Back to Maryland

SB0745 • 2026

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

Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Senators McKay , Smith , Waldstreicher , Charles , Folden , Henson , James , Love , Muse , Sydnor , and West
Last action: 2026-05-26
Official status: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 659
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

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

This law requires police training programs in Maryland to include special training about people with autism, dementia, and intellectual disabilities.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to add specific training on individuals with autism, dementia, and intellectual disabilities to police training courses.
Includes training for locating missing persons, searching near water, using sensory-aware approaches, reunification, documentation, and interagency coordination in the curriculum.
Applies this new requirement to both entrance-level and ongoing (in-service) police training programs.

Who It Names or Affects

Police officers who are entering their training program or undergoing continuing education.
The Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission which oversees these training requirements.

Terms To Know

Intellectual disabilities: Conditions that affect a person's ability to learn, reason, problem-solve, and communicate.
In-service training: Training that police officers receive after they have completed their initial training program.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify how the new training will be implemented or evaluated.
It is unclear what specific resources will be provided to support this additional training requirement.

Amendments

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

983922/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 983922/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 745 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 745 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
1 On page 1, in the sponsor line, strike “ Senator McKay” and substitute “Senators McKay, Smith, Waldstreicher, Charles, Folden, Henson, James, Love, Muse, Sydnor, and West ”; 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 5 and 6, strike “, intellectual, developmental,”; in line 7, after “WITH” insert “ INTELLECTUAL AND DEV ELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES,”; and in the same line, after “DEMENTIA” insert a comma.

Bill History

2026-05-26 Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 659
2026-04-02 House
Favorable Report by Judiciary
2026-03-18 House
Third Reading Passed (119-0)
2026-03-17 House
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-03-17 Senate
Returned Passed
2026-03-09 Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
2026-03-01 House
Referred Judiciary
2026-02-27 Senate
Third Reading Passed (45-0)
2026-02-25 Senate
Favorable with Amendments { 983922/1 Adopted
2026-02-25 Senate
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-02-12 Senate
Hearing 2/24 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-06 Senate
First Reading Judicial Proceedings
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Police Training - Autism and Dementia (LEAD Act of 2026)
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Police Training - Autism and Dementia (LEAD Act of 2026)
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary
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.
*sb0745*

SENATE BILL 745
E4 6lr3115
CF HB 634
By: Senator McKay Senators McKay, Smith, Waldstreicher, Charles, Folden,
Henson, James, Love, Muse, Sydnor, and West
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 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 individuals 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

(a) The Commission has the following powers and duties: 17

2 SENATE BILL 745

(16) to require, for entrance–level police training and, as determined by the 1
Commission, for in –service level training conducted by the State and each county and 2
municipal police training school, that the curriculum and minimum courses of study 3
include, consistent with establ ished law enforcement standards and federal and State 4
constitutional provisions: 5

(i) training in lifesaving techniques, including Cardiopulmonary 6
Resuscitation (CPR); 7

(ii) training in the proper level and use of force as set forth in the 8
Maryland Use of Force Statute under § 3–524 of this title; 9

(iii) training regarding sensitivity to cultural and gender diversity; 10
[and] 11

(iv) training regarding individuals with physical , intellectual, 12
developmental, and psychiatric disabilities; AND 13

(V) TRAINING REGARDING I NDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL 14
AND DEVELOPMENTAL DI SABILITIES, DEMENTIA, AND AUTISM , INCLUDING 15
TRAINING FOR: 16

1. LOCATING AN INDIVIDU AL WHO IS WANDERING , 17
ELOPING, OR OTHERWISE MISSING; 18

2. SEARCHING NEAR BODIES OF WATER; 19

3. SENSORY–AWARE APPROACHES; 20

4. REUNIFICATION; 21

5. DOCUMENTATION; AND 22

6. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION; 23

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2026. 25