Bill > HB1559

This bill prohibits the placement of children in unlicensed settings, which are defined as locations not licensed for out-of-home care, such as hotels, shelters for runaway or homeless youth, or office buildings, but excludes placements with kinship caregivers, foster parents, or parents in family-based residential treatment. It also modifies the duties of pediatric hospital overstay coordinators, who are responsible for children under 22 remaining in hospitals for over 48 hours after being medically cleared for discharge, requiring them to report these cases immediately to the Placement Manager in the Governor's Office for Children and to coordinate services. The bill establishes a Child and Youth Placement Review Panel, headed by a Placement Manager, to analyze instances of children in unlicensed settings and support placement efforts, and a Rapid Response Placement Team to develop plans for pediatric hospital overstay patients. Additionally, it creates an Advisory Council on Maryland's System of Care for Children, Youth, and Families to review and recommend changes to laws and regulations concerning child welfare, and an Interagency Council on Children, Youth, and Families composed of representatives from various state agencies to assess the availability of licensed child and youth care beds and develop systems for tracking pediatric hospital overstay patients.

Budget and Finance

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB1559?ys=2026RS