Child Abuse and Neglect - Reporting (Survivor Reporting Reform Act)
Summary
HB1005, the Survivor Reporting Reform Act, amends Maryland’s child abuse and neglect reporting law to create a new process for reports involving adults who say they were abused or neglected as children. The bill requires the Department of Human Services to develop, by May 1, 2028, a standardized form for written reports in these cases and to make that form available to mandated reporters such as health practitioners, police officers, educators, and human service workers.
The form must be developed in consultation with survivors of child abuse, health practitioners, local departments, law enforcement, and State’s Attorneys. It must also include a notice for the person who is the subject of the report explaining how the information may be used, require the reporter to indicate whether the adult survivor wants the suspected abuse or neglect investigated, and collect key identifying and contextual information, including the survivor’s contact preferences and whether the alleged abuser currently has access to children. The act takes effect October 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill amends Section 5-704 of the Family Law Article, which governs mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect in Maryland. It does not change the core duty to report suspected abuse, but it adds a new administrative requirement for adult-survivor cases by directing DHS to create a specialized reporting form and related notice materials. This affects mandated reporters, local departments, law enforcement, and State’s Attorneys by standardizing how reports are documented when the alleged victim is now an adult.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests broad support for the measure. The House passed the bill on third reading unanimously, 128-0, indicating no recorded floor opposition. The bill also received a favorable committee report with amendments, which suggests the concept was accepted while some details were refined during the committee process.
Contention
The bill’s main policy tension is between improving access for adult survivors seeking to report childhood abuse and preserving the existing child-protection reporting framework. The new form requires reporters to document whether the adult survivor wants an investigation, which may raise questions about survivor autonomy, confidentiality, and how agencies should respond when the subject of the report does not want further action. Another point of practical concern is the requirement to gather information about whether the suspected abuser currently has access to children, which reflects a child-safety focus but may be difficult to verify in some cases.