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Maryland officials seek to expand Senior Call Check into 'Social Connections' program
Summary
Department of Aging and allied agencies told the Health and Government Operations Committee they want to rebrand and broaden Senior Call Check to allow texts, email, live contacts and accessibility options; funding would come from the Universal Service Trust Fund and would remove a prior 5¢ cap.
Secretary Carmel Roque of the Maryland Department of Aging told the committee House Bill 158 would transform the state’s Senior Call Check safety‑check service into a broader Social Connections program with multiple communication options and expanded accessibility. “The idea is to get away from the idea that it is a call and broaden what this program is for,” Secretary Roque said, describing outreach that found many older adults prefer live calls, text or video.
The bill would authorize the Department of Aging to partner with Telecommunications Access of Maryland (TAM) and the Department of Disabilities to add text, email, live human calls and accessible interfaces for deaf and hard‑of‑hearing residents. David Bahar, director of Telecommunications Access of Maryland, told the committee the funding source is the Universal Service Trust Fund (USTF), a carrier surcharge already collected on communications bills; the department and the Public Service Commission set the surcharge. John Brennan of the Maryland Department of Disabilities explained that the current 5¢ cap on the program’s use of the USTF would be removed, and the surcharge rate used to fund the USTF is projected to rise to 9¢ in FY26 to cover program expenditures across five USTF programs.
Secretary Roque and departmental witnesses said the current Senior Call Check serves about 2,000 older Marylanders and that expanding communication modalities and partnering with local nonprofits, village networks and Area Agencies on Aging could increase enrollment and reduce social isolation. Jonathan Jenkins, Senior Call Check program administrator, described testing that showed many participants wanted human contact and local volunteer involvement.
Advocacy groups and providers voiced support. LeadingAge Maryland, AARP Maryland, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Maryland Association of Area Agencies on Aging urged a favorable report, while several witnesses asked the committee for a clear transition plan to avoid interrupting services for the roughly 4,000 people served across several senior programs.
Ending: Committee members asked for dates and updates from jurisdictions that have passed similar laws and sought assurances about program continuity and fiscal projections before advancing the bill.
