Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1480 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3		EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4		[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5		-	Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
6		-	Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
7		-	amendment.
8	5		hb1480
9	6
10	7		HOUSE BILL 1480
11	8		O4, J2 5lr1520
12	9		CF 5lr1521
13	10		By: Delegates Cardin, Bagnall, Cullison, McCaskill, Pasteur, Pena –Melnyk, and
14	11		Ruth
15	12		Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
16	13		Assigned to: Appropriations
17		-	Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
18		-	House action: Adopted
19		-	Read second time: March 6, 2025
20	14
21		-	~~CHAPTER ______~~
	15	+	A BILL ENTITLED
22	16
23	17		AN ACT concerning 1
24	18
25	19		Child Advocacy Centers – Continuity of Care Standards for Health Care 2
26	20		Professionals and Reports of Violations 3
27	21
28	22		FOR the purpose of requiring that standards established by the Maryland Statewide 4
29		-	Organization for Child Advocacy Centers require an individual employed by or 5
30		-	contracted with a Child Advocacy Center providing medical or mental health services 6
31		-	in a child advocacy center to be licensed or certified, if applicable, and provide 7
32		-	services within the scope of the license or certification and require each child 8
33		-	advocacy center to establish a certain continuity of care plan; requiring each child 9
34		-	advocacy center to report certain violations to a certain health occupations board or 10
35		-	the Department of Human Services Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and 11
36		-	Policy; requiring the Department Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy 12
37		-	to publish certain information related to child advocacy centers on the Department’s 13
38		-	Office’s website on or before a certain date each year; and generally relating to child 14
39		-	advocacy centers. 15
	23	+	Organization for Child Advocacy Centers require an individual providing medical or 5
	24	+	mental health services in a child advocacy center to be licensed or certified and 6
	25	+	provide services within the scope of the license or certification and require each child 7
	26	+	advocacy center to establish a certain continuity of care plan; requiring each child 8
	27	+	advocacy center to report certain violations to a certain health occupations board or 9
	28	+	the Department of Human Services; requiring the Department to publish certain 10
	29	+	information related to child advocacy centers on the Department’s website on or 11
	30	+	before a certain date each year; and generally relating to child advocacy centers. 12
40	31
41		-	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
42		-	Article – Criminal Procedure 17
43		-	Section 11–928 18
44		-	Annotated Code of Maryland 19
45		-	(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
	32	+	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
	33	+	Article – Criminal Procedure 14
	34	+	Section 11–928 15
	35	+	Annotated Code of Maryland 16
	36	+	(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
46	37
47		-	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
48		-	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22 2 HOUSE BILL 1480
	38	+	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
	39	+	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
	40	+
	41	+	Article – Criminal Procedure 20
	42	+
	43	+	11–928. 21
	44	+
	45	+	(a) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall establish and 22
	46	+	sustain child advocacy centers in the State and ensure that every child in the State has 23
	47	+	access to a child advocacy center. 24
	48	+	2 HOUSE BILL 1480
	49	+
	50	+
	51	+	(b) The child advocacy centers: 1
	52	+
	53	+	(1) may be based in private nonprofit organizations, local departments of 2
	54	+	social services, local law enforcement agencies, or a partnership among any of these 3
	55	+	entities; 4
	56	+
