[{"_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",6621555,"mediaKeyId","2801790-f0ab97a1f2f3fba8c6378124cb89c811","parentId",2801790,"title","Senate, House bills create healthcare cybersecurity work group to plan continuity and recovery","audioSeconds",432,"startMs",60000,"endMs",492000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2801790-f0ab97a1f2f3fba8c6378124cb89c811&start=60&end=492","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2801790-f0ab97a1f2f3fba8c6378124cb89c811/thumbnail_60000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6621555/Maryland/Senate-House-bills-create-healthcare-cybersecurity-work-group-to-plan-continuity-and-recovery","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621555-0dde4fd2efc372d76f66734f2042efe9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139399&Signature=grX-DtZBxFSD6Om3hp~rIMx~OtKW1ogWK0ardZypZBqF67mBouZMi4DXVlVHdMfjImwVXVyPsqqNVTsgwLmiYfbDzsH-ysjd4FGXgFTIAlza5CBbKZ7bTKq4Y~EA7QqM5C0ydYDyorE3nFmJNXv~9MUMaFH~2f7XsoM9uHYkfXegCxoymxjhB0gpjPVSv0ZqUDwCTUFra4zQM6YaO-2mFv0jnu-EqwTmd57OX7f4mLZP2qHGMmNvueZwFFLFGNM56a2kf2HVZpZ25eCiv7xFMj7PkCSPuf2K6readjmzMDGlZmdPAlbH1~4McBq1vzs0JR~M3ZhzYZTX0Nj7vNGrNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Education, Energy and Environment","date","2025-03-27T20:52:44.533Z","article","House Bill 333 (cross-file Senate Bill 691) would establish a temporary healthcare ecosystem stakeholder cybersecurity work group to develop strategies to prevent cybersecurity disruptions to healthcare operations, ensure continued delivery of essential services and improve recovery after incidents. The committee voted to move both bills favorably; committee members recorded a unanimous vote in favor.

The bill, as amended by the Finance Committee, tasks the Maryland Health Care Commission and the Maryland Insurance Administration with staffing the work group by January 20, 2026. The work group must submit an interim report and a final report to the governor, the General Assembly and specified state officials; the measure takes effect July 1, 2025 and terminates June 30, 2027. Committee staff said Finance amendments struck provisions in the original bill and eliminated the fiscal note associated with it.

Sponsor Senator Hester described the aim as convening key private- and public-sector actors across the health ecosystem — hospitals, insurers and change-management or electronic health-record vendors — to plan both preparations and operations in the event of a cyber incident. “The idea was to get various people from different entities within the healthcare ecosystem,” Hester said, adding that the work group would help identify potential regulatory or legislative changes that might be needed later.

Senator Watson asked whether the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) would have oversight over the private entities the bill targets. Hester and committee staff replied that DoIT would not have jurisdiction over private entities; rather, the work group will be staffed and coordinated by the Maryland Health Care Commission and the Maryland Insurance Administration. Hester said the work group focuses on “continuity of operations” and on identifying exemptions or regulatory adjustments needed to keep health services running during a cyber event (for example, ensuring prescriptions and claims processing can continue).

Senator Washington and staff provided the committee with the Finance Committee vote on the bills: 7–3–1 with one excused. After discussion in the EEE Committee, the roll call on this committee produced a unanimous favorable recommendation, recorded as 11–0.

What the bill does: it creates a time-limited, state‑staffed work group to convene health‑sector stakeholders, directs two specific state agencies to staff it, sets report deadlines and defines an effective and termination date. The Finance Committee’s amendments removed provisions that had produced an original fiscal note.

The work group will not create binding regulatory authority by itself; it is required to develop recommendations and reports for the legislature and executive branch. The committee’s action sends the legislative package to the next stage in the process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","EEE Committee Session, 3/27/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 333 and cross-file Senate Bill 691 would set up a temporary healthcare ecosystem stakeholder cybersecurity work group to develop prevention, continuity and recovery strategies for cyber incidents; the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee voted to move the bills favorably after committee staff explained Finance Committee amendments removed the prior fiscal note.","taxTitle","Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, SENATE, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15092,"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},6621550,"Committee backs bill to let GED/high‑school-by‑examination be taken fully in Spanish and to study additional languages",211,1307000,1518000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2801790-f0ab97a1f2f3fba8c6378124cb89c811&start=1307&end=1518","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2801790-f0ab97a1f2f3fba8c6378124cb89c811/thumbnail_1307000.jpg","/articles/6621550/Maryland/Committee-backs-bill-to-let-GEDhighschool-byexamination-be-taken-fully-in-Spanish-and-to-study-additional-languages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621550-e7bd4fe29257451c532b7b7a1fe618a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139399&Signature=A69ziBaL~LjTmd03tulx1g~gZ3p5eGrjGXUilbGo412d5P~4fuOyc6Ir9HeoULoM8--XH7AzIPgADRY4nh305UppI6sIkgSOBfSsKjhTlZVj4AHiDH2iQf7VAiweauuKYJ0rPshre5CixTo~2O5b2y36Ntgd1CRHfHVmQfLEZEPPK4siBnNZen2kcPw0alwMpwl-LnvCKVjl5j2vy9CZuispuP15F9fisE3VYg~bUXd6awXzZ6JHr4vurFZyfh8~zQ5xoE3rnfUuhztDDayGZ6oId52zz6mBvl1~~jWC5NBhOxJccPLGtxaRCESckDTmPkpRSKEdNFaTG8GJ0m48CQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 325 would require the Maryland Department of Labor to allow individuals to take all components of the high‑school diploma by examination or the GED entirely in English or entirely in Spanish, rather than requiring one component be taken in English. The Department must identify other appropriate languages and study the feasibility and cost of offering additional languages; the Department must report its findings and recommendations by Dec. 1, 2026.

