Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB924 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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	5	hb0924
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 924
8	8	D4 5lr2244
9	9
10	10	By: Delegate Wilson
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Judiciary
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Family Law – Child Custody Evaluators – Qualifications 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of specifying certain qualifications for an individual to be appointed by a 3
21	21	court as a custody evaluator; and generally relating to child custody and visitation. 4
22	22
23	23	BY adding to 5
24	24	Article – Family Law 6
25	25	Section 9–109 7
26	26	Annotated Code of Maryland 8
27	27	(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 9
28	28
29	29	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
30	30	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
31	31
32	32	Article – Family Law 12
33	33
34	34	9–109. 13
35	35
36	36	(A) IN THIS SECTION , “CUSTODY EVALUATOR ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL 14
37	37	APPOINTED OR APPROVE D BY A COURT TO PERF ORM A CUSTODY EVALUA TION. 15
38	38
39	39	(B) ON MOTION OF A PARTY OR CHILD’S COUNSEL, OR ON ITS OWN 16
40	40	INITIATIVE, A COURT MAY: 17
41	41
42	42	(1) ORDER AN ASSESSMENT TO AID THE COU RT IN EVALUATING THE 18
43	43	HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OR BEST INTERESTS OF A CHILD IN A CONTESTED 19
44	44	CUSTODY OR VISITATIO N CASE; OR 20
45	45
46	46	(2) APPOINT A CUSTODY EV ALUATOR DETERMINED B Y THE COURT TO 21 2 HOUSE BILL 924
47	47
48	48
49	49	BE COMPETENT TO PERF ORM A HOME STUDY OR AN EVALUATION OF A S PECIFIC 1
50	50	ISSUE. 2
51	51
52	52	(C) A COURT MAY NOT ORDER THE COST OF AN ASSES SMENT TO BE PAID , IN 3
53	53	WHOLE OR IN PART , BY A PARTY WITHOUT G IVING THE PARTIES NO TICE AND AN 4
54	54	OPPORTUNITY TO OBJEC T. 5
55	55
56	56	(D) A COURT MAY NOT APPOIN T AN INDIVIDUAL AS A CUSTODY EVALUATOR 6
57	57	UNLESS THE INDIVIDUA L MEETS THE QUALIFICAT IONS SPECIFIED IN SU BSECTIONS 7
58	58	(E) AND (F) OF THIS SECTION. 8
59	59
60	60	(E) A CUSTODY EVALUATOR SH ALL BE: 9
61	61
62	62	(1) A PHYSICIAN LICENSED IN ANY STATE WHO IS 10
63	63	BOARD–CERTIFIED IN PSYCHIA TRY OR HAS COMPLETED A PSYCHIATRY RESIDEN CY 11
64	64	ACCREDITED BY THE ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR GRADUATE MEDICAL 12
65	65	EDUCATION OR A SUCCES SOR TO THAT COUNCIL ; 13
66	66
67	67	(2) A MARYLAND LICENSED PSY CHOLOGIST OR A PSYCH OLOGIST 14
68	68	WITH AN EQUIVALENT L EVEL OF LICENSURE IN ANY OTHER STATE ; 15
69	69
70	70	(3) A MARYLAND LICENSED CLI NICAL MARRIAGE AND F AMILY 16
71	71	THERAPIST OR A CLINI CAL MARRIAGE AND FAM ILY THERAPIST WITH A N 17
72	72	EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF LICENSURE IN ANY OTH ER STATE; 18
73	73
74	74	(4) A MARYLAND LICENSED CER TIFIED SOCIAL 19
75	75	WORKER–CLINICAL OR A CLINIC AL SOCIAL WORKER WIT H AN EQUIVALENT LEVE L 20
76	76	OF LICENSURE IN ANY OTHER STATE; 21
77	77
78	78	(5) (I) A MARYLAND LICENSED GRA DUATE OR MASTER SOCI AL 22
79	79	WORKER WITH AT LEAST 2 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN: 23
80	80
81	81	1. ONE OR MORE OF THE A REAS LISTED IN SUBSE CTION 24
82	82	(F)(4) OF THIS SECTION; 25
83	83
84	84	2. PERFORMING CUSTODY E VALUATIONS; OR 26
85	85
86	86	3. ANY COMBINATION OF THE EXPERIENCE DESCR IBED 27
87	87	IN ITEM 1 OR 2 OF THIS ITEM; OR 28
88	88
89	89	(II) A GRADUATE OR MASTER SOCIAL WORKER WITH A N 29
90	90	EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF LICENSURE AND EXPERI ENCE IN ANY OTHER ST ATE; OR 30
91	91	HOUSE BILL 924 3
92	92
93	93
94	94	(6) A MARYLAND LICENSED CLI NICAL PROFESSIONAL C OUNSELOR 1
95	95	OR A CLINICAL PROFES SIONAL COUNSELOR WIT H AN EQUIVALENT LEVE L OF 2
96	96	LICENSURE IN ANY OTH ER STATE. 3
97	97
98	98	(F) A CUSTODY EVALUATOR SH ALL HAVE: 4
99	99
100	100	(1) COMPLETED A TRAINING PROGRAM THAT CONFORM S WITH 5
101	101	GUIDELINES ESTABLISH ED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS; 6
102	102
103	103	(2) COMPLIED WITH THE CONTINUING EDUCA TIONAL 7
104	104	REQUIREMENTS OF THE CUSTODY EVALUATOR ’S FIELD; 8
105	105
106	106	(3) TRAINING OR EXPERIEN CE IN OBSERVING OR P ERFORMING 9
107	107	CUSTODY EVALUATIONS ; AND 10
108	108
109	109	(4) CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AN D EXPERIENCE IN DEAL ING WITH 11
110	110	ALLEGATIONS IN THE F OLLOWING AREAS : 12
111	111
112	112	(I) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ; 13
113	113
114	114	(II) CHILD NEGLECT AND AB USE; 14
115	115
116	116	(III) CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ; 15
117	117
118	118	(IV) TRAUMA AND ITS IMPAC T ON CHILDREN AND AD ULTS; 16
119	119
120	120	(V) FAMILY CONFLICT AND DYNAMICS; 17
121	121
122	122	(VI) CHILD AND ADULT DEVE LOPMENT; AND 18
123	123
124	124	(VII) THE IMPACT OF DIVORC E AND SEPARATION ON CHILDREN 19
125	125	AND ADULTS. 20
126	126
127	127	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 21
128	128	1, 2025. 22
129	129