	57	+	(2) shall be developed and located to facilitate their use by alleged victims 5
	58	+	residing in the surrounding areas; 6
	59	+
	60	+	(3) shall assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of sexual 7
	61	+	crimes against children under Title 3, Subtitle 3 of the Criminal Law Article and sexual 8
	62	+	abuse of minors under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 9
	63	+	7 of the Family Law Article; 10
	64	+
	65	+	(4) may assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of child 11
	66	+	abuse and neglect under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 12
	67	+	7 of the Family Law Article and allegations of a crime of violence in the presence of a minor 13
	68	+	under § 3–601.1 of the Criminal Law Article; 14
	69	+
	70	+	(5) shall provide a level of care that meets or exceeds the national 15
	71	+	accreditation standards for child advocacy centers established by the Maryland Statewide 16
	72	+	Organization for Child Advocacy Centers under subsection (d) of this section; and 17
	73	+
	74	+	(6) shall be included in all joint investigation procedures developed in 18
	75	+	accordance with § 5–706 of the Family Law Article. 19
	76	+
	77	+	(c) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy may contract with 20
	78	+	public or private nonprofit organizations to operate child advocacy centers. 21
	79	+
	80	+	(d) (1) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall contract 22
	81	+	with a nonprofit organization that is qualified under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 23
	82	+	Code and represents urban, rural, and suburban child advocacy centers in the State to 24
	83	+	establish a Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers. 25
	84	+
	85	+	(2) The purpose of the Maryland Statew ide Organization for Child 26
	86	+	Advocacy Centers is to provide training, technical assistance, data collection, and capacity 27
	87	+	building to meet local, State, and national requirements for child advocacy centers. 28
	88	+
	89	+	(3) [The] SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (4) OF THIS SUBSE CTION, THE 29
	90	+	Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers shall establish standards for 30
	91	+	child advocacy centers in the State that meet national accreditation standards for child 31
	92	+	advocacy centers and shall include: 32
	93	+
	94	+	(i) multidisciplinary teams that include representation from law 33
	95	+	enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, the medical and mental health fields, 34
	96	+	and victim advocacy; 35
	97	+	HOUSE BILL 1480 3
	98	+
	99	+
	100	+	(ii) cultural competency and diversity; 1
	101	+
	102	+	(iii) forensic interviews that are neutral, fact–finding, and avoid 2
	103	+	duplicative interviewing; 3
	104	+
	105	+	(iv) victim support and advocacy for children and caregivers, 4
	106	+	including appropriate counseling, legal, and medical services or referrals; 5
	107	+
	108	+	(v) medical evaluations; 6
	109	+
	110	+	(vi) mental health services; 7
	111	+
	112	+	(vii) a formal case review process; 8
	113	+
	114	+	(viii) a case tracking, monitoring, and outcomes process; 9
	115	+
	116	+	(ix) organizational capacity; 10
	117	+
	118	+	(x) creating a child–focused setting that is comfortable, safe, and 11
	119	+	private; and 12
	120	+
	121	+	(xi) any additional necessary standards. 13
	122	+
	123	+	(4) THE STANDARDS ESTABLI SHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 14
	124	+	SUBSECTION SHALL REQUIRE: 15
	125	+
	126	+	(I) AN INDIVIDUAL PROVIDING MEDICAL OR MENTAL HE ALTH 16
	127	+	SERVICES AS PART OF A MULTIDI SCIPLINARY TEAM TO BE LICENSED OR CERTI FIED 17
	128	+	BY THE APPROPRIATE H EALTH OCCUPATIONS BO ARD AND PROVIDE SERV ICES 18
	129	+	WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROVIDER’S LICENSE OR CERTIFICA TION; AND 19
	130	+
	131	+	(II) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R TO ESTABLISH A 20
	132	+	CONTINUITY OF CARE P LAN THAT AT A MINIMUM SH ALL: 21
	133	+
	134	+	1. PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO THE CHILD AND 22
