Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland HB980: Family Law and Human Services - Guardianship Assistance Program and State Foster Youth Ombudsman - Establishment (Kanaiyah's Law)
Status: Signed into law, April 28, 2026
Requiring the Secretary of Human Services to establish and maintain a Guardianship Assistance Program to promote the placement and maintenance of children in permanent guardianship homes by providing guardianship assistance to guardians of minor children; establishing the State Foster Youth Ombudsman in the Department of Human Services; requiring the Ombudsman to provide legal expertise in child welfare, custody and guardianship matters, and appeal and due process; etc.
What the bill says
An act concerning Family Law and State Government Human Services - Child Protection and the Office of the Child Welfare Ombudsman Guardianship Assistance Program and State Foster Youth Ombudsman - Establishment (Kanaiyah's Law) FOR the purpose of requiring the Secretary of Human Services to establish and maintain a Guardianship Assistance Program to promote the placement and maintenance of children in permanent guardianship homes by providing guardianship assistance to guardians of minor children; establishing the State Foster Youth Ombudsman in the Department of Human Services…
From the enrolled text, May 5, 2026:
AN ACT concerning Family Law and State Government Human Services - Child Protection and the Office of the Child Welfare Ombudsman Guardianship Assistance Program and State Foster Youth Ombudsman - Establishment (Kanaiyah's Law) FOR the purpose of requiring the Secretary of Human Services to establish and maintain a Guardianship Assistance Program to promote the placement and maintenance of children in permanent guardianship homes by providing guardianship assistance to guardians of minor children; establishing the State Foster Youth Ombudsman in the Department of Human Services; requiring that a juvenile court include in an order granting guardianship of a child to a specific individual a requirement that the individual provide certain information to a local department of social services under certain circumstances; establishing procedures for the review of certain guardianships of certain children by the juvenile court under certain circumstances; prohibiting the Social Services Administration from allowing the placement of certain children in unlicensed settings; expanding the list of individuals who are required to obtain a certain criminal history records check to include adults living in the home of a child's guardian; establishing the Office of the Child Welfare Ombudsman in the Office of the Attorney General; exempting from disclosure under the Maryland Public Information Act records related to certain complaints; prohibiting a person from certain willful interference and discriminatory and retaliatory …