Maryland House Bill HB634

Maryland 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/30/26
• Refer: 1/30/26
• Report Pass: 3/16/26
• Engrossed: 3/18/26
• Refer: 3/19/26
• Report Pass: 4/8/26
• Enrolled: 4/13/26

Caption

Police Training - Autism and Dementia (LEAD Act of 2026)

Summary

HB634, the LEAD Act of 2026, requires the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to ensure that police entrance-level training includes instruction on interacting with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, dementia, and autism. The bill also authorizes the Commission to require similar in-service training for officers already in the field. The required instruction is specific and includes topics such as locating missing or wandering persons, searching near bodies of water, sensory-aware approaches, reunification, documentation, and interagency coordination. The bill amends the Public Safety Article by expanding the list of mandatory police training subjects under § 3-207(a)(16). It adds a new training category focused on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, dementia, and autism, while preserving existing requirements for CPR, use of force, cultural and gender diversity, and disability awareness. The act takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies statewide to state, county, and municipal police training schools as directed by the Commission.

Impact

HB634 changes Maryland law governing police training standards by adding a new mandatory subject area for law enforcement education. It affects the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission and all police training schools that provide entrance-level instruction, and it may also extend to in-service training if the Commission chooses to require it. The bill is intended to improve officer preparedness when responding to incidents involving autistic individuals, people with dementia, and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, particularly in missing-person and crisis situations.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House 128-0 and the Senate 45-0, indicating unanimous support in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion suggests the measure was not especially controversial and was treated as a practical public-safety and training update.

Contention

No major points of contention are evident in the available record. The main policy choice in the bill is whether to make the new training mandatory for entrance-level instruction and potentially for in-service training as well, but the bill’s language gives the Commission discretion over in-service requirements. Any debate would likely center on training scope, implementation burden, and whether the Commission should prescribe detailed content such as water-search procedures and sensory-aware tactics, but no recorded opposition appears in the provided materials.