<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<chapter num="25" heading="Transportation Services Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)" title_num="10" subtitle_num="09">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Definitions.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Terms Defined.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>“Child's family” means those individuals with whom a participant resides, who are responsible for the participant, and who are the primary nurturing caregivers.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>“Department” means the Maryland Department of Health as defined in COMAR 10.09.36.01.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>“Early intervention services (EIS)” means services which are consistent with COMAR 13A.13.01.02.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>“Individualized education program (IEP)” means a written description of special education and related services developed by a multidisciplinary team to be implemented to meet the individual needs of a child pursuant to COMAR 13A.05.01.09.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>“Individualized family service plan (IFSP)” means a written plan for providing early intervention and other services to an eligible child and the child's family pursuant to COMAR 13A.13.01.02.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>“Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)” means the federal statute which provides for a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children with disabilities from ages 3 to 21 and early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delay, from birth to age 3.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>“Infants and toddlers with disabilities” means children from birth through 2 years old who are eligible for early intervention services, as documented by appropriate qualified personnel as defined in COMAR 13A.13.01.02.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>“Local education agency (LEA)” means a local public school district.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(9)">
        <text>“Local lead agency (LLA)” means the agency designated by the local governing authority in each county and Baltimore City to administer the interagency system of early intervention services under the direction of the Office for Children.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(10)">
        <text>“Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)” means the Department established by Education Article, Title 2, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(11)">
        <text>“Medical Assistance Program” has the meaning stated in COMAR 10.09.36.01.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(12)">
        <text>“Multidisciplinary” means the involvement of two or more disciplines or professions in the provision of integrated and coordinated services, including evaluation and assessment activities and the development of the individualized family service plan or individualized education program.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(13)">
        <text>“Multidisciplinary team” means a group convened and conducted by the provider to develop the participant's IEP, which is composed of the child's parent or parents, the child's teacher, and relevant service providers as indicated in COMAR 13A.05.01.08A.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(14)">
        <text>“Office for Children” means the Office for Children established under Executive Order 01.01.2006.03.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(15)">
        <text>“Parent” means a biological or adoptive parent, a legal guardian, another individual responsible for a child's welfare, or a surrogate parent for those cases when:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>A public agency, after reasonable efforts, cannot discover the whereabouts of a biological or adoptive parent;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>An individual cannot be identified with responsibility for a child's welfare; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>The child is a ward of the State.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(16)">
        <text>“Participant” means a Medical Assistance recipient who is eligible for Medical Assistance reimbursement for transportation services under IDEA.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(17)">
        <text>“Program” means the Medical Assistance Program as defined in COMAR 10.09.36.01.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(18)">
        <text>“Provider” means a local education agency, local lead agency, State-operated education agency, or State-supported education agency which meets the conditions for participation stated in Regulation .03 of this chapter, to provide transportation services under IDEA.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(19)">
        <text>“State-operated education agency” means a State agency that operates education programs for children with disabilities in accordance with COMAR 13A.05.01.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(20)">
        <text>“State-supported education agency” means an entity accredited by the Maryland State Board of Education to operate a school in accordance with COMAR 13A.09.10.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(21)">
        <text>“Transportation” means transportation services provided pursuant to COMAR 13A.06.07.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Licensure and Certification.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Providers shall meet the requirements of COMAR 13A.06.07.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Providers shall meet all the requirements of the jurisdiction in which they operate.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Conditions for Participation.">
    <text>Providers shall meet all requirements for participation in the Program stated in COMAR 10.09.36.03 and COMAR 13A.06.07.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" heading="Covered Services.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>The Program covers the services listed in §B of this regulation when the services are provided to a child:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Eligible for services under IDEA;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Who is an eligible Medicaid recipient;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Who was transported to or from a Medicaid-covered service under IDEA;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>Whose transportation and Medicaid-covered service or services are included on the child's IEP or IFSP.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>The following services are covered under this chapter:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Transportation to or from a school where a Medicaid-covered IDEA service is provided;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Transportation to or from a site where a Medicaid Early Intervention-covered IDEA service is provided; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Transportation between a school and a Medicaid-covered IDEA service.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" heading="Limitations.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>To participate in the Program as a provider of transportation services under IDEA, a provider shall be a local education agency, a local lead agency, a State-operated education agency, or State-supported education agency.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Providers shall only bill the Program for transportation services on dates when other Medicaid covered services are provided.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".06" heading="Payment Procedures.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Request for Payment.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>An enrolled provider shall submit a request for payment of services rendered and completed under this chapter according to procedures established by the Department. The Department reserves the right to return to the provider, before payment, all payment requests not properly prepared or submitted.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>The provider shall submit a request for payment in the manner specified by the Department. The completed form shall indicate the:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Date or dates of service;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Participant's name and Medical Assistance number;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Provider's name, location, and provider number; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>Nature, unit or units, and procedure code or codes of covered services provided.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>The Program may not make direct payment to the participant.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>Billing time limitations for services covered under this chapter are the same as those set forth in COMAR 10.09.36.06.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>Reimbursement for transportation services shall be $12.50 per one way trip, of which the State portion is certified by the Maryland State Department of Education.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".07" heading="Recovery and Reimbursement.">
    <text>Recovery and reimbursement is as set forth in COMAR 10.09.36.07.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".08" heading="Cause for Suspension or Removal and Imposition of Sanctions.">
    <text>Cause for suspension or removal and imposition of sanctions is as set forth in COMAR 10.09.36.08.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".09" heading="Appeal Procedures.">
    <text>Appeal procedures are those set forth in COMAR 10.09.36.09.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".10" heading="Interpretive Regulation.">
    <text>Interpretive regulations are those set forth in COMAR 10.09.36.10.</text>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="Authority">Health-General Article, §§2-104(b), 15-103, and 15-105, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date:</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulations .01—.10 adopted as an emergency provision effective February 12, 1997 (24:5 Md. R. 391); adopted permanently effective May 19, 1997 (24:10 Md. R. 710)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .01B amended effective December 18, 2006 (33:25 Md. R. 1951)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>