Behavioral Health Advisory Council and the Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access - Plan to Implement Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Requirements
SB790 requires the Maryland Department of Health to convene a workgroup focused on implementing Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) requirements for children’s behavioral health. The workgroup is to include behavioral health professionals, childhood mental health specialists, clinicians, children with behavioral health issues, advocates, parents and caregivers, and other stakeholders with relevant experience.
The bill directs the Behavioral Health Advisory Council and the Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access, through its workgroup on youth behavioral health, individuals with developmental disabilities, and individuals with complex behavioral health needs, to develop recommendations for carrying out federal guidance in CMS State Health Official Letter #24-005. Those recommendations must address behavioral health screening and assessment, the feasibility of using the DC:0-5 diagnostic classification for children under age 5, community-based services to address behavioral health conditions, and services that support children’s behavioral health, early symptoms of concern, and urgent or crisis needs. The Department of Health must submit a report of the workgroup’s findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by January 1, 2026.
The bill does not directly change substantive Medicaid or behavioral health service law; instead, it creates a temporary planning and reporting process within the Maryland Department of Health and related advisory bodies. Its practical effect is to push state agencies to evaluate how Maryland can better implement EPSDT requirements for children, especially in behavioral health, and to identify policy, clinical, and service-delivery changes that may be needed. The bill also references federal CMS guidance, so it is aimed at aligning state practice with federal expectations for Medicaid-covered children’s services.
The bill appears to have broad support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate 47-0 and the House 134-0, indicating unanimous or near-unanimous approval in both chambers. The lack of recorded committee transcript discussion suggests the measure was viewed as a technical, collaborative, and policy-development bill rather than a controversial change in law.
There is no documented floor or committee controversy in the provided materials. The only potential areas for policy debate are the feasibility of implementing DC:0-5 for very young children, the scope of behavioral health services that should be required or expanded, and how aggressively Maryland should interpret and operationalize federal EPSDT guidance. Any such concerns would likely involve state health officials, behavioral health providers, and advocates balancing implementation costs, clinical standards, and access to care, but no specific opposition is shown in the record provided.