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Our biggest victory was the passage of HB933/SB974 to establish a permanent funding source for the 988 Trust Fund. BHSB and the Fund Maryland 988 Campaign have been building support for sustainable funding for 988 helplines for several years and that work has paid off. Maryland’s 988 helplines will now have sustainable funding for years to come.
The other significant piece of behavioral health legislation this year was HB576/SB453, a bill to create an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) program in Maryland. AOT programs mandate involuntary outpatient treatment for certain individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. The bill requires every county and Baltimore City to have an AOT program in place by July 1, 2026. BHSB will continue to monitor this new program and its implications locally in the months to come.
With the session behind us, our attention will now turn to the implementation of key initiatives from the last several years. Stay connected with BHSB as things move ahead, and many thanks to our partners for another successful and impactful session for behavioral health.
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