Health Occupations Boards - Membership Alteration and Sunset Extensions
Summary
HB256 extends the sunset dates for several health occupations boards and a related advisory committee under Maryland’s Program Evaluation Act, keeping them in operation beyond their prior termination dates. The affected entities are the State Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Music Therapists; the State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners; the State Board of Pharmacy; the State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists; and the Behavior Analyst Advisory Committee within that board.
The bill also changes the composition of the State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners by increasing the board from seven to nine members, adding one licensed massage therapist and one consumer member. It preserves the existing appointment structure for licensed massage therapist members and sets the initial terms of the newly added members to expire in 2030. The bill takes effect June 1, 2025.
Impact
HB256 amends multiple sections of the Health Occupations Article to extend the statutory and regulatory authority of the named boards and committee, delaying their sunset dates to 2030 or 2031 depending on the entity. This prevents automatic termination of the boards’ governing authority and allows continued licensure, regulation, and oversight of the affected professions. It also directly alters the membership statute for the massage therapy board, changing the number and mix of board members and affecting future appointments by the Governor.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House and Senate unanimously, with votes of 136-0 and 47-0, respectively. The lack of recorded committee discussion or dissent suggests general agreement that the boards should continue operating and that the massage therapy board’s membership should be adjusted as proposed.
Contention
No notable opposition is reflected in the available record. The only substantive policy change beyond the sunset extensions is the expansion of the massage therapy board, which could matter to stakeholders interested in professional representation versus consumer representation on the board. Otherwise, the bill is a routine reauthorization measure tied to the state’s sunset review process, with no documented controversy in the provided materials.