ANNAPOLIS- The House Health and Government Operations Committee held a hearing this afternoon to discuss House Bill (HB) 1391, the Kids First Act, which, if enacted, would strive to achieve universal health care for Maryland’s nearly 140,000 uninsured children.

Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Takoma Park), the chief sponsor of the legislation, said the state ranked 31st in children’s access to health care, which she called “a mark of great shame.”

“We must do better than that,” she said.

According to a synopsis of the bill, the act would require the “Comptroller to send a notice regarding eligibility for the Maryland Medical Assistance Program or the Maryland Children's Health Program to a taxpayer with a dependent child if income reported on a tax return does not exceed a specified amount; requiring a taxpayer to report on the income tax return the presence or absence of health care coverage for each dependent child; requiring the Comptroller to send a taxpayer specified applications; etc.”

Mizeur said the fact that parents would be required to “check a box on their tax forms” indicating if their child has health care or not, would ensure “family responsibility.”

She also said the legislation would provide access to health care for children who come from lower and middle income families, specifically saying that those “in the middle” would not be “squeezed out.”

Mizeur said that children without health care “do not have a medical home.”

She also called on her colleagues and parents across the state to “put the welfare of our children ahead of our own.”

Several committee members, including Chairman Peter Hammen (D-Baltimore) co-sponsored the legislation.