Ch. 153                                        1995 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(C) (1) IN ADDITION TO THE PROVISIONS OF SUBSECTIONS (A) AND (B) OF
THIS SECTION, THE SECRETARY MAY, FOR A VIOLATION OF ANY PROVISION OF THIS
SUBTITLE OR ANY REGULATION ADOPTED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE, IMPOSE AN
ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY OF UP TO $5,000 FOR A VIOLATION OF ANY PROVISION
OF THIS SUBTITLE OR ANY REGULATION ADOPTED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE:

(I)      $500 FOR A FIRST VIOLATION; AND

(II)     $5,000 FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT $1,000 FOR A
SUBSEQUENT, REPEATED VIOLATION.

(2) THE SECRETARY SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS TO PROVIDE
STANDARDS FOR THE IMPOSITION OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY UNDER
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Secretary of Health
and Mental Hygiene, in consultation with interested groups, shall conduct a study on the
feasibility and practicability of developing a peer review program for hospice care
programs to monitor compliance with applicable statutes and regulations. If the Secretary
determines that a peer review program is feasible and practicable, the peer review shall
be repeated at least every 3 years. The Secretary may impose fees on the hospice
programs to cover the cost of the study and the peer review programs.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Secretary of Health
and Mental Hygiene shall consult with representatives of various hospice organizations
throughout the State to assure the comparability of the regulations adopted under this
Act to the standards established by the National Hospice Organization, and the ability of
the hospice organizations to comply with the regulations.

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Secretary of Health
and Mental Hygiene shall adopt the regulations for general hospice care programs to
implement this Act by July 1, 1996.

SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the initial regulations
adopted for general hospice care programs to implement this Act may not lake effect
until one year after the adoption of the regulations by the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene.

SECTION 3. 6. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October July 1, 1995.

Approved May 9, 1995.

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