Overview
- House leaders Jason Buckel, Bonnie Cullison and Jesse Pippy say the General Assembly will take up unlicensed assisted living in January even as a $1.4 billion deficit dominates the session.
- A Spotlight on Maryland investigation identified more than 115 suspected unlicensed facilities in Baltimore, highlighting unsafe conditions and little oversight.
- Operating an unlicensed assisted living facility has been a felony in Maryland since 2023, yet enforcement has lagged, with the attorney general receiving its first referral of the year only after recent reporting.
- Maryland lacks a right-of-entry law, and health officials say owners can refuse access to suspected unlicensed homes, constraining inspections and follow-up.
- Other states have used stronger tools—Hawaii’s right-of-entry and daily fines, North Carolina’s new felony statute, Texas criminal penalties, and public registries in Florida and Tennessee—while Maryland also faces long waitlists that complicate relocating residents.