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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="13-4305" title_number="13" title_name="Miscellaneous Health Care Programs" subtitle_number="43" subtitle_name="Maryland Commission on Health Equity">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The purpose of the Commission is to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Employ a health equity framework to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Develop a statewide health equity plan; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Examine:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The health of residents of the State to the extent necessary to carry out the requirements of this section;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Ways for units of State and local government to collaborate to implement policies that will positively impact the health of residents of the State; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The impact of the following factors on the health of residents of the State:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>Access to safe and affordable housing;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>Educational attainment;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="C">
          <text>Opportunities for employment;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="D">
          <text>Economic stability;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="E">
          <text>Environmental factors;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="F">
          <text>Public safety, including the impact of crime, citizen unrest, the criminal justice system, and governmental policies that affect individuals who are in prison or released from prison; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="G">
          <text>Food insecurity;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Provide direct advice to the Secretary and the State’s independent health regulatory commissions, and indirect advice to the Department’s senior administrators and planners through the Secretary, regarding issues of racial, ethnic, cultural, or socioeconomic health disparities;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Facilitate coordination of the expertise and experience of the State’s health and human services, housing, transportation, education, environment, community development, and labor systems in developing a comprehensive health equity plan addressing the social determinants of health; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Set goals for health equity and prepare a plan for the State to achieve health equity in alignment with any other statewide planning activities.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Commission, using a health equity framework, shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Examine and make recommendations regarding:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Health considerations that may be incorporated into the decision–making processes of government agencies and private sector stakeholders who interact with government agencies;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Requirements for implicit bias training for clinicians engaged in patient care and whether the State should provide the training;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Training for health care providers on consistent and proper collection of patient self–identified race, ethnicity, and language data to identify disparities accurately; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Requirements to comply with, and for enforcement of, National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (CLAS Standards);</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Foster collaboration between units of the State and local government and develop policies to improve health and reduce health inequities;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Identify measures for monitoring and advancing health equity in the State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Establish a State plan for achieving health equity in alignment with other statewide planning activities in coordination with the State’s health and human services, housing, transportation, education, environment, community development, and labor systems;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Make recommendations and provide advice, including direct advice to the Secretary, on implementing laws and policies to improve health and reduce health inequities; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Develop and monitor a statewide health equity plan as required by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation under any agreement entered into between the State and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Commission may establish advisory committees to assist the Commission in the performance of its duties under this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An advisory committee established under this subsection may include individuals who are not members of the Commission.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