Committee discussion focused on aligning the bill’s effective date with the Senate cross‑file. Sponsors and staff said the House version’s substantive language is preferred by both House and Senate sponsors; the only change being proposed was the effective date. The committee approved an amendment to change the effective date (from Oct. 1 to July 1 as noted in the cross‑file) and then voted the bill favorably as amended. Committee members noted that Maryland was previously the only state that required one GED component in English and that the bill removes that single-component English proficiency requirement.

A committee spokesperson noted the bill passed unanimously out of this committee and unanimously in the Senate. The committee recorded a unanimous favorable vote on House Bill 325 as amended.

What the bill does: it removes a statutory requirement that one GED component be administered in English, requires the Department of Labor to offer full exams in English or Spanish on request, directs a study of additional languages and mandates a report to the General Assembly by Dec. 1, 2026. The committee adopted an amendment to align the effective date with the Senate cross‑file before approving the bill.","House Bill 325 would allow individuals to take all components of the high‑school diploma-by-examination or GED entirely in English or Spanish and requires the Maryland Department of Labor to study offering additional languages; the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee approved the bill as amended.",{"_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},6621545,"Committee advances omnibus energy bill that includes $200 million ratepayer credit administered in two payments",249,1911000,2160000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2801790-f0ab97a1f2f3fba8c6378124cb89c811&start=1911&end=2160","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2801790-f0ab97a1f2f3fba8c6378124cb89c811/thumbnail_1911000.jpg","/articles/6621545/Maryland/Committee-advances-omnibus-energy-bill-that-includes-200-million-ratepayer-credit-administered-in-two-payments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621545-df68a0a7aadfd5c60e5101267b7c43b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139399&Signature=Y5nXsTWv-uuiGhTyHu8PCAuaOOM8hXPdvNhvf7eeSe5dqd5Ya35oc4ScWmVk11UGzMFwWZjuLcYj58oVqoy5NwGUclJSKJ-pb1td-3RvnjNSVirvIt~v3sa5uJ6fl-law6AQBb4N8~iH0PZ108TyIlNm2fRf3PhCLtUmm2tuqPtCeDO6FA4djeLLMwWhjUmBS2w5u~B-W78zL0p0mj7WDvW7TrFVPzvfFe-s7iNCkU6C190PdX~GXx0fPMh55hpmYYK7G86BDtkWlXnkGH3hxUoePiM0ApRt5b4usQrKP0J6wvFdzPm7nW71NweVk2hUcwbqo5XGucoR6YkWYQJC3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 937, described as a multi-part energy and policy package, was moved favorably out of the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee after committee consideration of packet amendments and several floor amendments. Committee members adopted a set of amendments included in the reprint and separately approved a Senate President amendment clarifying prevailing-wage application to amended or modified contracts.

A central and closely discussed provision would transfer funds from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (SEIF) — specifically alternative compliance payments (ACP) — to create a legislative energy hardship credit. Committee staff said the House budget/action language set aside $200 million for the program; committee discussion referenced a larger ACP balance (about $350 million) but that Budget & Taxation set aside $200 million for this purpose. Committee staff explained how the credit would be distributed: funds transferred from ACP payments would be awarded to electric companies through the Public Service Commission and refunded or credited to residential distribution customers in proportion to consumption; the refund or credit would appear on the customer's bill as a distinct line item identified as a “legislative energy hardship credit.” Committee staff said the credit would be administered twice during fiscal year 2026 (once in peak summer months and once in peak winter months) and that uncodified language limits the distributions to fiscal year 2026.

Vice Chair Kagan summarized the budget history to the committee: “This originally started off as $350,000,000 ... It has been changed to $200,000,000, correct?” Committee staff confirmed the $200 million allocation for the program in the Budget & Taxation product. Committee members asked for additional detail on calculation and distribution; staff said the specific calculation language would be in the budget reconciliation and finance authority (BRFAA) language and that the amount averages roughly $81 per residential customer statewide based on a $200 million pool.

Some senators raised naming and framing concerns; one member said the committee should consider calling the provision “ratepayer relief” or a “consumer relief payment” rather than a “legislative energy hardship credit” to make intent clearer to the public. The chair proposed taking up a naming change in a follow-up meeting before the bill reaches the floor to allow a more deliberate amendment.

Separately, the Senate President’s amendment — explained by an administration representative — clarified the effective date of prior prevailing-wage requirements, specifying that contracts modified or amended on or after March 1, 2024 are subject to prevailing-wage rules to prevent evasion. The committee approved that amendment by roll call.

The committee also considered and accepted several other amendments and cosponsorship changes; the amended omnibus bill was reported favorably by roll call with no recorded dissent in committee. Committee discussion indicated additional floor deliberations and possible amendments would follow.","Senate Bill 937, an omnibus energy and policy package that includes a $200 million legislative energy hardship credit funded from ACPs in the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, was reported favorably by the committee after adoption of packet amendments and a prevailing-wage clarification from the Senate President.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate, House bills create healthcare cybersecurity work group to plan continuity and recovery

Committee backs bill to let GED/high‑school-by‑examination be taken fully in Spanish and to study additional languages

Committee advances omnibus energy bill that includes $200 million ratepayer credit administered in two payments