Acting Secretary Walter Simmons told the Health and Government Operations Committee that the Department of Social and Economic Mobility (DOSM) launched on Oct. 1 under House Bill 1253 and that he became acting secretary Oct. 20. He outlined an initial five‑point agenda for the newly formed agency and said a comprehensive report on the state’s “economic mobility ecosystem” is due to the Legislature in 2026.

Simmons said the department will target three distinct populations: Maryland residents, Maryland businesses and Maryland communities. He described an early emphasis on organizational and operational infrastructure — staffing, procurement and office setup — together with the creation of aligned key performance indicators (KPIs) taken from successor offices and programs.

“We were established and launched on October 1, and I became the secretary on October 20,” Simmons said, summarizing the department’s start and responsibilities. He said DOSM is integrating the Office of Social Equity and the functions previously housed in the governor’s office for small, minority and women‑owned business affairs as program units within the new department.

Simmons described five focus areas: development of organizational infrastructure, operational policies and staffing; integration and alignment of KPIs; stakeholder engagement (internal and external); asset mapping to identify program flow and duplication; and performance‑to‑impact measurement. He said the department will take both quantitative and qualitative information from county and municipal partners, nonprofits and businesses as it compiles the 2026 report.

On stakeholder engagement, Simmons said DOSM will pursue a mixed approach of agency data collection and face‑to‑face conversations branded internally as “Voices of Maryland,” including outreach already conducted in Ocean City and Howard County. He said staff will monitor how well residents and businesses understand and can access available resources and will look for ways to reduce duplication across state and local programs.

Simmons also emphasized employee‑level KPIs, noting the department must retain experienced staff to carry out programs. He said leadership and team‑lead structures will be used to break the launch into discrete project teams and weekly deliverables.

The chair, Jocelyn Pena Melnick, closed the briefing by thanking DOSM leaders and noting the law that created the department was sponsored as House Bill 1253 by Speaker Adrienne Jones.