annually inspect assisted living program facilities; and generally relating to
licenses and inspections for assisted living programs.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Health - General
Section 19-323(a) and 19-1805(a)
Annotated Code of Maryland

(1996 Replacement Volume and 1998 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Health - General

19-323.

(a) (1) [A] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED UNDER PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3) OF THIS
SUBSECTION, A license for a related institution[, except for a nursing facility,] or a
nonaccredited hospital] expires on the first anniversary of its effective date, unless
the license is renewed for a 1-year term as provided in this section.

(2) A license for an accredited hospital expires when the certificate of
accreditation expires.

(3) A license for a nursing facility AND AN ASSISTED LIVING PROGRAM
AS DEFINED UNDER SUBTITLE 18 OF THIS TITLE shall be for a 2-year term.

19-1805.

(a) The Department shall:

(1) Define different levels of assisted living according to the level of care

provided;

(2) Require all assisted living programs to be licensed to operate
according to the level of the program;

(3) Develop a waiver process for authorizing an assisted living program to
continue to care for an individual whose medical or functional condition has changed
since admission to the program to an extent that the level of care required by the
individual exceeds the level of care for which the program is licensed;

(4) Promote affordable and accessible assisted living programs
throughout the State;

(5) Establish and enforce quality standards for assisted living programs;

(6) Require periodic inspections of assisted living program facilities,
INCLUDING AT LEAST AN ANNUAL UNANNOUNCED ON-SITE INSPECTION;

(7) Establish requirements for the qualifications or training or both of
assisted living program employees;