MD HB1181

Local departments must schedule assessment meetings within 5 business days of receiving voluntary placement agreement requests and issue written eligibility determinations within 5 business days after the meeting

Parents retain all legal and educational decision-making rights under voluntary placement agreements; departments cannot require custody relinquishment to access services

Eliminates the mandatory local care team review requirement, which the bill identifies as a systemic bottleneck causing 60-90 day placement delays and extended pediatric hospital stays

Requires annual staff training on timeline compliance, trauma-informed family engagement, and interagency coordination; mandates annual reporting on request volumes, processing times, denial rates, and hospital wait times starting July 1, 2027

Extends the Workgroup on Children in Unlicensed Settings reporting deadline from October 2025 to October 2026 and adds study of voluntary placement agreements and funding transfer recommendations to its duties