HHS Subcommittee moves favorable on budget report, concurs with wide range of DLS recommendations

The Health and Human Services Subcommittee voted to move a favorable subcommittee report after reviewing dozens of Department of Legislative Services (DLS) recommendations that would concur, modify or restrict funding across state health and human services programs.

The subcommittee considered budget and policy language for agencies including the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing; Department of Disabilities; Department of Aging; the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange; the Behavioral Health Administration; Developmental Disabilities Administration; Medicaid-related programs; the Social Services Administration; the Family Investment Administration; and multiple other agencies. Members repeatedly moved to “concur with the House,” to adopt House modifications, or to reject specific House actions based on DLS recommendations and agency responses.

Why it matters: the actions the subcommittee approved and the funding restrictions it endorsed will affect how state funds are released, require reports or data submissions from agencies, and change line items and positions in the fiscal 2025 and 2026 budgets. Several items make fund releases contingent on agencies submitting specific reports or meeting revised due dates.

Key outcomes and examples

- Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing: DLS recommended concurring with the governor’s allowance; the subcommittee concurred and adopted blue-page language that restricts funds until the agency submits a report indicating it has published state sign-language licensing requirements. (Decision document: white packet page 1; blue packet page 1.)

- Department of Disabilities and related boards/commissions: the subcommittee concurred with the governor’s allowance for the Department of Disabilities. For a board/commission item the house modified a report due date (the agency requested 01/15/2026; the House changed it to 01/01/2026) and the subcommittee moved to concur with the House modification.

- Office of Immigrant Affairs: DLS recommended deleting five new positions in Supplemental Budget No. 1; the first house rejected that deletion. The subcommittee moved to adopt the color (blue) packet language related to that supplemental action.

- Department of Aging: DLS proposed a $2,500,000 reduction for the senior care program in fiscal 2025; the House modified that to a $900,000 reduction. A member moved to reject the larger cut (i.e., to concur with the House in rejecting the full DLS reduction), and the subcommittee recorded that motion.

- Behavioral Health Administration (BHA): the subcommittee addressed multiple annual language items and funding restrictions. DLS recommended restricting funding pending provider-reimbursement data and other reports; the agency concurred in part, the House modified how some reports should be submitted (quarterly), and the subcommittee generally concurred with the House modifications. One notable item: DLS had recommended deleting the appropriation for a 1% provider rate increase; the first house rejected that recommendation and the subcommittee concurred with the House to reject the deletion (i.e., to retain the 1% increase appropriation as presented to the House).

- Medicaid and related programs: the subcommittee considered many Medicaid budget items. Examples include DLS recommendations to reduce MCO rates (a revised recommendation to reduce $25,100,000 in total funds was adopted by the first house and the subcommittee concurred); recommended reductions tied to enrollment assumptions; and numerous committee narratives requesting quarterly or other reports on enrollment, primary care programs, Community First Choice/Community Options Waiver, end-stage renal dialysis coverage, and biomarker testing. Where the House adopted narrative language or modifications, the subcommittee generally concurred.

- Social Services and child welfare items: the subcommittee considered combined reporting requirements (for hospital and hotel stays of youth in out-of-home placements), monthly data requests on out-of-home placements, Family First Act implementation updates, and modifications to report due dates. The House merged two reports and set an adjusted due date; the subcommittee moved to adopt that modification.

- Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA): the subcommittee concurred with multiple house actions including funding restrictions pending fiscal closeout reports, resolution of repeated audit findings, and limits on implementing a dedicated-hours policy without specified safeguards. A loose-leaf page added language to prohibit DDA from implementing a dedicated hours policy that treats shared hours as equivalent without specified reinstatement procedures; the subcommittee moved on that item.

- Additional packet and loose-leaf actions: the subcommittee adopted several color-page (blue-packet) items and loose-leaf technical corrections that change reporting intervals, due dates, release schedules, or the amounts being restricted pending required reports (for example, an amended amount of $500,000 was specified for a restriction tied to a report on end-of-weight activities in medical care programs administration).

Votes at a glance

- Motion to move favorable on the HHS Subcommittee report: motion moved and seconded; voice vote recorded as “Aye.” The chair announced the motion approved.

How the meeting proceeded: DLS staff presented the decision document and additional color and loose-leaf pages sequentially (references in the white packet, blue/additional pages, and loose-leaf). Members proposed motions to concur, to reject, or to adopt House modifications; many motions were phrased as “Move to concur with the House” or “Move to adopt color page X.” Some items were modified on the floor (for example changing report due dates or amounts to be restricted) and then adopted by voice action.

Meeting context and next steps: the subcommittee’s favorable report incorporates the adopted concurrence/rejection/modification decisions and will be included in the subcommittee report forwarded to the next legislative stage. Many adopted items require agencies to submit reports (MFRs, quarterly data, or GRAMA-format data) before restricted funds can be released. Several funding actions remain contingent on further legislation or supplemental budget actions.

Short quote

A member called for the final vote and members responded “Aye,” after which the chairman said the motion was approved and closed the hearing.

Ending

The subcommittee closed the hearing after the favorable motion passed; staff and members thanked analysts for their work. The decision document and the subcommittee report together enumerate the specific agency actions, restrictions and reporting requirements adopted during the meeting.