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Committee hears bill to replace outdated 'mental hygiene' language with 'mental health'
Summary
Senator Mary Washington presented legislation to update Maryland law and regulations by replacing the term "mental hygiene" with "mental health," and reported an amendment to extend regulatory review deadlines while requiring quicker updates to public-facing electronic materials.
Annapolis — The House Health and Government Operations Committee heard Senate Bill 163, a measure to replace references to "mental hygiene" in Maryland statutes and regulations with modern terminology "mental health," with sponsors framing the change as a dignity and stigma issue.
Senator Mary Washington, sponsor of the Senate measure, said the bill replaces outdated terminology in the Health-General Article to reflect contemporary understanding and reduce stigma: “For many mental hygiene evokes the stigma even derogatory notions implying something akin to an unclean mind,” she said. Washington said advocates asked for a straightforward statutory change and that the bill was amended to extend the deadline by which the Maryland Department of Health must review and update printed regulations. In exchange, the bill as amended requires the department to update public-facing electronic materials as soon as possible.
Vice Chair Bonnie Collison asked whether the sponsor had incorporated the health department's amendments. Washington said she had extended the date and added the requirement for digital materials, and that the department had indicated the updates could be done with staff resources; she confirmed there was no fiscal note in the hearing record.
Washington closed by saying that while "SB163 is about words," constituents and families view the change as matters of dignity and clarity; she respectfully requested a favorable report.
The transcript records committee discussion but does not show a formal vote; the sponsor and committee agreed the changes were minor and the Senate would conform to the House bill where postures differed.
