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Maryland Milestones in Longer Living
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From Preparation to Progress: Maryland’s Longevity Shift

The Maryland Department of Aging (MDOA) had a very successful legislative session in 2026. Key achievements include a landmark law that embeds longevity-planning into the core mission of MDOA, stronger protections for critical older adult services and funding, and greater cooperation of older adult population growth between sister agencies. Through these accomplishments, the state has committed to embrace a visionary, permanent, and more sustainable framework for supporting longer lives that positions Maryland as a national leader in longevity-readiness.

Legislative Accomplishments

The Longevity Ready Maryland Act

This first-of-its-kind legislation establishes Maryland as a national leader in aging policy by permanently embedding a longevity-planning approach into the work of MDOA and across state government. Beginning with an Executive Order and growing out of years of stakeholder engagement, the LRM Act mandates collaboration among housing, transportation, health care, and economic sectors, moving aging services from a category reserved for a specific group of people at a specific time of life to a unified, whole-of-government process that better prepares Maryland for longer lives across the lifespan.

“The LRM Act will reorganize and modernize our approach to aging and state government as a whole, protecting that multisector framework for future administrations,” said Andrea Nunez, Legislative Director for MDOA. She explains that the LRM plan has always been intentionally broad, encompassing a range of sectors. “There’s a topic for everyone under those four Epic Goals. I think that’s why you see a lot of different organizations, agencies, and individuals finding parts of the plan that speak to them.”

Other MDOA Legislation Passed

  • Aging Resilience Fund – Establishment: Led by Delegate Sarah Wolek and Senator Craig Zucker, this legislation establishes a new non-lapsing special fund that will give MDOA more flexibility to receive and leverage philanthropic and other sources of private funding in alignment with the Department’s work going forward—a tool that is sorely needed. The fund includes important guardrails and reporting requirements.
  • Multigenerational Third Places Act: Led by Delegate Sarah Wolek and Senator Shelly Hettleman, this legislation clarifies existing law allowing senior villages and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to utilize Aging-in-Place grant funds for costs associated with the use of multigenerational places that support social connection among people of different ages. This will give Maryland’s senior villages and AAAs greater flexibility to rent or lease gathering spaces on a standing basis, and not just in connection with defined events.

Other LRM-Aligned Legislation Passed

  • The Protection From Predatory Pricing Act (SB 347, HB 895) from Governor Wes Moore makes Maryland the first state in the country to ban price manipulation practices driven by surveillance data. This prohibits grocers and third-party delivery service providers from using dynamic pricing, ensuring consistent and transparent costs for groceries at check-out. This will benefit older adults and caregivers on limited incomes.
  • Health – Dementia Services and Brain Health Program and Clinical Provider Resource Toolkit (SB 555, HB 446, Sen. Hayes, Del. Martinez) creates a new online resource to increase health care provider training on dementia and other cognitive health issues.
  • Nursing Facilities – Involuntary Discharge or Transfer (SB 493, HB 1002, Sen. Beidle, Del. Lopez) tightens procedures around involuntary discharges from nursing homes to protect residents.
  • Adult Protective Services – Modifications (SB 182, HB 282, Department of Human Services) codifies essential updates to Adult Protective Services procedures to improve safety and intervention.

Looking Ahead

Going forward, MDOA’s policy team will continue to be an active partner in creating and supporting legislation that promotes longevity-readiness. “Now we go to work for the next ten or more years,” said Nunez. “For me, it’s going back to the plan and looking over those specific recommendations and either doing them ourselves, or finding the right partner to start working on them with. We’re not going to lead on all of it, but we will work alongside our sister agencies who have direct roles in the key areas of implementation.”

For more information about MDOA’s 2026 Legislative Session and other LRM-aligned bills, visit the Legislation page on the MDOA website.

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