New legislation was passed in 2025 by the Maryland General Assembly that establishes new requirements for healthcare professionals. Effective October 1, 2025, all health occupation license and certificate renewal applicants must complete recognized training programs on both implicit bias and structural racism. To facilitate compliance, MHHD is working in coordination with the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program to identify and approve training programs by ACCME-accredited organizations.
The following is the statutory basis for the Implicit Bias Training and Structural Racism training requirements under House Bill 783 (Chapter 478): Health Occupations – Implicit Bias and Structural Racism Training
§1–225
- Subject to subsection (c) of this section, an applicant for the renewal of a license or certificate issued by a health occupations board under this article shall attest in the application that the applicant has completed an implicit bias and structural racism training program approved by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program under § 20–1306 of the Health – General Article.
- Each health occupations board may adopt regulations that allow an applicant seeking license renewal to receive continuing education credits for completing an implicit bias and structural racism training program.
- The requirement under subsection (a) of this section that an applicant attest to the completion of an implicit bias and structural racism training program shall apply only to an applicant's first license or certificate renewal after April 1, 2026.
The following outlines MHHD's role to satisfy the requirements of § 1–225 of the Health Occupations Article:
§20–1306
- The Program shall, in coordination with the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, identify and approve implicit bias and structural racism training programs that an individual may complete to satisfy the requirements of § 1–225 of the Health Occupations Article.
- The Program may approve only implicit bias and structural racism training programs under paragraph (1) of this subsection that are recognized by a health occupations board established under the Health Occupations Article or accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education or the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
- The Program shall provide a list of training programs approved under subsection (a) of this section on request.
§20–1301
In this subtitle, the following words have the meanings indicated:
(e) “Program" means the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program.
