Child Abuse and Neglect – Disclosure of Reports and Records

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.
*sb0447*

SENATE BILL 447
D4, O4 6lr2629
CF HB 1326
By: Senator Gile
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 20, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Child Abuse and Neglect – Disclosure of Reports and Records 2

FOR the purpose of expanding the circumstances under which a report or record concerning 3
child abuse or neglect may be disclosed by the Department of Human Services to 4
certain individuals; and generally relating to disclosure of reports and records of 5
child abuse and neglect. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Human Services 8
Section 1–202(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Human Services 13
Section 1–202(c) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18

Article – Human Services 19

1–202. 20
2 SENATE BILL 447

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Title 5, Subtitles 7 and 12 of the Family Law 1
Article, § 1 –203 of this subtitle, and this section, a person may not disclose a report or 2
record concerning child abuse or neglect. 3

(c) A report or record concerning child abuse or neglect: 4

(1) may be disclosed on request to: 5

(i) personnel of the Social Services Administration or a local 6
department of social services, law enforcement personnel, and members of 7
multidisciplinary case consultation teams, including an addiction specialist as defined in 8
Title 5, Subtitle 12 of the Family Law Article or § 5–314 of this article, who are investigating 9
a report of known or suspected child abuse or neglect or providing services to or assessing 10
a child or family that is the subject of the report; 11

(ii) local or State officials responsible for the administration of child 12
protective services, juvenile services, or child care, foster care, or adoption licensing, 13
approval, or regulations, as necessary to carry out their official functions; 14

(iii) the State Council on Child Abuse and Neglect or its designee, the 15
State Citizens Review Board for Children or its designee, or a child fatality review team, 16
as necessary to carry out their official functions; 17

(iv) a person who is the alleged abuser or neglector, if that person is 18
responsible for the child’s welfare and provisions are made for the protection of the identity 19
of the reporter or any other person whose life or safety is likely to be endangered by 20
disclosing the information; 21

(v) a licensed practitioner who, or an agency, institution, or program 22
that, is providing treatment or care to a child who is the subject of a report of child abuse 23
or neglect for a purpose relevant to the treatment or care; 24

(vi) a parent or other person who has permanent or temporary care 25
and custody of the child, if provisi ons are made for the protection of the identity of the 26
reporter or any other person whose life or safety is likely to be endangered by disclosing the 27
information; 28

(vii) 1. the appropriate public school superintendent or the 29
principal or equivalent employee of a nonpublic school that holds a certificate of approval 30
from the State or is registered with the State Department of Education to carry out 31
appropriate personnel or administrative actions following a report of suspected child abuse 32
involving a student committed by: 33

A. a public school employee in that school system; 34

B. an employee of that nonpublic school; 35
SENATE BILL 447 3

C. an independent contractor who supervises or works 1
directly with students in that school system or that nonpublic school; or 2

D. an employee of an independent contractor, including a bus 3
driver or bus assistant, who supervises or works directly with students in that school 4
system or that nonpublic school; and 5

2. if the report concerns suspected child abuse involving a 6
student committed by an employee, independent contractor, or employee of an independent 7
contractor described in item 1 of this item and employed by a nonpublic school under the 8
jurisdiction of the superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the 9
Archdiocese of Washington, or the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, the appropriate 10
superintendent of schools; 11

(viii) the director of a licensed child care facility or licensed child 12
placement agency to carry out appropriate personnel actions following a report of suspected 13
child abuse or neglect alleged to have been committed by an employee of the facility or 14
agency and involving a child who is currently or was previously under the care of that 15
facility or agency; 16

(ix) the Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit of the Office of the 17
[Attorney General] CORRECTIONAL OMBUDSMAN established under [Title 6, Subtitle 4] 18
TITLE 9, SUBTITLE 4 of the State Government Article; 19

(x) subject to subsection (d) of this section, a licensed practitioner of 20
a hospital or birthing center to make discharge decisions concerning a child, when the 21
practitioner suspects that the child may be in danger after discharge based on the 22
practitioner’s observation of the behavior of the child’s parents or immediate family 23
members; or 24

(xi) the president of a Maryland public institution of higher 25
education, as defined in § 10 –101 of the Education Article, or the Chancellor of the 26
University System of Maryland, to carry out appropriate personnel or administrative 27
actions following a report of child abuse committed: 28

1. by an employee of the institution who has on –campus 29
contact with children; or 30

2. by a contractor, an employee of a contractor, or a volunteer 31
of the institution who has on–campus contact with children; and 32

(2) may be disclosed by the Department of Human Services to: 33

(I) the operator of a child care center that is required to be licensed 34
or to hold a letter of compliance under Title 9.5, Subtitle 4 of the Education Article or to a 35
family child care provider who is required to be registered under Title 9.5, Subtitle 3 of the 36
4 SENATE BILL 447

Education Article, to determine the suitability of an individual for employment in the child 1
care center or family child care home; 2

(II) THE ADMINISTRATOR OF A CHILD CARE CENTER OPERATED 3
BY OR ON BEHALF OF A UNIT OF STATE OR LOCAL GOVERN MENT OR IN A 4
STATE–OCCUPIED BUILDING UN DER TITLE 9.5, SUBTITLE 5 OF THE EDUCATION 5
ARTICLE; 6

(III) THE COACH , TEAM ADMINISTRATOR , OR MANAGER OF A 7
YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM FOR RECREATIONAL ATH LETIC COMPETITION OR 8
INSTRUCTION FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE MINORS; AND 9

(IV) THE ADMINISTRATOR OR OTHER APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL 10
OF ANY ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES ADULT SUPERVISION OR CARE AND 11
CONTROL OF CHILDREN. 12

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.