HB1511 • 2026

Public Safety - State Clearinghouse for Missing Persons

Children

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegate Healey
Last action: 2026-02-16
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Public Safety - State Clearinghouse for Missing Persons

Renaming and transferring the State Clearinghouse for Missing Children to be the State Clearinghouse for Missing Persons; requiring the Department of State Police to study the Department's capacity to report about persons who have disappeared from, or are thought to be located in, Maryland to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System; and requiring the Department to submit its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Renaming and transferring the State Clearinghouse for Missing Children to be the State Clearinghouse for Missing Persons; requiring the Department of State Police to study the Department's capacity to report about persons who have disappeared from, or are thought to be located in, Maryland to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System; and requiring the Department to submit its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-16 House
Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-13 House
First Reading Judiciary
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Public Safety - State Clearinghouse for Missing Persons

Official Summary Text

Renaming and transferring the State Clearinghouse for Missing Children to be the State Clearinghouse for Missing Persons; requiring the Department of State Police to study the Department's capacity to report about persons who have disappeared from, or are thought to be located in, Maryland to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System; and requiring the Department to submit its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1511*

HOUSE BILL 1511
E4, D4 6lr2126
HB 1116/25 – JUD
By: Delegate Healey
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Safety – State Clearinghouse for Missing Persons 2

FOR the purpose of renaming and transferring the State Clearinghouse for Missing 3
Children to be the State Clearinghouse for Missing Persons; requiring the 4
Department of State Police to report on the Department’s ability to report certain 5
missing persons information to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons 6
System on or before a certain date; and generally relating to the State Clearinghouse 7
for Missing Persons. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, and transferring 9
Article – Family Law 10
Section 9–403 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
to be 14
Article – Public Safety 15
Section 3–609 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That Section(s) 9 –403 of Article – Family Law of the Annotated Code of Maryland be 20
repealed and reenacted, with amendments, and transferred to be Section(s) 3–609 of Article 21
– Public Safety of the Annotated Code of Maryland, to read as follows: 22

Article – Public Safety 23

3–609. 24

2 HOUSE BILL 1511

(a) There is a State Clearinghouse for Missing [Children] PERSONS operated by 1
the Department of State Police that is responsible for: 2

(1) the receipt, collection, and distribution of general information and 3
annual statistics regarding missing [children] PERSONS; and 4

(2) coordination of law enforcement agencies and other interested 5
[persons] INDIVIDUALS or groups within and outside the State regarding information on 6
[children] PERSONS who have disappeared from, or are thought to be located in, Maryland. 7

(b) For [children] PERSONS who have disappeared from or are thought to be 8
located in the State, the State Clearinghouse for Missing [Children] PERSONS: 9

(1) shall publish: 10

(i) the names of and relevant available information on missing 11
[children] PERSONS; and 12

(ii) annual statistics regarding missing [children] PERSONS; and 13

(2) may establish and maintain a list of organizations and groups that 14
provide volunteer search teams or resources relating to missing [children] PERSONS. 15

(c) The Secretary of State Police may develop, in cooperation with local law 16
enforcement agencies, a plan for voluntary fingerprinting programs for children. 17

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 18

(a) The Department of State Police shall study the Department’s capacity to 19
report to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System information about persons 20
who have disappeared from, or are thought to be located in, Maryland. 21

(b) On or before December 1, 2026, the Department of State Police shall report its 22
findings to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, 23
the General Assembly. 24

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2026. 26