HB 980

Family Law and Human Services - Guardianship Assistance Program and State Foster Youth Ombudsman - Establishment (Kanaiyah's Law)

Sponsor: Mike Griffith (District 35A)Committee: JudiciarySubject: Family LawStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 158 (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring the Secretary of Human Services to establish and maintain a Guardianship Assistance Program to promote the placement and maintenance of children in permanent guardianship homes by providing guardianship assistance to guardians of minor children; establishing the State Foster Youth Ombudsman in the Department of Human Services; requiring the Ombudsman to provide legal expertise in child welfare, custody and guardianship matters, and appeal and due process; etc.

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Testimony (28)

MGA witness list

FAV 18FavorableFWA 8Favorable with amendmentsINFO 2Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	DeMinco, Lynne	BCRW	Position only
FAV	Philip, Diana	Coalition to Protect Maryland's Children	Written (PDF)
FAV	Brown-Burnett, Gloria	Department of Human Services	Written (PDF)
FAV	Murphy, JD	MD Chesapeake Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)	Position only
FAV	Murphy, JD	MD Chesapeake Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)	Position only
FAV	Arias, Dianelobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Arias, Dianelobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Krienke, Janelobbyist	Maryland Hospital Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	LeMon, Erica	Maryland Legal Aid	Written (PDF)
FAV	Handley, Grant	Town of North East	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Griffith, Delegate Griffithlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Delegate Griffith, Delegate Griffithlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Krone, Christinelobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lang, Alan	Individual	Position only
FAV	Tibbals, Trudy	Individual	Position only
FAV	Tibbals, Trudy	Individual	Position only
FAV	Ward, Brooke	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	York, Katie	Individual	Position only
FWA	Brown-Burnett, Gloria	Department of Human Services	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Margolis, Leslielobbyist	Disability Rights Maryland	Written (PDF)
FWA	Coble, Annie	Johns Hopkins University & Medicine	Written (PDF)
FWA	Lee, Melanie	Luminis Medical Center	Written (PDF)
FWA	Krienke, Janelobbyist	Maryland Hospital Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Edwards-Luce, Aubrey	Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts	Oral
FWA	Trivedi, Shanta	University of Baltimore, Sayra & Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children & The Courts	Written (PDF)
FWA	Mirviss, Mitchell	Venable LLP	Oral + Written (PDF)
INFO	Philip, Diana	Coalition to Protect Maryland's Children	Written (PDF)
INFO	Williams, Krystal	MD Office of the Public Defender	Oral

Organizations on record

BCRWFAV 1

Coalition to Protect Maryland's ChildrenFAV 1INFO 1

Department of Human ServicesFAV 1FWA 1

Disability Rights MarylandFWA 1

Johns Hopkins University & MedicineFWA 1

Luminis Medical CenterFWA 1

Maryland Catholic ConferenceFAV 2

Maryland Hospital AssociationFAV 1FWA 1

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1

MD Chesapeake Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)FAV 2

MD Office of the Public DefenderINFO 1

Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the CourtsFWA 1

Town of North EastFAV 1

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

Venable LLPFWA 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVArias, DianeMaryland Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

FAVKrienke, JaneMaryland Hospital AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Hospital Association

FAVKrone, ChristineRegistered for: American Coatings Association; Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; City of Rockville; Coordinating Center for Home and Community Care, The, LLC (dba The Coordinating Center); Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work, Inc.; LifeSpan Network…

FWAMargolis, LeslieDisability Rights MarylandRegistered for: Disability Rights Maryland

FWAKrienke, JaneMaryland Hospital AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Hospital Association