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.
*sb0833*
SENATE BILL 833
D4, O4 5lr3162
CF HB 1057
By: Senator Charles
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2025
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 21, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Family Law – Department of Human Services – Study on Private Treatment 2
Foster Care Homes – Child Care Stipends for Private Providers 3
FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning in a certain fiscal year, the Secretary of Human 4
Services to review and reallocate a portion of the Department of Human Services’ 5
annual budget to be used to provide child care stipends to certain private treatment 6
foster care homes to cover child care expenses; requiring, beginning in a certain fiscal 7
year, the Secretary to include in the Department’s annual budget proposal certain 8
funding for child care stipends for private treatment foster care homes; requiring the 9
Secretary to adopt certain procedures to award child care stipends to private 10
treatment foster care homes; the Department of Human Services to conduct a study 11
to determine the types of State support that would be appropriate and beneficial to 12
assist private providers of treatment foster care homes in the provision of services; 13
and generally relating to treatment foster care homes. 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Family Law 16
Section 5–525.2(a)(1) and (3) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Family Law 21
Section 5–525.3 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23 2 SENATE BILL 833
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
Article – Family Law 4
5–525.2. 5
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 6
(3) “Treatment foster care home” means an out–of–home placement facility 7
that is part of a program designed and implemented by a child placement agency to provide 8
intensive casework and treatment in a family setting to children with special physical, 9
emotional, or behavioral needs. 10
5–525.3. 11
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 12
INDICATED. 13
(2) “SECRETARY” MEANS THE SECRETARY OF HUMAN SERVICES. 14
(3) “TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOME” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN 15
§ 5–525.2 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 16
(B) (1) BEGINNING IN FISCAL Y EAR 2026 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 17
THEREAFTER , AND SUBJECT TO SUBSE CTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, THE SECRETARY 18
SHALL, BEFORE SUBMITTING A BUDGET PROPOSAL UNDE R PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 19
SUBSECTION, REVIEW AND REALLOCAT E A PORTION OF THE DEPARTMENT ’S 20
ANNUAL BUDGET TO BE USED FOR PROVIDING CHI LD CARE STIPENDS TO PRIVATE 21
TREATMENT FOSTER CAR E HOMES TO COVER CHI LD CARE EXPENSES IN A SIMILAR 22
MANNER AS PUBLIC TRE ATMENT FOSTER CARE H OMES. 23
(2) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , 24
THE SECRETARY SHALL INCLU DE IN THE DEPARTMENT ’S ANNUAL BUDGET 25
PROPOSAL TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT A REQUEST FOR 26
AN AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT IS AT LEAST EQU AL TO THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING 27
THE SECRETARY REALLOCATED FOR THE CURRENT FISC AL YEAR FOR PRIVATE 28
TREATMENT FOSTER CAR E HOMES IN ACCORDANCE WI TH PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 29
SUBSECTION. 30
(C) WHEN REVIEWING WHETHE R ANY FUNDS SHOULD B E REALLOCATED 31
UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(1) OF THIS SECTION , THE SECRETARY SHALL DETER MINE 32
THE REALLOCATION BAS ED ON THE FUNDING NE EDS FOR EACH LOCAL 33 SENATE BILL 833 3
DEPARTMENT THAT WORK S WITH PRIVATE TREAT MENT FOSTER CARE HOM ES AND 1
THE FAMILIES OF THE CHILDREN BEING PLACE D IN A HOME. 2
(D) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 3
SECRETARY SHALL ADOPT PROCEDURES TO CARRY OUT THIS SECTION , INCLUDING 4
APPLICATION PROCEDUR ES AND CRITERIA FOR AWARDING CHILD CARE STIPENDS 5
TO PRIVATE TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOMES UN DER THIS SECTION . 6
(2) THE APPLICATION PROCE DURES DEVELOPED UNDE R 7
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION S HALL REQUIRE THAT A PRIVATE TREATMENT 8
FOSTER CARE HOME: 9
(I) MEET OR EXCEED THE S AME STANDARDS AS A P UBLIC 10
TREATMENT FOSTER CAR E HOME WITH RESPECT TO EQUITY STANDARDS AND 11
CULTURAL COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS ; AND 12
(II) DOES NOT DISCRIMINAT E BASED ON RACE , COLOR, 13
RELIGION, SEX, AGE, NATIONAL ORIGI N, MARITAL STATUS , SEXUAL ORIENTATION , 14
GENDER IDENTITY , OR DISABILITY WHEN P ROVIDING SERVICES OR PLACEMENTS . 15
(a) The Department of Human Services shall conduct a study to determine the 16
types of State support, in the form of funding or otherwise, that would be appropriate and 17
beneficial to assist private providers of treatment foster care homes, as defined in § 5–525.2 18
of the Family Law Article, in the provision of services. 19
(b) On or before December 1, 2025, the Department of Human Services shall 20
report its findings and recommendations, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State 21
Government Article, to the General Assembly. 22
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 23
June 1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of May 31, 2026, 24
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 25
of no further force and effect. 26
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.