Department of Aging - Senior Call-Check and Social Connections Program
Summary
SB223 renames Maryland’s existing Senior Call-Check Service and Notification Program as the Senior Call-Check and Social Connections Program and expands its purpose beyond wellness checks to include purposeful social engagement for eligible older adults. The bill creates a new statutory “Social Connections Program” within the Department of Aging to provide regular, direct communication to participants, which may include telephone calls, text messages, web-based or video communication, in-person contact, and other approved forms of communication that are accessible to people with disabilities.
The bill broadens eligibility from residents age 65 and older to “older adults” who are at risk of social isolation and would benefit from additional social engagement and wellness checks. It also updates the program’s structure to allow follow-up communication when a participant does not respond, notification of a designated person of record, and delivery of relevant information identified by the Department of Aging. The Department is authorized to contract or enter agreements with private vendors, nonprofits, villages, area agencies on aging, and other entities, and may accept gifts and grants to support the program.
Impact
SB223 amends provisions in the State Finance and Procurement Article and the Human Services Article governing the senior call-check program and related funding. It changes the program’s name, revises definitions, and establishes a broader service model centered on social connection and wellness. The bill also requires the Department of Aging to integrate services with the Telecommunications Access of Maryland program by promoting accessible telecommunications equipment and using its outreach materials.
The measure preserves the existing funding structure through the Universal Service Trust Fund and communications-service surcharge, but adds that the Department of Aging’s budget for the program should be developed in collaboration with the Department of Disabilities and consider the fiscal needs of all surcharge-funded programs. It also extends liability protections under the State Tort Claims Act and Local Government Tort Claims Act to participating units and limits liability for persons of record, vendors, nonprofits, villages, area agencies on aging, and volunteers acting within the program.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate 44-0 and the House 131-0, indicating unanimous recorded support in both chambers. The lack of committee transcript material also suggests there was little publicly recorded debate or opposition.
Overall, the sentiment reflected in the voting history is strongly favorable, likely because the bill builds on an existing senior safety program while expanding services to address social isolation among older adults.
Contention
No major points of contention are evident in the available record. The main policy choices in the bill are the expansion of the program from call-checks to broader social connection services, the inclusion of nontraditional communication methods, and the addition of new partner entities such as villages and nonprofits. These changes appear to have been accepted without recorded opposition.
If any concerns existed, they would most likely have centered on program scope, administration, and funding priorities within the surcharge-supported trust fund, but the unanimous votes suggest those issues were resolved or not disputed in the legislative process.