EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1480*
HOUSE BILL 1480
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By: Delegates Cardin, Bagnall, Cullison, McCaskill, Pasteur, Pena –Melnyk, and
Ruth
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Child Advocacy Centers – Continuity of Care Standards for Health Care 2
Professionals and Reports of Violations 3
FOR the purpose of requiring that standards established by the Maryland Statewide 4
Organization for Child Advocacy Centers require an individual providing medical or 5
mental health services in a child advocacy center to be licensed or certified and 6
provide services within the scope of the license or certification and require each child 7
advocacy center to establish a certain continuity of care plan; requiring each child 8
advocacy center to report certain violations to a certain health occupations board or 9
the Department of Human Services; requiring the Department to publish certain 10
information related to child advocacy centers on the Department’s website on or 11
before a certain date each year; and generally relating to child advocacy centers. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Criminal Procedure 14
Section 11–928 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Criminal Procedure 20
11–928. 21
(a) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall establish and 22
sustain child advocacy centers in the State and ensure that every child in the State has 23
access to a child advocacy center. 24
2 HOUSE BILL 1480
(b) The child advocacy centers: 1
(1) may be based in private nonprofit organizations, local departments of 2
social services, local law enforcement agencies, or a partnership among any of these 3
entities; 4
(2) shall be developed and located to facilitate their use by alleged victims 5
residing in the surrounding areas; 6
(3) shall assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of sexual 7
crimes against children under Title 3, Subtitle 3 of the Criminal Law Article and sexual 8
abuse of minors under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 9
7 of the Family Law Article; 10
(4) may assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of child 11
abuse and neglect under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 12
7 of the Family Law Article and allegations of a crime of violence in the presence of a minor 13
under § 3–601.1 of the Criminal Law Article; 14
(5) shall provide a level of care that meets or exceeds the national 15
accreditation standards for child advocacy centers established by the Maryland Statewide 16
Organization for Child Advocacy Centers under subsection (d) of this section; and 17
(6) shall be included in all joint investigation procedures developed in 18
accordance with § 5–706 of the Family Law Article. 19
(c) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy may contract with 20
public or private nonprofit organizations to operate child advocacy centers. 21
(d) (1) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall contract 22
with a nonprofit organization that is qualified under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 23
Code and represents urban, rural, and suburban child advocacy centers in the State to 24
establish a Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers. 25
(2) The purpose of the Maryland Statew ide Organization for Child 26
Advocacy Centers is to provide training, technical assistance, data collection, and capacity 27
building to meet local, State, and national requirements for child advocacy centers. 28
(3) [The] SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (4) OF THIS SUBSE CTION, THE 29
Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers shall establish standards for 30
child advocacy centers in the State that meet national accreditation standards for child 31
advocacy centers and shall include: 32
(i) multidisciplinary teams that include representation from law 33
enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, the medical and mental health fields, 34
and victim advocacy; 35
HOUSE BILL 1480 3
(ii) cultural competency and diversity; 1
(iii) forensic interviews that are neutral, fact–finding, and avoid 2
duplicative interviewing; 3
(iv) victim support and advocacy for children and caregivers, 4
including appropriate counseling, legal, and medical services or referrals; 5
(v) medical evaluations; 6
(vi) mental health services; 7
(vii) a formal case review process; 8
(viii) a case tracking, monitoring, and outcomes process; 9
(ix) organizational capacity; 10
(x) creating a child–focused setting that is comfortable, safe, and 11
private; and 12
(xi) any additional necessary standards. 13
(4) THE STANDARDS ESTABLI SHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 14
SUBSECTION SHALL REQUIRE: 15
(I) AN INDIVIDUAL PROVIDING MEDICAL OR MENTAL HE ALTH 16
SERVICES AS PART OF A MULTIDI SCIPLINARY TEAM TO BE LICENSED OR CERTI FIED 17
BY THE APPROPRIATE H EALTH OCCUPATIONS BO ARD AND PROVIDE SERV ICES 18
WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROVIDER’S LICENSE OR CERTIFICA TION; AND 19
(II) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R TO ESTABLISH A 20
CONTINUITY OF CARE P LAN THAT AT A MINIMUM SH ALL: 21
1. PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO THE CHILD AND 22
PARENT OR GUARDIAN WHEN THERE IS A CHAN GE IN A PROVIDER OF MEDICAL OR 23
MENTAL HEALTH SERVIC ES THAT INCLUDES : 24
A. THE NAME AND CONTACT INF ORMATION OF THE NEW 25
AND FORMER PROVIDER TO PROVIDE A MEANS THROUGH WHICH THE CHILD AND 26
PARENT OR GUARDIAN CAN CONTACT THE NEW AND FORMER PROVIDER; AND 27
B. A CONTINGENCY NOTIFICA TION PROCESS IF 28
NOTIFICATION TO THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN O R CONTACT WITH THE FORMER 29
PROVIDER WILL ENDANG ER THE CHILD; AND 30 4 HOUSE BILL 1480
2. SUBJECT TO ITEM 1B OF THIS ITEM, ALLOW THE 1
FORMER PROVIDER , IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HE PROVIDER’S PROFESSIONAL ETHIC S 2
AND STANDARDS OF CAR E, TO CONTACT THE CHILD AND PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO 3
CONDUCT A TERMINATIO N SESSION AND ASSIST IN THE TRANSFER OF C ARE. 4
(5) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY C ENTER SHALL REPORT A COMPLAINT 5
BASED ON THE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED UNDER PA RAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 6
SUBSECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR INVESTIG ATION AND 7
FURTHER ACTION . 8
(e) Money for child advocacy centers: 9
(1) shall be distributed to child advocacy centers in accordance with a 10
formula agreed on by the Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers 11
and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy; 12
(2) shall be used to supplement, not supplant, money that the program 13
receives from other sources; and 14
(3) may be used to assist child advocacy centers in meeting the standards 15
under subsection (d) of this section. 16
(f) (1) On or before June 1 each year, the Governor’s Office of Crime 17
Prevention and Policy shall submit an annual report, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 18
State Government Article, on child advocacy centers to the General Assembly. 19
(2) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT OF 20
HUMAN SERVICES SHALL PUBLIS H ON ITS WEBSITE , FOR THE IMMEDIATELY 21
PRECEDING YEAR : 22
(I) A DESCRIPTION OF THE STANDARDS FOR CHILD ADVOCACY 23
CENTERS ESTABLISHED BY THE MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD 24
ADVOCACY CENTERS AND DETAILED INFORMATION ON COMPL IANCE OF EACH 25
CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R WITH THE STANDARDS ; 26
(II) A DESCRIPTION OF ANY DATA COLLECTED BY TH E 27
MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD ADVOCACY CENTERS, 28
INCLUDING HOW AND TO WHOM COLLECTED DATA IS REPORTED; AND 29
(III) COMPLAINT INFORMATIO N RELATED TO EACH CHILD 30
ADVOCACY CENTER, IF APPLICABLE, AND THE RESOLUTION OF ANY COMPLAI NT 31
RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. 32
HOUSE BILL 1480 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2025. 2