	135	+	PARENT OR GUARDIAN WHEN THERE IS A CHAN GE IN A PROVIDER OF MEDICAL OR 23
	136	+	MENTAL HEALTH SERVIC ES THAT INCLUDES : 24
	137	+
	138	+	A. THE NAME AND CONTACT INF ORMATION OF THE NEW 25
	139	+	AND FORMER PROVIDER TO PROVIDE A MEANS THROUGH WHICH THE CHILD AND 26
	140	+	PARENT OR GUARDIAN CAN CONTACT THE NEW AND FORMER PROVIDER; AND 27
	141	+
	142	+	B. A CONTINGENCY NOTIFICA TION PROCESS IF 28
	143	+	NOTIFICATION TO THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN O R CONTACT WITH THE FORMER 29
	144	+	PROVIDER WILL ENDANG ER THE CHILD; AND 30 4 HOUSE BILL 1480
49	145
50	146
51	147
52		-	Article – Criminal Procedure 1
	148	+	2. SUBJECT TO ITEM 1B OF THIS ITEM, ALLOW THE 1
	149	+	FORMER PROVIDER , IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HE PROVIDER’S PROFESSIONAL ETHIC S 2
	150	+	AND STANDARDS OF CAR E, TO CONTACT THE CHILD AND PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO 3
	151	+	CONDUCT A TERMINATIO N SESSION AND ASSIST IN THE TRANSFER OF C ARE. 4
53	152
54		-	11–928. 2
	153	+	(5) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY C ENTER SHALL REPORT A COMPLAINT 5
	154	+	BASED ON THE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED UNDER PA RAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 6
	155	+	SUBSECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR INVESTIG ATION AND 7
	156	+	FURTHER ACTION . 8
55	157
56		-	(a) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall establish and 3
57		-	sustain child advocacy centers in the State and ensure that every child in the State has 4
58		-	access to a child advocacy center. 5
	158	+	(e) Money for child advocacy centers: 9
59	159
60		-	(b) The child advocacy centers: 6
	160	+	(1) shall be distributed to child advocacy centers in accordance with a 10
	161	+	formula agreed on by the Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers 11
	162	+	and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy; 12
61	163
62		-	(1) may be based in private nonprofit organizations, local departments of 7
63		-	social services, local law enforcement agencies, or a partnership among any of these 8
64		-	entities; 9
	164	+	(2) shall be used to supplement, not supplant, money that the program 13
	165	+	receives from other sources; and 14
65	166
66		-	(2) ~~shall~~ be ~~developed and located~~ to ~~facilitate their use by alleged victims 10~~
67		-	~~residing in the surrounding areas;~~ 11
	167	+	(3) may be used to assist child advocacy centers in meeting the standards 15
	168	+	under subsection (d) of this section. 16
68	169
69		-	(3) shall assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of sexual 12
70		-	crimes against children under Title 3, Subtitle 3 of the Criminal Law Article and sexual 13
71		-	abuse of minors under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 14
72		-	7 of the Family Law Article; 15
	170	+	(f) (1) On or before June 1 each year, the Governor’s Office of Crime 17
	171	+	Prevention and Policy shall submit an annual report, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 18
	172	+	State Government Article, on child advocacy centers to the General Assembly. 19
73	173
74		-	(4) may assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of child 16
75		-	abuse and neglect under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 17
76		-	7 of the Family Law Article and allegations of a crime of violence in the presence of a minor 18
77		-	under § 3–601.1 of the Criminal Law Article; 19
	174	+	(2) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT OF 20
	175	+	HUMAN SERVICES SHALL PUBLIS H ON ITS WEBSITE , FOR THE IMMEDIATELY 21
	176	+	PRECEDING YEAR : 22
78	177
79		-	(5) shall provide a level of care that meets or exceeds the national 20
80		-	accreditation standards for child advocacy centers established by the Maryland Statewide 21
81		-	Organization for Child Advocacy Centers under subsection (d) of this section; and 22
	178	+	(I) A DESCRIPTION OF THE STANDARDS FOR CHILD ADVOCACY 23
	179	+	CENTERS ESTABLISHED BY THE MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD 24
