Delegate Bagnall urges faster, clearer process for voluntary placement agreements for children

Delegate Heather Bagnall pressed for passage of House Bill 1181, saying the bill would clarify eligibility for voluntary placement agreements and set strict timelines to reduce hospital discharge delays for children with developmental disabilities or severe mental illness.

Bagnall, D‑33C of Anne Arundel County, said VPAs let families place children in residential treatment without transferring legal custody to the Department of Human Services. She told the Judicial Proceedings Committee that families often face unexpected administrative burdens and child‑support obligations that can exceed $1,000 per month, and that delays in the VPA process account for roughly half of Maryland’s pediatric overstay cases, according to Department of Health material she cited.

Under the bill as presented, local departments must schedule an assessment within five business days of a request and issue a written decision within five business days after the assessment. The proposal also would prohibit routine referral of VPA cases to child‑support enforcement and require child‑support enforcement administration to modify orders tied to an active VPA. Bagnall said the bill adds annual training in coordination with the Maryland Department of Health and a reporting requirement on hospital discharge delays, family outcomes and reunification rates.

Senator James asked the sponsor for a plain‑English description of the children the bill targets; Bagnall said the policy is aimed at adolescents in crisis who need residential care and whose families cannot finance treatment. Committee members pressed on whether parents give up parental rights under a VPA; Bagnall said families retain legal parental rights, while acknowledging some families have relinquished custody in desperation under current practice.

Bagnall also said the bill passed the House unanimously after favorable reports from multiple House committees and that she and other staff are preparing an amendment to avoid any conflict with Title 4E of the Adoption Services and Child Welfare Act of 1980. She asked the committee for a favorable report.

The committee moved on after a line of questioning about eligibility, implementation timelines, and interagency coordination. The hearing record shows the sponsor and members agreed the bill would not resolve every behavioral‑health access problem but would provide clearer rules and faster decisions for families seeking VPAs.