[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6373823,"mediaKeyId","2145518-68f67ce99834b70c3ff75502c8ed4a69","parentId",2145518,"title","Bill would let Maryland health secretary assign designee to handle appeals for opioid outreach program approvals","audioSeconds",163,"startMs",5840,"endMs",169020,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145518-68f67ce99834b70c3ff75502c8ed4a69&start=5&end=169","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145518-68f67ce99834b70c3ff75502c8ed4a69/thumbnail_5840.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6373823/Maryland/Bill-would-let-Maryland-health-secretary-assign-designee-to-handle-appeals-for-opioid-outreach-program-approvals","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373823-4831cfecfbca3ed992cbbd955ae54c87/orig.mp4?Expires=1773611628&Signature=BNFGF9~QHihTDUSIL1SmzS0o2Cv-IE3GgHfMrZDUFYDyppjX~qRSWDAS4z-cbY7eTR-Ln7SAbWto4Q9GemlSF1d77GXa39iWaPV51UwgwzRNUpSnNHCeZu54JxnLHEIvaeIjt-mE5mNJdB5kDT86TGFe7bdYy-tO6IR1VcqAp3AWdRr2c-oYQ~NX7QmF8T0gwIOaAacFL5rzoy~SzUt-X0KkYAuzL3BtMRaLwap-PPIOVhHB~HwYlJo25bkQ0uulxV9um0UgaHyqjszg71KuBGyCsYPPLSvxbsTExJxQfGvvZgPH7fX-vX1wMM6T5eOe~un~vEOlwa8E7ScwfrzDVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Health and Government Operations","date","2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 94 would let the Maryland secretary of health, or the secretary’s designee, handle appeals and chair the standing advisory committee for opioid-associated disease prevention and outreach programs, the Health and Government Operations Committee heard.

The bill, a departmental technical change, moves duties currently assigned to the deputy secretary of the Public Health Administration to the secretary of health so the secretary may reassign them in the future without new legislation, Alyssa Lord, deputy secretary for behavioral health at the Maryland Department of Health, told the committee.

\"This legislation will transfer responsibilities currently held by the deputy secretary of the Public Health Administration, to the secretary of health or the secretary's designee,\" Lord said. \"This transfer of duties will allow the secretary to assign these responsibilities as necessary in the future without requiring new legislation.\"

Nut Graf: The change does not create new program requirements, according to the department, but centralizing authority is intended to give the department flexibility in assigning oversight and appeal responsibilities for roughly 100 existing opioid-associated disease prevention and outreach programs across the state.

Supporters said the change is administrative and intended to align the program with other functions under the secretary. \"With this proposed revision there is no anticipated operational impact,\" Lord said, adding that the technical change lets the department \"align across other designated functions of the secretary.\" Committee members asked for confirmation that the change allows the secretary to appoint designees with appropriate expertise; Lord replied, \"Yes, ma'am. You heard correctly.\"

Committee members made no substantive changes during the hearing and no formal vote was taken on the bill in this session. The department framed the measure as a way to preserve operational flexibility while maintaining the existing program structure and oversight.

Clarifying details from testimony: the department said the state currently operates close to 100 opioid-associated disease prevention and outreach programs; the bill specifically allows a local health department or community-based organization to appeal to the secretary or the secretary’s designee the outcome of an application to operate an opioid-associated disease prevention and outreach program; the bill also updates that the \"secretary or the secretary's designee shall chair the standing advisory committee.\"

