Maryland law requires State 9-8-8 lifelines to link with the national network and adds annual public reporting on crisis-service outcomes starting in 2026.
Maryland updates its crisis-response law
According to the Maryland General Assembly, House Bill 1146 was enacted as Chapter 659 of the 2025 Laws of Maryland and took effect July 1, 2025. The law amends the state’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response System requirements under the Health-General Article.
The Maryland General Assembly says the measure replaces the prior term “crisis communication center” with “State 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline” for each jurisdiction or region in Maryland. It was cross-filed with Senate Bill 900 and was approved by the Governor, according to the Assembly’s legislative tracking record.
Connection to the national 9-8-8 network
Under the enacted law, the Maryland General Assembly states that each State 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline must coordinate with the national 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Network. The law requires coordination to provide the network’s full range of services.
According to the Maryland General Assembly, those services include supportive counseling, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and referrals to additional resources. The law also covers direct dispatch or warm hand-offs to mobile crisis response and stabilization services and other immediate services when needed.
The Maryland General Assembly further states that the State 9-8-8 lifelines must coordinate with local core service agencies or local behavioral health authorities.
Annual outcome reporting begins in 2026
The law changes outcome-evaluation requirements for Maryland’s Crisis Response System, according to the Maryland General Assembly. Data on service outcomes in each jurisdiction or region must be collected, analyzed, and publicly reported each year.
The Maryland General Assembly says the annual public report is due by December 1, beginning in 2026. The reporting requirement is intended to apply across jurisdictions or regions covered by the Crisis Response System.
State data oversight costs
The Department of Legislative Services fiscal and policy note, cited by the Maryland General Assembly, estimated that Maryland Department of Health general fund spending would increase by $63,100 in fiscal year 2026. The estimate would fund one part-time employee to oversee data collection and analysis for the annual report.
According to the Maryland General Assembly’s source extract, similar ongoing costs were expected in later years.
What this means for Maryland patients
This enacted law sets requirements for how Maryland’s 9-8-8 crisis lifelines connect with national, local, mobile-response, and stabilization services, while adding public outcome reporting. For people looking for treatment locally, the directory lists 100 published clinics in Maryland.
This is general information, not medical advice.
More Maryland reporting on access & coverage.
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