By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Caretakers of youth with a tendency to elope could soon see new protections and support in Maryland through the Laila’s Elopement Awareness and Dissemination Act, or LEAD Act, a package of legislation aimed at reducing elopement risks and improving emergency response.
Across the U.S., about 50 percent of children with autism are likely to elope at least once, sometimes as often as once a week. In Maryland, one in 43 children is diagnosed with autism. About 17 percent of elopement cases are deadly because of drowning, traffic encounters, abduction and hypothermia.
“Senate Bill 745 is critical to reducing tragedy when an individual with invisible disabilities wanders,” said Shari Bailey, founder of Laila’s Gift and champion of the LEAD Act. “Strengthening coordination and communication between first responders, communities and families as well as standardized training across all jurisdictions will help ensure people across the lifespan who wander are found and safely returned.”
Bills within the LEAD Act include:
- House Bill 634 (HB634)/Senate Bill 745 (SB745), Police Training – Autism and Dementia
- HB1000, Public Schools – School Mapping Data
- HB1117, Elopement Response Devices – Insurance and Maryland Medical Assistance Program Coverage
- HB1182, Public and Nonpublic Schools – Student Elopement – Locative Devices
- HB1434, Maryland Department of Health – Caregiver Resource Webpage
Senate Bill 745 has seen the most movement.
“Senate Bill 745 and House Bill 634 are the two bills that are associated with the first responder training portion,” said Bailey. “Senate Bill 745 was read on the committee floor and voted on last week. This Senate bill would mandate training for law enforcement on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, dementia and autism, including locating someone who is wandering, eloping or missing, reunification, documentation and inter-agency coordination.”
Reginald A. Lawson, chair of the Prince George’s County NAACP Criminal Justice Committee, said the LEAD Act could help reduce misunderstandings that often lead to escalation in Black communities.
“By equipping first responders with these skills the LEAD Act aims to strengthen elopement response strategies, reduce misinterpretations and promote safer, more effective interactions during elopement emergencies,” he said.
Lawson said the legislation does not include specific provisions for direct oversight by community-led organizations such as the NAACP.
“The legislation focuses primarily on establishing the training itself for everyone at risk, rather than creating a formal community oversight structure,” said Lawson. “The improved training for first responders is intended to promote safer and more informed interactions for everyone.”
SB 745 would apply to law enforcement agencies statewide, not just the Maryland State Police.
“The bill is intended to ensure that officers/first responders across all jurisdictions receive the same training and guidance, promoting consistent and informed responses when interacting with individuals who may have intellectual and/or cognitive disabilities,” said Lawson.
On March 6, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee unanimously voted 11-0 to pass the bill out of committee to the Senate floor. On March 12, SB 745 unanimously passed the Senate 45-0 and moved to the House.
As of March 20, HB 634 and HB 1182 have passed the House and have moved on to the Senate. HB 1000 and HB 1117 remain in committee, still being debated. HB 1434 has been voted out of committee and is headed to the House floor.