# Maryland HB 0377: Physician Assistants and Midwives - Parity With Other Health Care Practitioners

Maryland HB 0377, Physician Assistants and Midwives - Parity With Other Health Care Practitioners, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Steve Johnson (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-28 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 223); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0377-2026RS
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland HB 0377
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Physician Assistants and Midwives - Parity With Other Health Care Practitioners
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-19
- Last action: 2026-04-28, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 223
- Sponsor: Steve Johnson (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 13
- Subjects: Health Occupations, Committee Changes, Committees and Commissions, Data -see also- Census; Demographics, Disabilities, Disparity, Emergencies -see also- Pandemics, Ethics, Good Samaritan, Health -see also- COVID19; EnvHlth; MedCon; etc., Health Care Commission, Health Care Facilities -see also- Clinics; Hospices; etc, Health, Department of, Health Maintenance Organizations -see also- Manage Care Orgs, Health Occupations -see also- (specific health occupations), Immunization, Incarcerated Individuals, Medical Equipment and Devices, Medical Treatments, Mental and Behavioral Health -see also- Aut; Cogn; Dev; etc., Midwives, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses -see also- Nurse Practitioners; Nursing Assistants, Parents and Guardians, Petitions, Physician Assistants, Physicians -see also- MedExmnrs; Pediatr; Psychiatrists etc., Poverty, Pregnancy, Reports, Studies -see also- Commitees & Commissions; Reports, Time, Work, Labor, and Employment -see also- JobTrn; Leave; etc.
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (179 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 10

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Physician assistants can support guardianship petitions: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, guardianship petitions can use competency certificates from one licensed physician and one licensed physician assistant. Both must have examined or evaluated the person. The certificates must be signed and verified; they do not decide the guardianship outcome.
- Health plan members gain provider choices: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, required health maintenance organization standards give members more primary-care provider choices among available providers. Choices include physicians, physician assistants, certified nurse-midwives, licensed certified midwives, and certified nurse practitioners. The la…
- More access to emergency allergy medicine: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, physician assistants can prescribe and dispense emergency epinephrine and supplies to Emergency and Allergy Treatment Program certificate holders. Holders or their agents can give it for anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, or a good-faith belief that it is occurring.…
- More clinicians can certify home-care needs: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, physician assistants can certify institutional-placement risk for people eligible for Attendant Care Program financial help. The certification shows that without community attendant care, the person risks placement in a nursing facility or similar licensed institution. Ph…
- More clinicians can order pregnancy care: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, more clinicians can order infirmary admission for pregnant people in custody who need that care. They include physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and licensed certified midwives.
- State covers qualifying emergency evaluation costs: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, Maryland's Department of Health pays specified emergency mental health evaluation costs for qualifying people. Coverage applies when the person cannot pay or lacks insurance covering the emergency charges. It includes initial consultant examinations by physician assistant…
- State workers gain sick-leave documentation options: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, Maryland state employees can use a physician assistant's certificate for extended paid sick leave. After 5 or more consecutive workdays, employees must give their immediate supervisor an original illness or disability certificate. Leave can cover the employee's illness or…
- Physician assistant staffing referrals leave licensing: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, physician assistants are excluded from the practitioner definition used in Maryland's health care staffing-agency licensing rules. Physicians are also excluded from that definition. Agencies must still be licensed before referring practitioners covered by those rules for…
- Physician assistants join mental health admissions: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, physician assistants can examine people and petition for emergency mental health evaluations without immediate court review. Their signed petitions can lead police to take people to the nearest emergency facility. A physician and physician assistant can also certify a dis…
- Physician assistants join treatment decision certifications: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, a physician assistant can serve as the second professional for specified treatment certifications. These cover inability to make informed treatment decisions and terminal or end-stage conditions, including decisions about life-sustaining treatment. This expands access to…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Steve Johnson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Tiffany T. Alston (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Heather Bagnall (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Bonnie Cullison (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Pam Lanman Guzzone (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Aaron M. Kaufman (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Nicholaus R. Kipke (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Lesley J. Lopez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Ashanti Martinez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Samuel I. Rosenberg (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kim Ross (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Deni Taveras (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jennifer White Holland (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Teresa Woorman (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-06 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 46 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-12 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 133 | 0 | 3 |

## Actions (12)

- 2026-04-28: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 223
- 2026-04-07: Returned Passed (House)
- 2026-04-06: Third Reading Passed (46-0) (Senate)
- 2026-03-31: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Favorable Report by Finance (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Referred Finance (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Third Reading Passed (133-0) (House)
- 2026-03-10: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House)
- 2026-03-10: Favorable with Amendments {523120/1 Adopted (House)
- 2026-03-10: Favorable with Amendments Report by Health (House)
- 2026-01-22: Hearing 2/04 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-01-19: First Reading Health (House)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-04-28: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_223_hb0377t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-03-10: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0377t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-01-19: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0377f.pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - Authorization (became law)
- SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishment (became law)
- SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law)
- SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-1 Specialists Act) (became law)
- SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits (became law)
- HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law)

## Sources
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_223_hb0377t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0377t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0377f.pdf)

## Related
- [SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - A…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0496-2026RS)
- [SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishm…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0366-2026RS)
- [SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0244-2026RS)
- [SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0148-2026RS)
- [SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0016-2026RS)
- [HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0529-2026RS)
- [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills)
- [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0377-2026RS (as of 2026-10-11).