Advocacy

Maryland General Assembly 2026 Legislative Session

 The Maryland Rural Health Association (MRHA) educates and advocates for the optimal health and wellness of rural Marylanders at the federal, state, and local levels. If you want to get involved or ask MRHA for support, please get in touch with Jonathan Dayton, MRHA Executive Director, at jdayton@mdruralhealth.org.

View the 2026 MRHA Legislative Priorities

2026 Supported Bills, Maryland General Assembly:

HB0162 – Department of Aging - Maryland Access Point - Dementia-Friendly Communities

SB0024 / HB0276 – State Emergency Medical Services Board - Public Access Automated External Defibrillator Program - Revisions

SB0113 / HB0278 – Human Services - Department of Aging and Commission on Aging (The Longevity Ready Maryland Act)

SB0019 / HB1106 – Maryland Commission on Women's Health Advancement - Establishment

SB0205 / HB0280 – Health Insurance - Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders - Codification of Federal Requirements

HB0377 / SB0326 – Physician Assistants - Parity With Other Health Care Practitioners

HB0158 – Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program

SB0300 / HB0461 – Economic Development - Rural Readiness Program and Rural Maryland Capacity Building Fund - Establishment

HB0446 – Health - Dementia Services and Brain Health Program and Clinical Toolkit

SB0428 / HB0746 – Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance - Collaborative Care Model - Cost Sharing Prohibition

SB0489 – Health Occupations - Physicians Trained in International Medical Schools

SB0380 / HB0598 – Physicians - Licensing - Internationally Trained Physicians

HB0804 / SB0860 – Department of Aging - Aging Resilience Fund - Establishment

HB0808 (SB0490) – Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Step Therapy, Fail-First Protocols, and Prior Authorization - Prescription Drugs to Treat Serious Mental Illness

HB1136 (SB0832) – Nonprofit Hospitals - Community Benefits - MRHA HOLD

HB1316 – Public Health - Universal Health Care Program - Study and Commission

HB1367 – Commission on Re-Imagining Health Care in Maryland

HB1423 – Maryland Department of Health - Workgroup on Home- and Community-Based Services