Committee extends deadline to spend maternal and child health fund, approves measure unanimously

Jocelyn Pena Milnick, chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee, opened the committee’s first 2025 voting session and introduced action on House Bill 170, a departmental bill to extend the period during which the Maternal and Child Health Population Health Improvement Fund may be spent.

The committee voted unanimously to move the fund date from December 31, 2025, to December 31, 2027, allowing the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to expend any fund balances remaining at the end of calendar year 2025. The bill contains no new appropriation; it permits the department to continue drawing down existing dollars and associated federal matches while the programs operate.

The subcommittee chair, Delegate Bagnell, told the committee the change merely “moves a date to allow us to draw down on existing funds,” and summarized program activity supported by the special fund. According to materials and summary figures presented to the committee, the fund initially held $40,000,000; MDH expects approximately $24,100,000 to remain near the end of 2025, though that amount may change as programs continue to spend.

Delegates and witnesses described several programs paid…