Maryland Health - General Section 8-402

      (a)      The Administration shall:

            (1)      Plan and encourage development of, and coordinate the facilities and services that offer treatment, care, or rehabilitation for alcohol and drug abusers; and

            (2)      Adopt regulations:

                  (i)      To set standards for treatment, care, and rehabilitation of alcohol and drug abusers; and

                  (ii)      To ensure that before a facility is certified under this title to provide treatment, care, or rehabilitation of alcohol or drug abusers, an opportunity to comment, concerning whether the facility meets certification requirements, is provided to representatives of the county government and, if in a municipal corporation, the municipal government and to private citizens in the community where the facility is proposed to be located.

      (b)      The Administration may establish and operate or identify facilities and services, including evaluation facilities to determine if an individual is a drug abuser or alcohol abuser or dependent on drugs or alcohol.

      (c)      A facility that the Administration operates or contracts to be operated is a health facility and is not, for any purpose, a correctional institution.

      (d)      An individual may not be discriminated against based on an inability to pay for any services provided by the Administration either directly or by contract.

      (e)      To carry out the purposes of this title, the Administration may contract with any appropriate public or private agency that has proper and adequate treatment facilities, services, and staff.

      (f)      (1)      The Administration shall evaluate the success and effectiveness of each alcohol abuse and drug abuse treatment program licensed or certified under this subtitle by performing outcome research studies on a representative sample of individuals who have received treatment under those programs to determine the extent to which the individuals:

                  (i)      Have been successfully discharged from the treatment program; and

                  (ii)      Have successfully controlled their alcohol and drug abuse problems after being discharged from the program.

            (2)      The Administration shall adopt any reasonable regulations necessary to permit the Administration to perform the outcome research studies required under paragraph (1) of this subsection.

            (3)      The outcome research studies shall be conducted in a manner to protect the confidentiality of the individual and in accordance with the provisions of Subtitle 6 of this title.

            (4)      The Administration shall establish an Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Research Advisory Committee to:

                  (i)      Develop the methodology necessary to conduct the outcome research studies; and

                  (ii)      Advise the Administration on any reasonable regulations necessary to perform the outcome research studies in accordance with this subsection.