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.
*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
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2025
CHAPTER ______
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 employed by or 5
contracted with a Child Advocacy Center providing medical or mental health services 6
in a child advocacy center to be licensed or certified, if applicable, and provide 7
services within the scope of the license or certification and require each child 8
advocacy center to establish a certain continuity of care plan; requiring each child 9
advocacy center to report certain violations to a certain health occupations board or 10
the Department of Human Services Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and 11
Policy; requiring the Department Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy 12
to publish certain information related to child advocacy centers on the Department’s 13
Office’s website on or before a certain date each year; and generally relating to child 14
advocacy centers. 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Criminal Procedure 17
Section 11–928 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22 2 HOUSE BILL 1480
Article – Criminal Procedure 1
11–928. 2
(a) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall establish and 3
sustain child advocacy centers in the State and ensure that every child in the State has 4
access to a child advocacy center. 5
(b) The child advocacy centers: 6
(1) may be based in private nonprofit organizations, local departments of 7
social services, local law enforcement agencies, or a partnership among any of these 8
entities; 9
(2) shall be developed and located to facilitate their use by alleged victims 10
residing in the surrounding areas; 11
(3) shall assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of sexual 12
crimes against children under Title 3, Subtitle 3 of the Criminal Law Article and sexual 13
abuse of minors under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 14
7 of the Family Law Article; 15
(4) may assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of child 16
abuse and neglect under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 17
7 of the Family Law Article and allegations of a crime of violence in the presence of a minor 18
under § 3–601.1 of the Criminal Law Article; 19
(5) shall provide a level of care that meets or exceeds the national 20
accreditation standards for child advocacy centers established by the Maryland Statewide 21
Organization for Child Advocacy Centers under subsection (d) of this section; and 22
(6) shall be included in all joint investigation procedures developed in 23
accordance with § 5–706 of the Family Law Article. 24
(c) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy may contract with 25
public or private nonprofit organizations to operate child advocacy centers. 26
(d) (1) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall contract 27
with a nonprofit organization that is qualified under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 28
Code and represents urban, rural, and suburban child advocacy centers in the State to 29
establish a Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers. 30
(2) The purpose of the Maryland Statewide Organization for Child 31
Advocacy Centers is to provide training, technical assistance, data collection, and capacity 32
building to meet local, State, and national requirements for child advocacy centers. 33
HOUSE BILL 1480 3
(3) [The] SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (4) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 1
Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers shall establish standards for 2
child advocacy centers in the State that meet national accreditation standards for child 3
advocacy centers and shall include: 4
(i) multidisciplinary teams that include representation from law 5
enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, the medical and mental health fields, 6
and victim advocacy; 7
(ii) cultural competency and diversity; 8
(iii) forensic interviews that are neutral, fact–finding, and avoid 9
duplicative interviewing; 10
(iv) victim support and advocacy for children and caregivers, 11
including appropriate counseling, legal, and medical services or referrals; 12
(v) medical evaluations; 13
(vi) mental health services; 14
(vii) a formal case review process; 15
(viii) a case tracking, monitoring, and outcomes process; 16
(ix) organizational capacity; 17
(x) creating a child–focused setting that is comfortable, safe, and 18
private; and 19
(xi) any additional necessary standards. 20
(4) THE STANDARDS ESTABLI SHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 21
SUBSECTION SHALL REQ UIRE: 22
(I) AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED BY OR CONTR ACTED WITH A 23
CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R PROVIDING MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH SERVIC ES AS 24
PART OF A MULTIDISCI PLINARY TEAM TO BE L ICENSED OR CERTIFIED BY THE 25
APPROPRIATE HEALTH O CCUPATIONS BOARD , IF APPLICABLE , AND PROVIDE 26
SERVICES WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROVIDE R’S LICENSE OR CERTIFI CATION; AND 27
(II) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER TO ESTABLISH A 28
CONTINUITY OF CARE P LAN THAT AT A MINIMU M SHALL: 29
1. IF KNOWN BY THE CHIL D ADVOCACY CENTER AN D THE 30
FORMER PROVIDER IS E MPLOYED BY OR CONTRA CTED WITH THE CHILD ADVOCACY 31 4 HOUSE BILL 1480
CENTER, PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTI FICATION TO THE CHIL D AND PARENT OR 1
GUARDIAN WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE IN A PRO VIDER OF MEDICAL OR MENTAL 2
HEALTH SERVICES THAT INCLUDES: 3
A. THE NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE N EW 4
AND FORMER PROVIDER TO PROVIDE A MEANS T HROUGH WHICH THE CHI LD AND 5
PARENT OR GUARDIAN C AN CONTACT THE NEW A ND FORMER PROVIDER ; AND 6
B. A CONTINGENCY NOTIFI CATION PROCESS IF 7
NOTIFICATION TO THE PARENT OR GUAR DIAN OR CONTACT WITH THE FORMER 8
PROVIDER WILL ENDANG ER THE CHILD; AND 9
2. SUBJECT TO ITEM 1B 1 OF THIS ITEM, ALLOW THE 10
FORMER PROVIDER , IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HE PROVIDER’S PROFESSIONAL ETHIC S 11
AND STANDARDS OF CAR E, TO CONTACT THE CHILD AND PARENT OR GUAR DIAN TO 12
CONDUCT A TERMINATIO N SESSION AND ASSIST IN THE TRANSFER OF C ARE. 13
(5) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY C ENTER SHALL REPORT A COMPLAINT 14
BASED ON THE STANDAR DS ESTABLISHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 15
SUBSECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF 16
CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY FOR REFERRAL T O THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR 17
INVESTIGATION AND FU RTHER ACTION , IF NECESSARY. 18
(e) Money for child advocacy centers: 19
(1) shall be distributed to child advocacy centers in accordance with a 20
formula agreed on by the Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers 21
and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy; 22
(2) shall be used to supplement, not supplant, money that the program 23
receives from other sources; and 24
(3) may be used to assist child advocacy centers in meeting the standards 25
under subsection (d) of this section. 26
(f) (1) On or before June 1 each year, the Governor’s Office of Crime 27
Prevention and Policy shall submit an annual report, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 28
State Government Article, on child advocacy centers to the General Assembly. 29
(2) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT OF 30
HUMAN SERVICES BEGINNING IN 2027, THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME 31
PREVENTION AND POLICY SHALL PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE, FOR THE IMMEDIATELY 32
PRECEDING YEAR : 33
HOUSE BILL 1480 5
(I) A DESCRIPTION OF THE STANDARDS FOR CHILD ADVOCACY 1
CENTERS ESTABLISHED BY THE MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD 2
ADVOCACY CENTERS AND DETAILED INFORMATION ON COMPL IANCE OF EACH 3
CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R WITH THE STAN DARDS; AND 4
(II) A DESCRIPTION OF ANY DATA COLLECTED BY TH E 5
MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD ADVOCACY CENTERS, 6
INCLUDING HOW AND TO WHOM COLLECTED DATA IS REPORTED; AND 7
(III) (II) COMPLAINT INFORMATIO N RELATED TO EACH CH ILD 8
ADVOCACY CENTER , IF APPLICABLE, AND THE RESOLUTION O F ANY COMPLAINT 9
RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF 10
CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY, UNLESS SUCH INFORMAT ION IS CONFIDENTIAL 11
OR OTHERW ISE PROTECTED UNDER FEDERAL LAW . 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2025. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.