Legislation

Advancing a Longevity Ready Maryland: A New Vision for Policy and Systems Change

The Maryland Department of Aging (MDOA) has redefined its role to meet the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of a rapidly shifting demographic landscape. Recognizing that 100-year lives are becoming a societal norm, the Department has moved beyond traditional advocacy to lead a comprehensive, all-of-government strategy. 

From championing policies that promote affordable housing to  guardianship avoidance, MDOA serves as an expert resource and a driving force behind meaningful legislative change. Through the Longevity Ready Maryland (LRM) framework, we will proactively address systemic barriers to ensure every Marylander ages with health, financial security, and purpose.

As we look toward the future, we invite our partners in the General Assembly and across the state to:

• Adopt a longevity lens when evaluating all future policy and legislation;
• Share the LRM plan widely within your professional and community networks; and
• Partner with us on the multi-year implementation of the LRM plan to ensure a resilient, inclusive Maryland for years to come.

2026 Legislative Session Overview

MDOA achieved a landmark legislative session in 2026, securing historic policy shifts and new fiscal tools to support the state’s shifting demographics. 

Three priority bills passed:

• HB278 and SB113, The Longevity Ready Maryland (LRM) Act: MDOA’s marquee departmental bill was officially signed into law, establishing Maryland as a national leader in aging policy. This first-of-its-kind legislation – rooted in years of stakeholder engagement and an Executive Order that initiated this work within the Department – establishes Maryland as a national leader in aging policy by permanently embedding a longevity-planning approach into the work of MDOA and across state government. The law also expands the membership and role of the Commission on Aging and mandates public transparency through common-sense reporting and regular updates to the LRM plan.
• HB804 and SB560, Aging Resilience Fund - Establishment: Led by Delegate Sarah Wolek and Senator Craig Zucker, this legislation establishes a new non-lapsing special fund that will give MDOA more flexibility to receive and leverage philanthropic and other sources of private funding in alignment with the Department’s work going forward—a tool that is sorely needed. The Fund has important guardrails and reporting requirements.
• HB811 and SB530, the Multigenerational Third Places Act: Led by Delegate Sarah Wolek and Senator Shelly Hettleman, this legislation clarifies existing law allowing senior villages and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to utilize Aging-in-Place grant funds for costs associated with the use of multigenerational places that support social connection among people of different ages. This will give Maryland’s senior villages and AAAs greater flexibility to rent or lease gathering spaces on a standing basis, and not just in connection with defined events.

Other Legislative Achievements:

• The Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman secured a new $2 million annual appropriation to strengthen oversight and resident stability in long-term care, and tightened protections against involuntary nursing home discharges.
• As a result of improved spending effectiveness, MDOA successfully protected critical state funding for older adults.
• Deepened relationships and awareness of older adult population growth through early in-session briefings and actively supporting LRM-aligned legislation from the Governor, sister state agencies, and private sponsors.

Key Legislation that Aligns with LRM:

Protecting Health and Essential Resources

• The Vax Act (SB 385, HB 637) from Governor Moore decouples Maryland’s immunization, screening, and preventative health recommendations from federal bodies allowing pharmacists to continue administering critical immunizations and ensures that those vaccines remain covered by insurance.
• The Protection From Predatory Pricing Act (SB 347, HB 895) from Governor Moore makes Maryland the first state in the country to ban price manipulation practices driven by surveillance data. This prohibits grocers and third-party delivery service providers from using dynamic pricing, ensuring consistent and transparent costs for groceries at check-out. This will benefit older adults and caregivers on limited incomes.
• Department of Disabilities - Housing Programs and Affiliated Foundations - Establishment (SB 22, HB 226, Department of Disabilities) establishes a new affiliated foundation to fund and expand critical programs.
• Office of Home Energy Programs – Uniform Redetermination Process – Age (HB 648, Department of Human Services) streamlines redetermination processes to maintain smooth access to state energy assistance for older Marylanders.
• Health – Dementia Services and Brain Health Program and Clinical Provider Resource Toolkit (SB 555, HB 446, Sen. Hayes, Del. Martinez) creates a new online resource to increase health care provider training on dementia and other cognitive health issues.

Enhancing the Quality of Long-Term Care

• Nursing Facilities – Involuntary Discharge or Transfer (SB 493, HB 1002, Sen. Beidle, Del. Lopez) tightens procedures around involuntary discharges from nursing homes to protect residents.
• Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities - Notification of Investigations and Establishment of the Health Care Quality Improvement Initiative (HB 945, Del. Sample-Hughes) requires the Maryland Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Quality to notify local health departments when investigating an allegation of serious harm in nursing homes, and establishes a Health Care Quality Improvement Initiative involving MDOA and key stakeholders to drive focused, quality improvements in care settings.

Advancing Justice and Autonomy for Older Adults

• Adult Protective Services – Modifications (SB 182, HB 282, Department of Human Services) codifies essential updates to Adult Protective Services procedures to improve safety and intervention.
• Criminal Law – Benefits Exploitation (SB 140, HB 216, Sen. West, Del. Kauffman) strengthens criminal law to address the exploitation of government benefits (including Social Security, Medicare, and SNAP), providing new protections for older adults and vulnerable Marylanders.
• Estates and Trusts - Jurisdiction Over Property of Minors or Disabled Persons - Authorized Transactions - (HB 1062, Dels. Embry and Taveras) allows courts to direct specific, time-limited transactions in providing a minor or person with a disability with their financial records or eligibility for government assistance.  This is an important guardianship avoidance tool.

From The Office of The Long-Term Care Ombudsman

• Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman - Mandatory Appropriation (SB 340, HB 671, Sen. Hettleman, Dels. Shetty and Lopez) dedicates $2 million in annual funding for the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and the statewide Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.  Funding will come from the state’s medical loss ratio fund that health care organizations pay into.