MD HB1559

Prohibits placing children in unlicensed settings (hotels, motels, office buildings, shelters) under Maryland's out-of-home placement program, with exceptions for kinship caregivers, foster parent applicants, and parents in family-based treatment

Establishes the Child and Youth Placement Review Panel in the Governor's Office for Children, headed by a governor-appointed Placement Manager who must convene a Rapid Response Placement Team when a pediatric hospital overstay patient remains hospitalized more than 72 hours after medical clearance

Creates the Advisory Council on Maryland's System of Care for Children, Youth, and Families to review laws and regulations, identify grants, and examine New Jersey's Children's System of Care model for potential replication in Maryland, with annual reports due by October 1 starting in 2027

Establishes the Interagency Council on Children, Youth, and Families to assess current bed capacity across foster homes, group homes, psychiatric facilities, and treatment centers, and to develop real-time tracking systems for pediatric hospital overstay patients with reports due January 1, 2027 and 2028

Takes effect June 1, 2026, with the Interagency Council provisions (Section 2) effective October 1, 2026 and sunsetting September 30, 2029