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*hb1005*
SECOND PRINTING
HOUSE BILL 1005
D4 6lr2567
By: Delegate Forbes Delegates Forbes, Cardin, Phillips, Stinnett, Simmons,
McComas, Moreno, Taylor, Simpson, Conaway, Woods, and Williams
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2026
Returned to second reading: March 3, 2026
House action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: March 3, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Child Abuse and Neglect – Reporting 2
(Survivor Reporting Reform Act) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Human Services to develop a certain form 4
for the submission of a certain written report concerning suspected child abuse or 5
neglect for cases in which the victim is currently an adult; and generally relating to 6
child abuse and neglect. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Family Law 9
Section 5–704 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2019 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 – Family Law 15
5–704. 16
2 HOUSE BILL 1005
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including any law on privileged 1
communications, each health practitioner, police officer, educator, or human service 2
worker, acting in a professional capacity in this State who has reason to believe that a child 3
has been subjected to abuse or neglect: 4
(1) shall notify the local department or the appropriate law enforcement 5
agency; and 6
(2) if acting as a staff member of a hospital, public health agency, child care 7
institution, juvenile detention center, schoo l, or similar institution, shall immediately 8
notify and give all information required by this section to the head of the institution or the 9
designee of the head. 10
(b) (1) An individual who notifies the appropriate authorities under subsection 11
(a) of this section shall make: 12
(i) an oral report, by telephone or direct communication, as soon as 13
possible to the local department or appropriate law enforcement agency; and 14
(ii) a written report: 15
1. to the local department not later than 48 hours afte r the 16
contact, examination, attention, or treatment that caused the individual to believe that the 17
child had been subjected to abuse or neglect; and 18
2. with a copy to the local State’s Attorney. 19
(2) (i) An agency to which an oral report of suspecte d abuse or neglect 20
is made under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall immediately notify the other agency. 21
(ii) This paragraph does not prohibit a local department and an 22
appropriate law enforcement agency from agreeing to cooperative arrangements. 23
(c) Insofar as is reasonably possible, an individual who makes a report under this 24
section shall include in the report the following information: 25
(1) the name, age, and home address of the child; 26
(2) the name and home address of the child’s parent or other person who is 27
responsible for the child’s care; 28
(3) the whereabouts of the child; 29
(4) the nature and extent of the abuse or neglect of the child, including any 30
evidence or information available to the reporter concerning possible previous instances of 31
abuse or neglect; and 32
HOUSE BILL 1005 3
(5) any other information that would help to determine: 1
(i) the cause of the suspected abuse or neglect; and 2
(ii) the identity of any individual responsible for the abuse or neglect. 3
(D) (1) ON OR BEFORE MAY 1, 2028, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP 4
A FORM FOR SUBMITTIN G THE WRITTEN REPORT REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION 5
FOR CASES IN WHICH T HE INDIVIDUAL BELIEV ED TO HAVE BEEN SUBJ ECTED TO 6
ABUSE OR NEGLECT AS A CHILD IS CURRENTLY AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD. 7
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 8
(I) CONSULT WITH HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, SURVIVORS OF 9
CHILD ABUSE , LOCAL DEPARTMENTS , LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CIES, AND THE 10
STATE’S ATTORNEY IN THE PROCE SS OF DEVELOPING THE FORM UNDER 11
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 12
(II) MAKE THE FORM A VAILABLE TO INDIVIDU ALS WHO ARE 13
REQUIRED TO SUBMIT R EPORTS OF SUSPECTED ABUSE OR NEGLECT UND ER THIS 14
SECTION. 15
(3) THE FORM SHALL: 16
(I) INCLUDE A DOCUMENT T O BE GIVEN TO THE IN DIVIDUAL 17
WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE REPORT REGARDING HOW THE INFORMATION IN THE 18
REPORT MAY BE USED; 19
(II) REQUIRE THE INDIVIDU AL MAKING THE REPORT TO 20
DOCUMENT WHETHER THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS TH E SUBJECT OF THE REP ORT 21
PREFERS THE SUSPECTED ABUSE OR NEGLECT TO BE INVESTIGATED; AND 22
(III) REQUIRE THE INDIVIDU AL MAKING THE REPORT TO 23
INCLUDE IN THE REPOR T, INSOFAR AS REASONABL Y POSSIBLE , THE FOLLOWING 24
INFORMATION: 25
1. THE NAME , AGE, HOME ADDRESS , AND PREFERRED 26
METHOD OF CONTACT OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE REPORT; 27
2. THE NAME AND HOME ADDRESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL’S 28
PARENT OR OTHER PERS ON WHO WAS RESPONSIB LE FOR THE INDIVIDUA L’S CARE 29
AT THE TIME OF THE SUSPECTED ABUSE OR NEGLECT; 30
4 HOUSE BILL 1005
3. THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE ABUSE OR NEGLECT 1
OF THE INDIVIDUAL , INCLUDING ANY EVIDEN CE OR INFORMATION AV AILABLE TO 2
THE REPORTER CONCERNING POSSIBLE PREVIOUS INSTANCES O F ABUSE OR 3
NEGLECT; AND 4
4. ANY INFORMATION, IF KNOWN AT THE TIME OF THE 5
REPORT, REGARDING WHETHER THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS SUSPECTED OF ABUSE OR 6
NEGLECT CURRENTLY HAS ACCESS TO ANY CHILDREN; AND 7
4. 5. ANY OTHER INFORMATION TH AT WOULD HELP TO 8
DETERMINE THE IDENTI TY OF ANY INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ABUSE OR 9
NEGLECT. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 11
October 1, 2026. 12
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.