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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 650 Requires Parental Rights Notice and Guardian Interviews in Child Investigations
Last action · February 12, 2026: Hearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m.Sponsor: Shaneka Henson
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What This Bill Would Do
Maryland Senate Bill 650 requires local social services departments and law enforcement agencies to provide parents or legal guardians with oral and written notice of their legal rights at the initial contact during a child abuse or neglect investigation, and mandates that on-site interviews be conducted with a parent or legal guardian rather than a general caretaker. The measure takes effect October 1, 2026.
Parents and guardians investigated for suspected child abuse or neglect must be explicitly informed of their right to refuse home entry without a court order, consult an attorney, and decline drug or alcohol testing.
- Maryland Family Law § 5-706 governs child abuse and neglect investigations, establishing timelines and procedures for local departments of social services and law enforcement agencies. context
- Alternative response programs in Maryland provide assessments for low-risk child welfare cases without formal investigations. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Parents and legal guardians
Parents and legal guardians receive mandatory legal rights disclosures upon initial contact and are the designated subjects of required on-site interviews.
Local departments of social services
Social services caseworkers must deliver oral and written notices of legal rights, document proof of notice, and direct on-site interviews to parents rather than caretakers.
Law enforcement agencies
Law enforcement officers participating in child abuse or neglect investigations must comply with the requirement to provide oral and written legal notices to parents or legal guardians.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must investigators tell parents at the initial contact under Senate Bill 650?
Can exercising rights such as denying home entry have negative consequences for a parent?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 12, 2026SenateHearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m.
- Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Judicial Proceedings
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift from Caretaker to Parent Focus in On-Site Interviews
The bill replaces references to general caretakers with parents or legal guardians in mandatory on-site interview provisions, narrowing the required initial contact group.
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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