COMAR 10.63 Is Now Published: Formal Comment Period Closes September 21
The COMAR 10.63 rewrite we covered in July has moved from "coming soon" to "the clock is running." The Maryland Department of Health published the proposed regulations in the August 21, 2026 Maryland Register, which opened the formal public comment period. Written comments are due by September 21, 2026, and BHA has not scheduled a public hearing, so written comment is the only way to weigh in.
Why this matters
COMAR 10.63 is the operating rulebook for nearly every community behavioral health program in Maryland, covering PRP, OMHC, TCM, PHP, IOP, residential, crisis, and SUD services. This is the entire subtitle being rewritten: universal standards for every licensed program, new program-specific chapters, and an enforcement framework with real civil monetary penalties behind it. For the full breakdown of what is changing and why, see our deep dive, The COMAR 10.63 Overhaul: What Maryland Behavioral Health Providers Need to Know Right Now.
What to do before September 21
- Read the program-specific chapter that applies to your program type and note where it differs from how you operate today.
- Flag any proposed requirement, such as a staffing ratio, a documentation standard, or a program-specific rule, that would create real operational hardship.
- Submit written comments to the Office of Regulation and Policy Coordination by September 21, 2026: mdh.regs@maryland.gov, or 201 W. Preston St., Room 534, Baltimore, MD 21201; 410-767-0938.
BHA has revised the draft repeatedly in response to stakeholder feedback, so comments genuinely land. If a requirement would make your program's day-to-day harder, this is the window to say so in writing.