The committee did not take action at the hearing; supporters said the bill requires no additional funding or operational change beyond the reassignment of authority.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HGO Committee Session, 1/22/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 94 would let the Maryland secretary of health, or the secretary’s designee, handle appeals and chair the standing advisory committee for opioid-associated disease prevention and outreach programs, the Health and Government Operations Committee heard.","taxTitle","Health and Government Operations Committee, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15061,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6373813,"Bill would add motor vehicle administrator to Maryland cannabis public health advisory council to address impaired driving",218,1278780,1496960,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145518-68f67ce99834b70c3ff75502c8ed4a69&start=1278&end=1496","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145518-68f67ce99834b70c3ff75502c8ed4a69/thumbnail_1278780.jpg","/articles/6373813/Maryland/Bill-would-add-motor-vehicle-administrator-to-Maryland-cannabis-public-health-advisory-council-to-address-impaired-driving","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373813-1d4e757e1b3cdd238308fc4b779635d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1773611628&Signature=SaDJIiqZppE5NlHljt1c2oblAWc9CECcSdN5Dh50kmBPMODYmzA9KuOnWSd08VFy5Z01IO4FSLjm8JLDbb2pQdVrmHsEZa-IUTwKHlfrT8yQMXLY~kWHTt-3okueNb4aOkiaOTWDzZxEN6hvrTlJ3AyfRmFEm8qn4UqVTWsq4VJnYAhBBM4GdEniuVQVfwcGeoQtOt-ar7hkw2CQI4o9dIkly1nw6RSrE~DJIp4jQLi0mpd5vkQv6pTARoLJxVo0Mz7lLXemMsAQuBD5rdN9iX~3L8rKPzYCvdR6ErVtvZPZ2BSGAQ~TBfBXPu3KRZ~QjHBIGNDkwIAjhuE~Moicog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 46 would add the Motor Vehicle Administration administrator, or an agency designee, to the cannabis public health advisory council, the Health and Government Operations Committee heard.

Dr. Timothy Kearns, director of the Maryland Highway Safety Office and the state's Vision Zero coordinator, testified in favor, saying the addition would bring traffic-safety expertise to the council’s work on public-health implications of recreational cannabis use, including impaired driving.

\"This bill is about creating a more inclusive and diverse council that will help us to strengthen its core mission to address the many public health issues and the complex challenges of recreational cannabis use, including impaired driving,\" Kearns said. He added that a traffic-safety expert can inform regulatory recommendations targeting enforcement, education and prevention.

Nut Graf: The cannabis public health advisory council was created to guide the state's public-health approach to recreational cannabis and youth consumption. Supporters told the committee that adding a Motor Vehicle Administration representative will help the council interpret traffic-safety data and craft strategies to reduce cannabis-impaired driving.

During questions, Kearns described ongoing work with the Maryland Cannabis Administration on consistent messaging and said the Highway Safety Office uses a data-driven approach to build strategies and performance measures. He told lawmakers that one commonly recommended precaution is to wait about six hours after consuming cannabis before driving, noting metabolism and method of ingestion can affect impairment duration. He also said the office is aware of emerging technologies that could detect substance use, including research into transdermal detection, but that such tools are not yet broadly available.

Committee members congratulated the council’s creation and encouraged continued education and coordination among agencies. No formal vote was taken at the hearing.

