HB 223

Did not advance

Family Law - Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations ('Know Before They Knock' Family Right to Notice Act)

Sponsor: Charlotte Crutchfield (District 19)Committee: JudiciarySubject: Family LawStatus: Hearing 2/13 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Dec 1, 2025)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring a local department of social services or a law enforcement agency to provide oral and written notice of certain rights to a parent or caretaker of a child at the time of initial contact during an investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect; and excluding evidence obtained in violation of the Act from being used in certain judicial or administrative proceedings.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (0)

MGA witness list

FAV 21FavorableFWA 1Favorable with amendmentsUNF 14UnfavorableINFO 2Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Spaccasi, Olivia	ACLU-MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Edwards-Luce, Aubrey	Aubrey Edwards- Luce (Personal Capacity)	Oral
FAV	Cloud, Erin	Civil Rights Corps	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkins, Jheanelle	Legislative Black Caucus of MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wardlaw, Kenneth	MARYLAND OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER	Oral
FAV	Donofrio, Lucy	MOPD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Golfin, Beilul	Maryland Legal Aid	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Gray, Chelsea	Maryland Office of the Public Defender	Oral
FAV	Hawkins, Christina	Maryland Office of the Public Defender	Oral
FAV	Lichterman, Hayley	Maryland Office of the Public Defender	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Villamar, Maria Nenutzka	Office of the Public Defender	Oral
FAV	Khalfani, Natasha	Office of the Public Defender Maryland	Oral
FAV	Maranto, Jessica	Self	Oral
FAV	Van Horn, Elizabeth	Self	Written (PDF)
FAV	Trivedi, Shanta	University of Baltimore, Sayra & Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children & The Courts	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Crutchfield, Delegate Crutchfieldlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Dortch, Amber	Individual	Oral
FAV	Garcia, Tayra	Individual	Oral
FAV	Gray, Kayla	Individual	Oral
FAV	Meyerovich, Mark	Individual	Position only
FAV	Wisniewski, Melissa	Individual	Oral
UNF	Stine, Jennifer	CASA of Baltimore County, Inc.	Oral
UNF	Cordero, Rebecca	Calvert County State's Attorney's Office	Position only
UNF	Philip, Diana	Coalition to Protect Maryland's Children	Written (PDF)
UNF	Leonard, Amanda	Dorchester County State's Attorney's Office	Written (PDF)
UNF	Carpenter, Lindsey	Frederick County State's Attorney's Office	Written (PDF)
UNF	Wakefield, Esq., Darlene	Law Offices Darlene A. Wakefield, P.A.	Written (PDF)
UNF	Jackson, Samiralobbyist	Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors of Maryland	Written (PDF)
UNF	Prigge, Anastasia	MD State's Attorney's Association; State's Attorney's Office	Written (PDF)
UNF	Calabrese, Michael	Maryland State's Attorney's Association	Oral
UNF	Feinstein, Debbie	Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office	Written (PDF)
UNF	Stack, Alycia	Williams, McClernan, & Stack LLC	Written (PDF)
UNF	Franklin, Sloane	Individual	Position only
UNF	Lane, Tracey	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Schagrin, judith	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Crutchfield, Charlotte	Office of Delegate Charlotte Crutchfield	Written (PDF)
INFO	Government Affairs, Rachel Sledge	Department of Human Services	Written (PDF)
INFO	Spangler, Adam	Office of Attorney General	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

ACLU-MDFAV 1

Aubrey Edwards- Luce (Personal Capacity)FAV 1

Calvert County State's Attorney's OfficeUNF 1

CASA of Baltimore County, Inc.UNF 1

Civil Rights CorpsFAV 1

Coalition to Protect Maryland's ChildrenUNF 1

Department of Human ServicesINFO 1

Dorchester County State's Attorney's OfficeUNF 1

Frederick County State's Attorney's OfficeUNF 1

Law Offices Darlene A. Wakefield, P.A.UNF 1

Legislative Black Caucus of MDFAV 1

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors of MarylandUNF 1

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1

Maryland Office of the Public DefenderFAV 3

MARYLAND OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDERFAV 1

Maryland State's Attorney's AssociationUNF 1

MD State's Attorney's Association; State's Attorney's OfficeUNF 1

Montgomery County State's Attorney's OfficeUNF 1

MOPDFAV 1

Office of Attorney GeneralINFO 1

Office of Delegate Charlotte CrutchfieldFWA 1

Office of the Public DefenderFAV 1

Office of the Public Defender MarylandFAV 1

SelfFAV 2

University of Baltimore, Sayra & Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children & The CourtsFAV 1

Williams, McClernan, & Stack LLCUNF 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

UNFJackson, SamiraLicensed Clinical Professional Counselors of MarylandRegistered for: Critical Response Group; Dell Technologies Inc.; Empower; Forward Financing; HDR Engineering, Inc.; Maryland Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs…