital 4
Library and the majority of whose members are deaf or hard of hearing and selected from 5
the following entities: 6

(i) County library systems; 7

(ii) The State Library Agency; 8

(iii) The Governor’s Office of the Deaf , DEAFBLIND, and Hard of 9
Hearing; 10

(iv) Statewide deaf and hard of hearing organizations; and 11

(v) Other organizations as agreed on by the Governor’s Office of the 12
Deaf, DEAFBLIND, and Hard of Hearing and the State Library Agency; and 13

(8) Establish a Deaf Culture Digital Library “Friends of the Library” group 14
composed of individuals who are strongly committed, well–positioned, and able to promote 15
community involvement, advocacy, and funding for the Deaf Culture Digital Library. 16

Article – Health – General 17

7.5–302. 18

There is a Behavioral Health Advisory Council in the Office of the Governor. 19

7.5–303. 20

(a) (1) The Council consists of the following members: 21

(xiii) The [Executive] Director of the Governor’s Office of the Deaf , 22
DEAFBLIND, and Hard of Hearing, or the [Executive] Director’s designee; 23

13–603. 24

(a) There is an Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Council for 25
the Program. 26

(b) (2) Of the 12 members: 27

(ix) 1 shall be from the Governor’s Office of the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, 28
and Hard of Hearing. 29
SENATE BILL 665 5

Article – Human Services 1

7–127. 2

(a) There is an Interagency Disabilities Board convened by the Governor. 3

7–128. 4

The Board consists of the following members: 5

(13) the Director of the Governor’s Office of the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, and 6
Hard of Hearing, or the Director’s designee; 7

7–802. 8

There is a Governor’s Advisory Board for Telecommunications Relay in the 9
Department. 10

7–803. 11

(a) The Board shall be composed of 14 individuals appointed by the Governor, 12
who shall designate the chair, including: 13

(8) one representative from the Governor’s Office of the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, 14
and Hard of Hearing. 15

10–1002. 16

(e) The Department shall administer, supervise, and coordinate the Program 17
with the cooperation of the Department of Disabilities, the Department of Human Services, 18
the Governor’s Office of the Deaf , DEAFBLIND, and Hard of Hearing, and the Maryland 19
Department of Health. 20

Article – State Government 21

Subtitle 24. Office of the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, and Hard of Hearing. 22

9–2401. 23

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

(e) “Council” means the Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf , DEAFBLIND, and 25
Hard of Hearing Individuals. 26

(o) “Office” means the Office of the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, and Hard of Hearing. 27
6 SENATE BILL 665

9–2402. 1

(a) In the Office of the Governor, there is an Office of the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, and 2
Hard of Hearing. 3

9–2404. 4

(a) There is a Maryland Advisory Council on the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, and Hard of 5
Hearing. 6

10–1103.1. 7

(c) The Advisory Group shall include: 8

(2) the Director of the Office of the Deaf , DEAFBLIND, and Hard of 9
Hearing, or the Director’s designee; 10

Article – State Personnel and Pensions 11

29–304. 12

An individual shall have immediate vesting rights on taking office in the State 13
system in which the individual is a member if the individual is the: 14

(10) Director of the Office of the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, and Hard of Hearing; 15

Article – Transportation 16

7–1109. 17

(b) There is a State Coordinating Committee for Health and Human Services 18
Transportation. 19

(c) The Committee consists of the following members: 20

(10) The Director of the [Governor’s] Office [for] OF the Deaf, DEAFBLIND, 21
and Hard of Hearing, or the Director’s designee; 22

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, as provided in this Act: 23

(a) The Office of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing is the successor of the 24
Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 25

(b) In every law, executive order, rule, regulation, policy, or document created by 26
an official, an employee, or a unit of this State, the names and titles of those agencies and 27
officials mean the names and titles of the successor agency or official. 28
SENATE BILL 665 7

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That nothing in this Act affects the 1
term of office of an appointed or e lected member of any commission, office, department, 2
agency, or other unit. An individual who is a member of a unit on the effective date of this 3
Act shall remain for the balance of the term to which appointed or elected, unless the 4
member sooner dies, resigns, or is removed under provisions of law. 5

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That any transaction or 6
employment status affected by or flowing from any change of nomenclature or any statute 7
amended by this Act and validly entered into or existing before the effective date of this Act 8
and every right, duty, or interest flowing from a statute amended by this Act remains valid 9
after the effective date of this Act and may be terminated, completed, consummated, or 10
enforced as required or allowed by any st atute amended by this Act as though the 11
amendment had not occurred. If a change in nomenclature involves a change in name or 12
designation of any State unit, the successor unit shall be considered in all respects as 13
having the powers and obligations granted the former unit. 14

SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 15

(a) The continuity of every commission, office, department, agency, or other unit 16
is retained. 17

(b) The personnel, records, files, furniture, fixtures, and other properties and all 18
appropriations, credits, assets, liabilities, and obligations of each retained unit are 19
continued as the personnel, records, files, furniture, fixtures, properties, appropriations, 20
credits, assets, liabilities, and obligations of the unit under the laws enacted by this Act. 21

SECTION 6. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That letterhead, business cards, 22
and other documents reflecting the renaming of the Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 23
to be the Office of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing may not be used until all 24
letterhead, business cards, and other documents already in print and reflecting the name 25
of the Office before the effective date of this Act have been used. 26

SECTION 7. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the publisher of the 27
Annotated Code of Maryland, in consultation with and subject to the approval of the 28
Department of Legislative Services, shall correct, with no further action required by the 29
General Assembly, cross –references and terminology rendered incorrect by this Act. The 30
publisher shall adequately describe any correction that is made in an editor’s note following 31
the section affected. 32

SECTION 8. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 33
October 1, 2026. 34