	180	+	ADVOCACY CENTERS AND DETAILED INFORMATION ON COMPL IANCE OF EACH 25
	181	+	CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R WITH THE STANDARDS ; 26
82	182
83		-	(6) shall be included in all joint investigation procedures developed in 23
84		-	accordance with § 5–706 of the Family Law Article. 24
	183	+	(II) A DESCRIPTION OF ANY DATA COLLECTED BY TH E 27
	184	+	MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD ADVOCACY CENTERS, 28
	185	+	INCLUDING HOW AND TO WHOM COLLECTED DATA IS REPORTED; AND 29
85	186
86		-	(c) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy may contract with 25
87		-	public or private nonprofit organizations to operate child advocacy centers. 26
88		-
89		-	(d) (1) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall contract 27
90		-	with a nonprofit organization that is qualified under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 28
91		-	Code and represents urban, rural, and suburban child advocacy centers in the State to 29
92		-	establish a Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers. 30
93		-
94		-	(2) The purpose of the Maryland Statewide Organization for Child 31
95		-	Advocacy Centers is to provide training, technical assistance, data collection, and capacity 32
96		-	building to meet local, State, and national requirements for child advocacy centers. 33
97		-	HOUSE BILL 1480 3
98		-
99		-
100		-	(3) [The] SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (4) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 1
101		-	Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers shall establish standards for 2
102		-	child advocacy centers in the State that meet national accreditation standards for child 3
103		-	advocacy centers and shall include: 4
104		-
105		-	(i) multidisciplinary teams that include representation from law 5
106		-	enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, the medical and mental health fields, 6
107		-	and victim advocacy; 7
108		-
109		-	(ii) cultural competency and diversity; 8
110		-
111		-	(iii) forensic interviews that are neutral, fact–finding, and avoid 9
112		-	duplicative interviewing; 10
113		-
114		-	(iv) victim support and advocacy for children and caregivers, 11
115		-	including appropriate counseling, legal, and medical services or referrals; 12
116		-
117		-	(v) medical evaluations; 13
118		-
119		-	(vi) mental health services; 14
120		-
121		-	(vii) a formal case review process; 15
122		-
123		-	(viii) a case tracking, monitoring, and outcomes process; 16
124		-
125		-	(ix) organizational capacity; 17
126		-
127		-	(x) creating a child–focused setting that is comfortable, safe, and 18
128		-	private; and 19
129		-
130		-	(xi) any additional necessary standards. 20
131		-
132		-	(4) THE STANDARDS ESTABLI SHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 21
133		-	SUBSECTION SHALL REQ UIRE: 22
134		-
135		-	(I) AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED BY OR CONTR ACTED WITH A 23
136		-	CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R PROVIDING MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH SERVIC ES AS 24
137		-	PART OF A MULTIDISCI PLINARY TEAM TO BE L ICENSED OR CERTIFIED BY THE 25
138		-	APPROPRIATE HEALTH O CCUPATIONS BOARD , IF APPLICABLE , AND PROVIDE 26
139		-	SERVICES WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROVIDE R’S LICENSE OR CERTIFI CATION; AND 27
140		-
141		-	(II) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER TO ESTABLISH A 28
142		-	CONTINUITY OF CARE P LAN THAT AT A MINIMU M SHALL: 29
143		-
144		-	1. IF KNOWN BY THE CHIL D ADVOCACY CENTER AN D THE 30
145		-	FORMER PROVIDER IS E MPLOYED BY OR CONTRA CTED WITH THE CHILD ADVOCACY 31 4 HOUSE BILL 1480
146		-
147		-
148		-	CENTER, PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTI FICATION TO THE CHIL D AND PARENT OR 1
149		-	GUARDIAN WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE IN A PRO VIDER OF MEDICAL OR MENTAL 2
150		-	HEALTH SERVICES THAT INCLUDES: 3
151		-
152		-	A. THE NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE N EW 4
153		-	AND FORMER PROVIDER TO PROVIDE A MEANS T HROUGH WHICH THE CHI LD AND 5
