MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified to oppose HB 1557 – Public Schools – Health Services – County Boards of Education and Health Departments. This bill would allow the Maryland Department of Health to shift the jurisdiction for provision of adequate school health care services from county boards of education to local health departments.

From the MACo Testimony:

HB 1557 would allow the Maryland Department of Health to shift the jurisdiction for provision of adequate school health care services from county boards of education to local health departments. Under these provisions, the local school board would provide the local health departments with its pro rata share of funding. MACo has concern as state funding is only a limited part of funding currently going to provide these services.

As stated in the Fiscal Note prepared by the Department of Fiscal Services, currently many county health departments are not responsible for providing any school health services. Federal pass-through and local funding dollars will not transfer to the local health departments to provide these services, leaving local health departments facing a difficult and costly burden both administratively and financially to provide student health services.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2020 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.