Credit Unions - Mergers and Consolidations - Alteration of Voting Requirement
Summary
HB1049 amends Maryland’s Health-General law governing the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Grant Program. The bill keeps the existing program in place and changes the required state funding schedule by directing the Governor to include $5 million in the annual operating budget for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029, in addition to the prior appropriations already listed for fiscal years 2020 through 2025. The program’s purpose remains to help local jurisdictions establish and expand community behavioral health crisis response systems.
The bill also preserves the requirement that, beginning in fiscal year 2023, at least one-third of the program’s appropriation be used for competitive grants for mobile crisis teams. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and functions as a budget-related mandate on future executive budget submissions rather than creating a new program or changing eligibility rules for grant recipients.
Impact
HB1049 affects Article 7.5-208 of the Health-General Article by extending the state’s required funding commitment for the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Grant Program into fiscal years 2027 through 2029. It does not alter the program’s structure, purpose, or the mobile crisis team set-aside, but it does require the Governor to include specified appropriations in future operating budgets, thereby influencing state budgeting and support for local behavioral health crisis response services.
Sentiment
The available record suggests broad support for the bill. The House committee reported it favorably, and the House adopted it, with no recorded votes against it in the materials provided. The absence of committee transcript debate or recorded opposition indicates the measure was likely viewed as a straightforward continuation of funding for an established behavioral health initiative.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, any potential disagreement would likely center on the fiscal commitment to future appropriations and the allocation of at least one-third of funds to mobile crisis teams, but no member, stakeholder, or committee concern is identified in the record supplied.