Text of MD HB 1057 (2025)

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. *hb1057* HOUSE BILL 1057 D4, O4 5lr3165 CF SB 833 By: Delegates Roberts, Boafo, Crutchfield, Martinez, Mireku–North, Pasteur, Roberson, Taylor, Wilkins, Williams, and Woods Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025 Assigned to: Appropriations A BILL ENTITLED AN ACT concerning 1 Family Law – Treatment Foster Care Homes – Child Care Stipends for Private 2 Providers 3 FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning in a certain fiscal year, the Secretary of Human 4 Services to review and reallocate a portion of the Department of Human Services’ 5 annual budget to be used to provide child care stipends to certain private treatment 6 foster care homes to cover child care expenses; requiring, beginning in a certain fiscal 7 year, the Secretary to include in the Department’s annual budget proposal certain 8 funding for child care stipends for private treatment foster care homes; requiring the 9 Secretary to adopt certain procedures to award child care stipends to private 10 treatment foster care homes; and generally relating to treatment foster care homes. 11 BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12 Article – Family Law 13 Section 5–525.2(a)(1) and (3) 14 Annotated Code of Maryland 15 (2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16 BY adding to 17 Article – Family Law 18 Section 5–525.3 19 Annotated Code of Maryland 20 (2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23 Article – Family Law 24 5–525.2. 25 2 HOUSE BILL 1057 (a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 1 (3) “Treatment foster care home” means an out–of–home placement facility 2 that is part of a program designed and implemented by a child placement agency to provide 3 intensive casework and treatment in a family setting to children with special physical, 4 emotional, or behavioral needs. 5 5–525.3. 6 (A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 7 INDICATED. 8 (2) “SECRETARY” MEANS THE SECRETARY OF HUMAN SERVICES. 9 (3) “TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOME” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN 10 § 5–525.2 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 11 (B) (1) BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 12 THEREAFTER, AND SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, THE SECRETARY 13 SHALL, BEFORE SUBMITTING A BUDGET PROPOSAL UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 14 SUBSECTION, REVIEW AND REALLOCATE A PORTION OF THE DEPARTMENT’S 15 ANNUAL BUDGET TO BE USED FOR PROVIDING CHILD CARE STIPENDS TO PRIVATE 16 TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOMES TO COVER CHILD CARE EXPENSES IN A SIMILAR 17 MANNER AS PUBLIC TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOMES. 18 (2) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, 19 THE SECRETARY SHALL INCLUDE IN THE DEPARTMENT’S ANNUAL BUDGET 20 PROPOSAL TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT A REQUEST FOR 21 AN AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT IS AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING 22 THE SECRETARY REALLOCATED FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR FOR PRIVATE 23 TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOMES IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 24 SUBSECTION. 25 (C) WHEN REVIEWING WHETHER ANY FUNDS SHOULD BE REALLOCATED 26 UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(1) OF THIS SECTION, THE SECRETARY SHALL DETERMINE 27 THE REALLOCATION BASED ON THE FUNDING NEEDS FOR EACH LOCAL 28 DEPARTMENT THAT WORKS WITH PRIVATE TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOMES AND 29 THE FAMILIES OF THE CHILDREN BEING PLACED IN A HOME. 30 (D) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE 31 SECRETARY SHALL ADOPT PROCEDURES TO CARRY OUT THIS SECTION, INCLUDING 32 APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA FOR AWARDING CHILD CARE STIPENDS 33 TO PRIVATE TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOMES UNDER THIS SECTION. 34 HOUSE BILL 1057 3 (2) THE APPLICATION PROCEDURES DEVELOPED UNDER 1 PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL REQUIRE THAT A PRIVATE TREATMENT 2 FOSTER CARE HOME: 3 (I) MEET OR EXCEED THE SAME STANDARDS AS A PUBLIC 4 TREATMENT FOSTER CARE HOME WITH RESPECT TO EQUITY STANDARDS AND 5 CULTURAL COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS; AND 6 (II) DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON RACE, COLOR, 7 RELIGION, SEX, AGE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, 8 GENDER IDENTITY, OR DISABILITY WHEN PROVIDING SERVICES OR PLACEMENTS. 9 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10 1, 2025. 11