House Bill 1720 would allow Medicaid reimbursement for certain violence-prevention services, including hospital-based violence intervention programs and related outreach and case management, enabling providers to draw federal matching funds to sustain and expand the services.

The bill’s patron, Delegate Price, framed the measure as a public-health approach to reduce violent-injury recidivism and cited studies and local program results from other jurisdictions. He noted the significant estimated annual public cost of gun violence nationwide and argued that reimbursing violence-intervention services could save lives and public dollars.

Speakers in support included Mike McLively of the Gifford Center for Violence Intervention, Adrian Cook of Let Our Voices Empower, an individual participant who described a personal life change after receiving services, and Dr. Heidi Appel, a pediatrician representing the American Academy of Pediatrics (online). Supporters emphasized the human-to-human approach and the potential for Medicaid federal match to sustain services.

Committee discussion referenced prior hearings with the Department of Health and Human Services and calls for HHS to take a robust role in addressing gun violence. The subcommittee voted to report HB 1720 and refer it to Appropriations; the roll call was 4–3 in favor.

The transcript includes supporter testimony and the close vote; it does not include a full fiscal estimate of the Medicaid changes or CMS approval steps required to make the services reimbursable.