EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0542*
HOUSE BILL 542
D4, O4 4lr0736
CF SB 668
By: Delegates Vogel, Acevero, Grossman, Kaufman, Palakovich Carr, Wilkins, and
Wu Wu, Crutchfield, Cardin, Pasteur, Toles, Schmidt, Simmons, Phillips,
Roberson, Tomlinson, Arikan, Taylor, Simpson, Valentine, and Conaway
Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2024
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Human Services – Children in Foster Care – Luggage 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Human Services to establish and maintain 3
a decentralized supply of new luggage to be used to transport the personal belongings 4
of a child in foster care; requiring the Department to provide new luggage to a child 5
who is being removed from a household in foster care under certain circumstances; 6
prohibiting the Department from using disposable bags or trash bags to transport 7
any items for a child in foster care; requiring the Department to maintain certain 8
records regarding luggage and children in foster care; and generally relating to the 9
Department of Human Services and children in foster care. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Family Law 12
Section 5–505.2 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Family Law 18
5–505.2. 19 2 HOUSE BILL 542
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION, “NEW LUGGAGE ” MEANS A SUITCASE, DUFFEL 1
BAG, BACKPACK, OR SIMILAR CONTAINER THAT: 2
(I) IS DESIGNED TO HOLD AN INDIVIDUAL ’S PERSONAL 3
BELONGINGS ; AND 4
(II) HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOU SLY USED. 5
(2) “NEW LUGGAGE ” DOES NOT INCLUDE A D ISPOSABLE BAG OR 6
TRASH BAG. 7
(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 8
(1) ESTABLISH AND MAINTA IN A DECENTRALIZED S UPPLY OF NEW 9
LUGGAGE TO BE USED T O TRANSPORT THE PERS ONAL BELONGINGS OF A CHILD IN 10
FOSTER CARE; AND 11
(2) DEVELOP PROCEDURES F OR THE STORAGE AND D ISTRIBUTION OF 12
NEW LUGGAGE INTENDED FOR CHILDREN IN FO STER CARE. 13
(C) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3) THROUGH (4) OF THIS 14
SUBSECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROV IDE NEW LUGGAGE TO A CHILD IN 15
FOSTER CARE WHO IS BEING REMOVED FROM A HOUSEHOLD : 16
(I) ENTERING FOSTER CARE ; 17
(II) MOVING FROM ONE FOST ER CARE PLACEMENT TO 18
ANOTHER; OR 19
(III) EXITING FOSTER CARE . 20
(2) NEW LUGGAGE PROVIDED TO A CHILD UNDER THI S SUBSECTION: 21
(I) IS THE PROPERTY OF T HE CHILD; AND 22
(II) MAY NOT BE RECLAIMED BY THE DEPARTMENT OR 23
RETAINED BY THE CHIL D’S FOSTER PARENT . 24
(3) THE DEPARTMENT IS NOT REQ UIRED TO PROVIDE ADD ITIONAL 25
NEW LUGGAGE UNDER TH IS SUBSECTION TO A C HILD WHO: 26
(I) IS CHANGING PLACEMEN T; AND 27
HOUSE BILL 542 3
(II) IS IN POSSESSION OF NEW LUGGAGE PREVIOUS LY 1
PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT . 2
(4) WHEN PROVIDING NEW LU GGAGE TO A CHILD IN FOSTER CARE, 3
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CHI LD’S: 4
(I) AGE; 5
(II) MOBILITY; 6
(III) PERSONAL ITEMS TO BE TRANSPORTED ; AND 7
(IV) PREFERENCES . 8
(D) (1) THE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT US E DISPOSABLE BAGS OR TRASH 9
BAGS TO TRANSPORT ANY ITEMS OF A CHILD IN FOSTER CARE. 10
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAIN TAIN A RECORD OF EAC H 11
INSTANCE IN WHICH A DISPOSABLE BAG OR TRASH BAG IS USED TO MOVE THE 12
PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF A CHILD IN FOSTER CARE. 13
(2) (3) THE RECORD REQUIRED U NDER PAR AGRAPH (1) (2) OF 14
THIS SUBSECTION SHAL L INCLUDE THE REASON THE DEPARTMENT DID NOT 15
PROVIDE THE CHILD WI TH NEW LUGGAGE TO MO VE THE CHILD ’S PERSONAL 16
BELONGINGS . 17
(E) THE DEPARTMENT MAY SOLICI T AND ACCEPT GIFTS , GRANTS, AND 18
DONATIONS OF ANY KIN D AND FROM ANY SOURC E TO CARRY OUT THE P ROVISIONS 19
OF THIS SECTION. 20
(F) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 21
REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WIT H § 2–1257 OF THE 22
STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING INFORM ATION: 23
(1) THE NUMBER OF INSTAN CES IN WHICH A DISPO SABLE BAG OR 24
TRASH BAG WAS USED TO TRANSPOR T THE PERSONAL BELON GINGS OF A CHILD IN 25
FOSTER CARE AND THE REASON THE DEPARTMENT FAILED TO PROVIDE THE CHILD 26
IN FOSTER CARE WITH NEW LUGGAGE ; AND 27
(2) THE DEPARTMENT ’S SUPPLY INVENTORY A ND INVENTORY 28
MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE S FOR THE NEW LUGGAG E SUPPLY MAINTAINED UNDER 29
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 30
4 HOUSE BILL 542
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That thi s Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2024. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.