Advocates for Marylanders with developmental and intellectual disabilities filled a State House hearing room in Annapolis yesterday, pushing back against a sweeping set of rule changes they say the state quietly slipped online. The updates, a roughly 291-page package of edits to how self-directed services are billed, staffed, and documented, were posted on Feb. 4, 2026. Families who rely on the program to help loved ones live and work in the community say they are already alarmed, and lawmakers left the hearing raising flags about notice, oversight, and the real-world impact on thousands of people who use self-direction.
At the hearing, Anne Vlearbone, co-leader of Concerned Citizens of Self-Directed Maryland, said she stumbled on what she called a "tiny link" in a departmental newsletter and realized the new rules were live. She described the changes as "drastic" and said they took effect "upon publication." As reported by WTOP, Vlearbone said the package touches billing, who is allowed to work, how people qualify to work, and documentation rules that would affect nearly 4,000 Marylanders who receive self-directed services.
Lawmakers Push 90-Day Comment Rule
State Sen. J.B. Jennings has introduced legislation that would slow that kind of rollout. His bill, SB0583, would require the deputy secretary for developmental disabilities to publish proposed changes and leave them open for at least a 90-day public comment period before any revisions to the Self-Directed Services Manual or waivers could be adopted. The measure was scheduled for a Senate Finance hearing on Tuesday, with the bill text and schedule posted on the Maryland General Assembly website.
Policy Changes Follow Months Of Budget Fights
Advocacy groups note that this latest round of edits lands after months of budget battles and earlier rule tweaks that already rattled families and providers. Reporting has detailed proposals to tie self-directed reimbursement rates to federal wage indexes and other cost-cutting ideas that advocates warned could squeeze access to self-direction, as reported by WYPR and in earlier coverage in the Maryland Daily Record. The Developmental Disabilities Administration's Self-Directed Services Manual, which spells out documentation and staffing rules and was last revised in 2025, already runs hundreds of pages and shows how detailed the program's operational requirements have become, according to the DDA Self-Directed Services Manual.
Families Say New Rules Are Humanly Impossible
Caregivers who testified warned that additional paperwork and tighter rules could push self-direction out of reach, especially for older parents or relatives supporting people with high-needs behavior. When lawmakers asked about documentation expectations, Vlearbone said it would be "physically impossible" to record every routine behavior for her son Michael, according to WTOP. Supporters of the program told the panel that self-direction has allowed people like Michael to learn job skills, volunteer, and take on roles as meaningful members of their communities, and they argued those gains could be put at risk by abrupt rule changes.
What Happens Next In The Annapolis Fight
For now, SB0583 is still in committee. If it passes, the bill would bar the deputy secretary from adopting proposed manual changes until the full public comment period has run its course. The bill's page on the Maryland General Assembly site lays out the hearing schedule and key provisions.
Advocates say they plan to keep pressing legislators to install clearer guardrails on future policy shifts, even as state budget talks and waiver amendments continue on a separate track. The hearing underscored how far apart families, providers, and policymakers still are on how to balance oversight, cost control, and the day-to-day needs of people who direct their own care. As the legislative session moves ahead, families and disability advocates will be watching committee calendars and DDA postings closely for any new changes that could reshape daily life for thousands of Marylanders.
