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*hb1034*
HOUSE BILL 1034
F5, O4 6lr2854
By: Delegates Stinnett, Addison, Fair, Kaufman, Simmons, and Wims
Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Child Care Entities – Child Abuse and Neglect – Training and Reporting 2
Requirements 3
FOR the purpose of requiring a child care provider child care providers in registered family 4
child care homes and registered large family child care homes and licensees and staff 5
of a child care center to complete certain training on the identification, prevention, 6
detection and reporting of child abuse at certain intervals; requiring each child care 7
entity to certify to the Division of Early Childhood Development in the State 8
Department of Education that each provider is in compliance with the training 9
requirements; establishing certain penalties for providers and child care entities who 10
violate certain training and reporting requirements; requiring a provider to provide 11
certain notice or make certain reports of suspected child abuse or neglect; and 12
generally relating to child abuse and neglect. 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Education 15
Section 9.5–118 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 19
Article – Family Law 20
Section 5–701(a), 5–704(a), and 5–716 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1034
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – Family Law 2
Section 5–701(g) 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Education 7
Section 9.5–303(a) and (b) and 9.5–404(a) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Education 12
Section 9.5–303(c)(10) and 9.5–404(b)(3) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Education 18
9.5–118. 19
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 20
INDICATED. 21
(2) “CHILD CARE ENTITY” MEANS AN ENTITY THAT: 22
(I) PROVIDES CHILD CARE SERVICES; AND 23
(II) IS LICENSED OR REGULATED BY THE DIVISION. 24
(3) “DIVISION” MEANS THE DIVISION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD 25
DEVELOPMENT IN THE DEPARTMENT. 26
(4) “PROVIDER” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS EMPLOYED BY , 27
CONTRACTS WITH, VOLUNTEERS FOR, OR OTHERWISE WORKS F OR A CHILD CARE 28
ENTITY. 29
(B) A PROVIDER SHALL COMPL ETE THE TRAINING DES CRIBED UNDER § 30
5–716 OF THE FAMILY LAW ARTICLE: 31
HOUSE BILL 1034 3
(1) WITHIN 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INI TIAL DATE OF EMPLOYM ENT 1
WITH A CHILD CARE ENTITY; AND 2
(2) EVERY 2 YEARS THEREAFTER. 3
(C) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER, A CHILD 4
CARE ENTITY SHALL CE RTIFY TO T HE DIVISION THAT EACH PR OVIDER IS IN 5
COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION. 6
(D) A PROVIDER WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS SUBJECT TO: 7
(1) A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN; 8
(2) SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT; OR 9
(3) SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF THE PROVIDER’S LICENSE. 10
(E) A CHILD CARE ENTITY TH AT VIOLATES THIS SEC TION IS SUBJECT TO 11
THE SUSPENSION OR RE VOCATION OF THE CHIL D CARE ENTITY ’S LICENSE OR 12
REGISTRATION. 13
Article – Family Law 14
5–701. 15
(a) Except as otherwise provided in § 5–705.1 of this subtitle, in this subtitle the 16
following words have the meanings indicated. 17
(g) (1) “Educator or human service worker” means any professional employee 18
of any correctional, public, parochial or private educational, health, juvenile service, social 19
or social service agency, institution, or licensed facility. 20
(2) “Educator or human service worker” includes: 21
(i) any teacher; 22
(II) ANY PROVIDER , AS DEFINED IN § 9.5–118 OF THE 23
EDUCATION ARTICLE; 24
[(ii)] (III) any counselor; 25
[(iii)] (IV) any social worker; 26
[(iv)] (V) any caseworker; and 27
4 HOUSE BILL 1034
[(v)] (VI) any probation or parole officer. 1
5–704. 2
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including any law on privileged 3
communications, each health practitioner, police officer, educator, or human service 4
worker, acting in a professional capacity in this State who has reason to believe that a child 5
has been subjected to abuse or neglect: 6
(1) shall notify the local department or the appropriate law enforcement 7
agency; and 8
(2) if acting as a staff member of a hospital, public health agency, child care 9
institution, juvenile detention center, school, or similar institution, shall immediately 10
notify and give all information required by this section to the head of the institution or the 11
designee of the head. 12
5–716. 13
The Department shall post on its website a free online course on the identification, 14
prevention, and reporting of child abuse. 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That an individual who is a 16
provider on July 1, 2026, for a chil d care entity, as defined in § 9.5 –118 of the Education 17
Article as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, shall complete the training described under § 18
5–716 of the Family Law Article on or before January 1, 2027. 19
9.5–303. 20
(a) The State Board shall adopt regulations that relate to the registration of 21
family child care homes and large family child care homes. 22
(b) So far as practicable, the regulations shall be uniform with the rules and 23
regulations adopted by other State agencies as those rules and regula tions relate to other 24
types of child care. 25
(c) At a minimum, the regulations shall provide for: 26
(10) A requirement that each registered child care provider shall hold a 27
current certificate indicating successful completion of approved: 28
(i) Basic fi rst aid training through the American Red Cross or 29
through a program with equivalent standards; [and] 30
(ii) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training through the 31
American Heart Association or through a program with equivalent standards appropriate 32
HOUSE BILL 1034 5
for the ages of children for whom care is provided in the family child care home or large 1
family child care home; AND 2
(III) INSTRUCTION CONCERNING CHILD ABUSE DETECTION AND 3
REPORTING TO BE COMPLETED: 4
1. WITHIN 90 DAYS OF REGISTRATION; AND 5
2. ANNUALLY THEREAFTER; 6
9.5–404. 7
(a) The State Board shall adopt rules and regulations for licensing and operating 8
child care centers. 9
(b) These rules and regulations shall: 10
(3) Ensure the health of children in child care centers by: 11
(i) Monitoring children for signs and symptoms of child abuse; 12
(ii) Instructing licensees and staff concerning child abuse detection 13
and reporting TO BE COMPLETED: 14
1. WITHIN 90 DAYS OF STARTING EMPLOYMENT; AND 15
2. ANNUALLY THEREAFTER; 16
(iii) Monitoring health practices to help prevent the spread of disease; 17
(iv) Monitoring the care of infants and children with special needs; 18
and 19
(v) Prohibiting the administration of corporal punishment to 20
discipline a child; 21
SECTION 3. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 22
July 1, 2026. 23