154		-	PARENT OR GUARDIAN C AN CONTACT THE NEW A ND FORMER PROVIDER ; AND 6
155		-
156		-	B. A CONTINGENCY NOTIFI CATION PROCESS IF 7
157		-	NOTIFICATION TO THE PARENT OR GUAR DIAN OR CONTACT WITH THE FORMER 8
158		-	PROVIDER WILL ENDANG ER THE CHILD; AND 9
159		-
160		-	2. SUBJECT TO ITEM 1B 1 OF THIS ITEM, ALLOW THE 10
161		-	FORMER PROVIDER , IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HE PROVIDER’S PROFESSIONAL ETHIC S 11
162		-	AND STANDARDS OF CAR E, TO CONTACT THE CHILD AND PARENT OR GUAR DIAN TO 12
163		-	CONDUCT A TERMINATIO N SESSION AND ASSIST IN THE TRANSFER OF C ARE. 13
164		-
165		-	(5) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY C ENTER SHALL REPORT A COMPLAINT 14
166		-	BASED ON THE STANDAR DS ESTABLISHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 15
167		-	SUBSECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF 16
168		-	CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY FOR REFERRAL T O THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR 17
169		-	INVESTIGATION AND FU RTHER ACTION , IF NECESSARY. 18
170		-
171		-	(e) Money for child advocacy centers: 19
172		-
173		-	(1) shall be distributed to child advocacy centers in accordance with a 20
174		-	formula agreed on by the Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers 21
175		-	and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy; 22
176		-
177		-	(2) shall be used to supplement, not supplant, money that the program 23
178		-	receives from other sources; and 24
179		-
180		-	(3) may be used to assist child advocacy centers in meeting the standards 25
181		-	under subsection (d) of this section. 26
182		-
183		-	(f) (1) On or before June 1 each year, the Governor’s Office of Crime 27
184		-	Prevention and Policy shall submit an annual report, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 28
185		-	State Government Article, on child advocacy centers to the General Assembly. 29
186		-
187		-	(2) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1 EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT OF 30
188		-	HUMAN SERVICES BEGINNING IN 2027, THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME 31
189		-	PREVENTION AND POLICY SHALL PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE, FOR THE IMMEDIATELY 32
190		-	PRECEDING YEAR : 33
	187	+	(III) COMPLAINT INFORMATIO N RELATED TO EACH CHILD 30
	188	+	ADVOCACY CENTER, IF APPLICABLE, AND THE RESOLUTION OF ANY COMPLAI NT 31
	189	+	RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. 32
191	190		HOUSE BILL 1480 5
192	191
193	192
194		-	(I) A DESCRIPTION OF THE STANDARDS FOR CHILD ADVOCACY 1
195		-	CENTERS ESTABLISHED BY THE MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD 2
196		-	ADVOCACY CENTERS AND DETAILED INFORMATION ON COMPL IANCE OF EACH 3
197		-	CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R WITH THE STAN DARDS; AND 4
198		-
199		-	(II) A DESCRIPTION OF ANY DATA COLLECTED BY TH E 5
200		-	MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD ADVOCACY CENTERS, 6
201		-	INCLUDING HOW AND TO WHOM COLLECTED DATA IS REPORTED; AND 7
202		-
203		-	(III) (II) COMPLAINT INFORMATIO N RELATED TO EACH CH ILD 8
204		-	ADVOCACY CENTER , IF APPLICABLE, AND THE RESOLUTION O F ANY COMPLAINT 9
205		-	RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF 10
206		-	CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY, UNLESS SUCH INFORMAT ION IS CONFIDENTIAL 11
207		-	OR OTHERW ISE PROTECTED UNDER FEDERAL LAW . 12
208		-
209		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
210		-	October 1, 2025. 14
211		-
212		-
213		-
214		-	Approved:
215		-	________________________________________________________________________________
216		-	Governor.
217		-	________________________________________________________________________________
218		-	Speaker of the House of Delegates.
219		-	________________________________________________________________________________
220		-	President of the Senate.
	193	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
	194	+	October 1, 2025. 2