Maryland bill would require DSS to notify parents of rights when investigators come to their homes

Delegate Charlotte Crutchfield introduced House Bill 223 on Feb. 13 before the House Judiciary Committee, proposing that Department of Social Services investigators provide parents and guardians a written “Know Before You Knock” notice at the start of an investigation.

The bill’s sponsors and a broad coalition of legal and social-service advocates said the measure merely informs parents of rights they already have under federal and state law and the Constitution. Nina Villamar, chief of the Parental Defense Division at the Office of the Public Defender, said HB 223 “does the same thing in Senate cases that Miranda rights have done in criminal cases” and “ensures that parents are informed of the rights that Maryland law already grants them.”

Supporters told the committee the change is narrow: the notice would explain allegations, the right to consult an attorney before signing documents, and that a government agent cannot enter a…