← All legislation

2026 Regular Session

HB980

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

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.

Current disposition
Signed by Governor
Last status date
April 28, 2026
Last status update
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 158
Author
Michael Griffith
Co-sponsors
Gabriel AceveroChristopher AdamsJackie AddisonKevin AndersonSteven ArentzLauren ArikanTerry BakerBarry BeauchampRegina BoyceJason BuckelBrian ChisholmBarrie CilibertiDerrick ColeyEric EbersoleMark EdelsonElizabeth EmbryKris FairJessica FeldmarkJeff GhristWayne HartmanJim HinebaughKevin HornbergerTom HutchinsonJulian IveyJay JacobsNicholaus KipkeBob LongNino MangioneSusan McComasRic MetzgarApril Fleming MillerBernice Mireku-NorthTodd MorganLaToya NkongoloJulie Palakovich CarrCheryl PasteurEdith PattersonJesse PippyTeresa ReillyKent RobersonMike RogersApril RoseMalcolm RuffStuart SchmidtSean StinnettJoshua StonkoChris TomlinsonWilliam ValentineJoe VogelJennifer White HollandJheanelle WilkinsC.T. WilsonWilliam WivellJon CardinScott PhillipsGary SimmonsGabriel MorenoKym TaylorKaren SimpsonFrank ConawayJamila Woods

Legislative progress

i

This summary includes only completed milestones supported by recorded actions. It does not predict the next step, and it preserves later committee reassignments, concurrence, conference, veto, and approval actions when they occur.

Introduced in House February 6, 2026 House passed March 21, 2026 Senate passed April 13, 2026 Governor approved April 28, 2026
Open official bill pageLatest bill text

Recorded floor votes

2 roll calls are available for this bill. This record includes procedural and intermediate action as well as substantive final votes.

March 21, 2026 · House

Third Reading Passed

Passed ⭐ Substantive final action

127 yea–0 nay · 6 not voting · 8 absent

View roll call

April 13, 2026 · Senate

Third Reading Passed

Passed ⭐ Substantive final action

45 yea–0 nay · 2 not voting

View roll call

Committee referrals

Instrument history

i

This is the complete recorded action history in the current source package. Highlighted entries are marked as significant by the source. A roll-call link appears only when a vote-like action has one unambiguous same-day chamber vote.

  1. House Approved by the Governor - Chapter 158
  2. House Returned Passed
  3. Senate Third Reading Passed (45-0) View roll call
  4. Senate Second Reading Passed
  5. Senate Favorable Adopted
  6. Senate Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings
  7. Senate Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m.
  8. Senate Referred Judicial Proceedings
  9. House Third Reading Passed (127-0) View roll call
  10. House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
  11. House Favorable with Amendments {843124/1 Adopted
  12. House Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary
  13. House Hearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m.
  14. House First Reading Judiciary
Source provenance
LegiScan bill ID
2110129
LegiScan session ID
2240
Source file
var/states/maryland/source/legiscan/2240-842f860f45b5/bill/HB980.json
Package observed
2026-07-17T02:49:46+00:00