HB 921 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Juvenile Law - Confinement and Restrictive Housing - Limitations

HB 921 limits when minors in Maryland juvenile facilities can be placed in restrictive housing (isolation or special confinement). It prohibits using restrictive housing for discipline, punishment, or staff convenience, and requires facilities to use it only for immediate safety risks (like harm to self/others or facility security) for the shortest time possible (max 6 hours). Minors can request restrictive housing or withdraw that request at any time, and facilities must provide mental health screenings within 1 hour of placement. The bill also mandates that minors in restrictive housing receive the same access to phone calls, visits, medical care, education, and recreation as other minors, unless safety is at risk.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 5, 2026 Last action Mar 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Juvenile Law - Confinement and Restrictive Housing - Limitations → Third - Juvenile Law - Confinement and Restrictive Housing - Limitations · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the legislative title and authorship information to reflect additional sponsors and a favorable committee report. The substantive text of the bill remains largely unchanged, with minor formatting adjustments to the bill header and section numbering. The core provisions regarding restrictive housing for minors, including time limits, mental health screening requirements, and access to privileges, are preserved without modification.

TECHNICAL

Added additional sponsors (Delegates Cardin, Phillips, Simmons, McComas, Arikan, Taylor, Simpson, Moon, Conaway, Woods, and Williams) to the bill's authorship line.

Added committee report status showing the bill was adopted with a favorable recommendation and amendments.

Changed the bill's purpose language from 'generally relating to' to 'altering certain requirements for regulations adopted by the Department of Juvenile Services relating to' the placement of minors in restrictive housing.

Adjusted the legislative citation section to indicate the bill repeals and reenacts Article - Human Services Section 9-227(b)(2) instead of adding to Article - Correctional Services Section 9-614.3.

Moved the explanatory note about capitalization and formatting conventions to a different location within the document.

Reordered and renumbered sections of the bill text, shifting content from Section 1 to different line numbers while preserving the original legal language.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2026

How they voted

105–31

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 142

Mar 10, 2026

D Democratic103

100 Yea 3

97% Yea

R Republican39

5 Yea 31 Nay 3

79% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Referred Judicial Proceedings

upper

Mar 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Mar 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary

lower

Mar 10, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (105-31-6)

house of delegates

Feb 5, 2026

Committee

First Reading Judiciary

lower

12 primary · 0 co-sponsors