Clarifying details from testimony: the Highway Safety Office recommended a waiting period of about six hours after cannabis consumption before operating a vehicle; the office is collaborating with the Maryland Cannabis Administration on public messaging about impairment; emerging technologies such as transdermal detection for substances were discussed as potential future tools but not yet standard enforcement tools.","House Bill 46 would add the motor vehicle administration administrator or a designee to the cannabis public health advisory council; the Highway Safety Office supported the change as a way to bring traffic-safety expertise to council recommendations on impaired driving and education.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6373818,"Maryland chief medical examiner seeks narrower autopsy disclosure; press group urges clear statutory definitions",595,343520,939430,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145518-68f67ce99834b70c3ff75502c8ed4a69&start=343&end=939","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145518-68f67ce99834b70c3ff75502c8ed4a69/thumbnail_343520.jpg","/articles/6373818/Maryland/Maryland-chief-medical-examiner-seeks-narrower-autopsy-disclosure-press-group-urges-clear-statutory-definitions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373818-c81454f19f6ad8dc644b226ce16768a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773611628&Signature=bqN7fdAlnlZdJUGga4fy5~bnLxwsG5DLOtvHRJqrg29-H0~K1fBI036m-qrPesWJVT4CBJfpVqROETI~nVACmpjk3U4TjTqvMP6eCK940gLUTvHB-4fAUaonCjPEQy4IdfgmCa0UdONbC22Uozrgak8xz0Mqlc871ZFrOAImFkkxUzD7ozH8P417qkjytaRxS0g59zpog1QJLS7MQ9MUjaPTC7GMGZyQTjs33UeDfqtWTznaJp6SYtya4DWd8CytlrEoUSrWf~t1x40CWgZN51ydh55xDaiQ4klUZ0mnYe~ts7wrV4M2jXcwSpwtSvBsrBVeORpGRCh2H82RpwpCrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Health and Government Operations Committee took testimony on House Bill 290, which would clarify what the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) must disclose publicly and which parts of autopsy records and investigative data should remain protected.

Dr. Stephanie Dean, Maryland’s chief medical examiner, told the committee the OCME needs clearer statutory definitions to balance transparency with privacy. \"Autopsy reports often include sensitive details, such as organ examinations, injury descriptions, blood tests, and pregnancy status,\" she said, and those details \"may not be relevant to the cause and manner of death and should not be broadly disclosed.\"

Nut Graf: The bill responds to a recent court ruling and seeks to narrow OCME work-product definitions so the agency can release a final autopsy diagnosis — including cause and manner of death plus basic demographics — while protecting other sensitive material and database fields. The proposal prompted concerns from media representatives that statutory language must clearly list the data elements to avoid inadvertent narrowing of public data.

Dr. Dean told lawmakers the OCME currently must disclose autopsy reports under Maryland public-records law but that the definitions of OCME work products are \"overly broad,\" creating challenges for privacy protection. She urged lawmakers to \"modernize safeguards\" so that public health information such as cause and manner of death, age, race and gender remain available while more invasive personal medical details remain shielded.

Rebecca Snyder, executive director of the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association, urged an unfavorable report and asked the committee to define explicitly what would be included in any \"final autopsy diagnosis\" made public. \"What reporters are looking at... is manner of death, age, location, race, gender, cause, sort of mitigating circumstances,\" Snyder said, and warned that \"that definition could change unless it's under statute.\" She said reporters need access to datasets to document crises such as the opioid epidemic and to evaluate deaths in custody and other public-interest cases.

Committee members asked clarifying questions. Dr. Dean said photographs taken during autopsies are currently protected. She also said death certificates are not public records in Maryland, while autopsy reports are, and that the bill would not affect a defendant’s discovery rights: \"The language does not impact a defendant's right to discovery,\" she said; discovery would proceed through subpoenas and existing legal processes. A delegate also asked whether OCME records could be subpoenaed for agency audits; Dr. Dean said they could.

The hearing did not produce a committee vote. Witnesses on both sides urged negotiations to produce statutory language that preserves essential public-health data while protecting strongly personal medical details.

Clarifying details captured from testimony: the OCME currently discloses entire autopsy reports under current law; death certificates are not public records in Maryland; autopsy photographs are protected; the OCME proposes releasing final autopsy diagnoses limited to cause and manner of death and basic demographics; the bill was presented in the wake of a judicial ruling that highlighted ambiguity in what constitutes an autopsy report.","House Bill 290 would narrow what the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner must release by clarifying definitions of autopsy records and protecting sensitive details; the OCME and the press association clashed over whether narrowing disclosures would impede public-interest reporting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would let Maryland health secretary assign designee to handle appeals for opioid outreach program approvals

Bill would add motor vehicle administrator to Maryland cannabis public health advisory council to address impaired driving

Maryland chief medical examiner seeks narrower autopsy disclosure; press group urges clear statutory definitions