Human Services - Maryland Assistive Technology Program - Establishment
Summary
HB214 establishes the Maryland Assistive Technology Program within the Department of Disabilities. The program is intended to expand access to assistive technology devices and services for people with disabilities of all ages, including underserved populations, and to support statewide technology-related assistance efforts. It also directs the program to help maintain assistive technology lending libraries so individuals and caregivers can learn about, try, and borrow devices through short-term loans.
The bill further authorizes the program to carry out activities tied to federal assistive technology grants, including those under the federal 21st Century Assistive Technology Act. It defines key terms such as assistive technology device, assistive technology service, and the new Assistive Technology Services Fund, and it allows the Secretary of Disabilities to adopt regulations to implement the subtitle. The act takes effect October 1, 2025.
Impact
HB214 amends the Human Services Article to add a new subtitle creating a permanent state program and a special, nonlapsing Assistive Technology Services Fund. It also amends the State Finance and Procurement Article to exempt that fund from the general rule that interest on certain state funds accrues to the General Fund, allowing interest earnings to remain with the program. The fund may be used to support program operations, including purchasing assistive technology devices, and expenditures must be made through the state budget process.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support. It passed the House 127-7 and the Senate 47-0, indicating strong agreement that expanding assistive technology access is a worthwhile state function. The absence of committee transcript material suggests there was little recorded public controversy in the available materials.
Contention
The main policy distinction in the bill is that it creates a state program and fund to support assistive technology access, but explicitly states that the subtitle does not create an entitlement program. That limitation may reflect an effort to manage fiscal exposure and preserve administrative discretion. The only likely area of contention, based on the text, is the creation of a dedicated nonlapsing fund and the diversion of interest earnings away from the General Fund, though the overwhelming vote suggests any such concerns were not significant in the final legislative debate.