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.
*sb0668*
SENATE BILL 668
D4, O4 4lr2507
CF HB 542
By: Senator Charles Senators Charles, Sydnor, West, Muse, Folden, James, Kelly,
McKay, Smith, and Waldstreicher
Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2024
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 22, 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 SENATE BILL 668
(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 FOSTER 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
(II) IS IN POSSESSION OF NEW LUGGAGE PREVIOUS LY 28
PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT . 29 SENATE BILL 668 3
(4) WHEN PROVIDING NEW LU GGAGE TO A CHILD IN FOS TER CARE, 1
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CHI LD’S: 2
(I) AGE; 3
(II) MOBILITY; 4
(III) PERSONAL ITEMS TO BE TRANSPORTED ; AND 5
(IV) PREFERENCES . 6
(D) (1) THE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT US E DISPOSABLE BAGS OR TRASH 7
BAGS TO TRANSPORT ANY ITEMS OF A CHILD IN FOSTER CARE. 8
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAIN TAIN A RECORD OF EAC H 9
INSTANCE IN WHICH A DISPOSABLE BAG OR TRASH BAG IS USED TO MOVE THE 10
PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF A CHILD IN FOSTER CARE. 11
(2) (3) THE RECORD REQUIRED U NDER PAR AGRAPH (1) (2) OF 12
THIS SUBSECTION SHAL L INCLUDE THE REASON THE DEPARTMENT DID NOT 13
PROVIDE THE CHILD WI TH NEW LUGGAGE TO MO VE THE CHILD ’S PERSONAL 14
BELONGINGS . 15
(E) THE DEPARTMENT MAY SOLICI T AND ACCEPT GIFTS , GRANTS, AND 16
DONATIONS OF ANY KIN D AND FROM ANY SOURCE TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS 17
OF THIS SECTION. 18
(F) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 19
REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE 20
STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING INFORM ATION: 21
(1) THE NUMBER OF INSTAN CES IN WHICH A DISPO SABLE BAG OR 22
TRASH BAG WAS USED TO TRANSPOR T THE PERSONAL BELON GINGS OF A CHILD IN 23
FOSTER CARE AND THE REASON THE DEPARTMENT FAILED TO PROVIDE THE CHILD 24
IN FOSTER CARE WITH NEW LUGGAGE ; AND 25
(2) THE DEPARTMENT ’S SUPPLY INVENTORY AND I NVENTORY 26
MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE S FOR THE NEW LUGGAG E SUPPLY MAINTAINED UNDER 27
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 28
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 29
October 1, 2024. 30