Back to Maryland

HB0634 • 2026

Police Training - Autism and Dementia (LEAD Act of 2026)

Police Training - Autism and Dementia (LEAD Act of 2026)

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Delegates Kaufman , Amprey , Boafo , Boyce , Edelson , Fennell , Guzzone , Harrison , Hill , Hornberger , Lopez , McComas , Mireku-North , Ruth , Simmons , Stewart , Taylor , Terrasa , Turner , Vogel , Williams , Wims , Woods , Woorman , Young , Cardin , Phillips , Stinnett , Moreno , Simpson , Moon , and Conaway
Last action
2026-05-26
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 658
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The original statement about training for intellectual disabilities was broadened in the final bill to include 'intellectual and developmental disabilities'.

Police Training for Autism and Dementia

This law requires police training programs in Maryland to include specific training on how to handle situations involving individuals with intellectual disabilities, dementia, and autism.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to add new training requirements for police officers regarding individuals with intellectual disabilities, dementia, and autism.
  • The new training must cover locating missing persons, searching near water, using sensory-aware approaches, reunification of families, proper documentation, and interagency coordination.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Police officers in Maryland who are entering the force or attending ongoing training sessions.

Terms To Know

Intellectual disabilities
Conditions that affect a person's ability to learn, reason, and solve problems.
Dementia
A condition that affects memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday activities.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how much training is required or who will provide it.
  • It's unclear if there are penalties for police departments that do not comply with this new requirement.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

393323/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 393323/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 634 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

  • AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 634 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 On page 1, in the sponsor line, strike “ and Young ” and substitute “ Young, Cardin, Phillips, Stinnett, Moreno, Simpson, Moon, and Conaway ”; in line 6, after “with” insert “ intellectual and developmental disabilities, ”; and in the same line, after “dementia” insert a comma.
  • AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 On page 2, in lines 7 and 8, strike “, intellectual, developmental,”; in line 9, after “WITH” insert “ INTELLECTUAL AND DEV ELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES,”; and in the same line, after “DEMENTIA” insert a comma.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-26 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 658

  2. 2026-04-08 Senate

    Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings

  3. 2026-03-30 House

    Returned Passed

  4. 2026-03-25 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (45-0)

  5. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed

  6. 2026-03-16 House

    Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary

  7. 2026-03-05 House

    Third Reading Passed (133-0)

  8. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Referred Judicial Proceedings

  9. 2026-03-02 House

    Favorable with Amendments { 393323/1 Adopted

  10. 2026-03-02 House

    Second Reading Passed with Amendments

  11. 2026-01-30 House

    First Reading Judiciary

  12. 2026-01-30 House

    Hearing 2/24 at 1:00 p.m.

  13. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Police Training - Autism and Dementia (LEAD Act of 2026)

  14. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary

  15. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Police Training - Autism and Dementia (LEAD Act of 2026)

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Police Training - Autism and Dementia (LEAD Act of 2026)

Official Summary Text

Requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to require entrance-level and in-service police training to include certain training regarding individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, dementia, and autism.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING 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.
*hb0634*

HOUSE BILL 634
E4 6lr2132
CF SB 745
By: Delegates Kaufman, Amprey, Boafo, Boyce, Edelson, Fennell, Guzzone,
Harrison, Hill, Hornberger, Lopez, McComas, Mireku –North, Ruth,
Simmons, Stewart, Taylor, Terrasa, Turner, Vogel, Williams, Wims, Woods,
Woorman, and Young Young, Cardin, Phillips, Stinnett, Moreno, Simpson,
Moon, and Conaway
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Police Training – Autism and Dementia 2
(LEAD Act of 2026) 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to 4
require entrance –level and in –service police training to include certain training 5
regarding indiv iduals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, dementia, 6
and autism; and generally relating to police training. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Public Safety 9
Section 3–207(a)(16) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14

Article – Public Safety 15

3–207. 16

2 HOUSE BILL 634

(a) The Commission has the following powers and duties: 1

(16) to require, for entrance–level police training and, as determined by the 2
Commission, for in –service level training conducted by the State and each county and 3
municipal police training school, that the curriculum and minimum courses of study 4
include, consisten t with established law enforcement standards and federal and State 5
constitutional provisions: 6

(i) training in lifesaving techniques, including Cardiopulmonary 7
Resuscitation (CPR); 8

(ii) training in the proper level and use of force as set forth in t he 9
Maryland Use of Force Statute under § 3–524 of this title; 10

(iii) training regarding sensitivity to cultural and gender diversity; 11
[and] 12

(iv) training regarding individuals with physical , intellectual, 13
developmental, and psychiatric disabilities; AND 14

(V) TRAINING REGARDING I NDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL 15
AND DEVELOPMENTAL DI SABILITIES, DEMENTIA, AND AUTISM , INCLUDING 16
TRAINING FOR: 17

1. LOCATING AN INDIVIDU AL WHO IS WANDERING , 18
ELOPING, OR OTHERWISE MISSING; 19

2. SEARCHING NEAR BODIES OF WATER; 20

3. SENSORY–AWARE APPROACHES; 21

4. REUNIFICATION; 22

5. DOCUMENTATION; AND 23

6. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION; 24

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2026. 26