Senate hears bill letting MDH secretary take on appeals, membership role for opioid outreach programs

Annapolis, Jan. 21 — The Maryland Department of Health asked the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday to approve a technical change in Senate Bill 224 that would allow the secretary of health, or the secretary's designee, to handle appeals and serve on the standing advisory committee for opioid associated disease prevention and outreach programs.

Alyssa Lord, deputy secretary for the Behavioral Health Administration at the Maryland Department of Health, told the committee the bill "seeks to make a technical modification" so a local health department or community‑based organization can appeal the outcome of an application for authorization to operate an opioid associated disease prevention and outreach program to the secretary or the secretary's designee. Lord said the change "will allow for the secretary to assign these responsibilities as necessary in the future without requiring new legislation." She added there is no anticipated operational impact and noted the state currently operates close to 100 such programs.

The bill does not change program standards, Lord said; she described outreach program services as including community education and referrals and listed other services often provided through those programs, such as syringe exchange, counseling, linkage to substance‑use disorder treatment and recovery services, testing for HIV and viral hepatitis, wound care and overdose‑response services under Title 13.

Senator Land asked whether the outreach programs include treatment. Lord replied they are primarily prevention, education and linkage programs and offered to provide the regulatory definition of outreach to the committee.

No vote or formal action was recorded at the hearing. The panel concluded testimony and moved on to the next bill. The Department of Health requested a favorable report on SB 224.