Five Bills Address Elopement Risk, Strengthen Support Systems for Families and
Improve Public Safety across the Lifespan
Annapolis, Md (February 24, 2026) – Today, Senator McKay and Delegates Aaron Kaufman, Lesley
Lopez, and Aletheia McCaskill, announced their sponsorship of The LEAD Act (Laila’s Elopement
Awareness and Dissemination Act) to establish statewide access, coordination and training to
prevent and reduce deaths related to elopement/wandering across the lifespan.
The LEAD Act, comprised of five separate bills, is a comprehensive, caregiver-centered approach
to addressing elopement risk across the lifespan, from early childhood through older adulthood.
The LEAD Act recognizes that elopement impacts multiple age groups or care settings, and it
highlights a shared safety concern affecting children with autism and developmental disabilities,
adults with cognitive or intellectual disabilities, and older adults living with dementia.
“The LEAD Act is about protecting lives and giving families the support they need when their loved
ones are most vulnerable. Too many parents and caregivers live with the constant fear that a
moment of wandering could turn into a tragedy, simply because lifesaving GPS tracking devices
are treated as optional instead of essential. By ensuring Medicaid coverage and making these
devices accessible through state programs, we are choosing compassion, safety, and peace of
mind for families across Maryland,” states Delegate Lesley Lopez, a sponsor of Bills 634 and 1117.
Organized by Laila’s Gift and spearheaded by a coalition of supporters including AARP Maryland,
The LEAD Act serves as a follow up to legislation that was enacted in 2024 and 2025, respectively
– House Bill 195 – Public Safety – Missing Persons – Purple Alert Program which established the
Purple Alert and House Bill 1204 – Public and Nonpublic Schools – Student Elopement – Notice and
Reporting Requirements, also known as “Ace’s Law”. The Purple Alert implemented an emergency
notification system for missing persons with Intellectual and Development Disabilities, while Ace’s
Law requires schools to notify families, document incidents and create prevention plans for
elopement.
- House Bill 634 (HB634)/Senate Bill 745 (SB745), Police Training – Autism and Dementia,
and other non-apparent disabilities amends existing law that will direct the Maryland Police
Training and Standards Commission to require entrance-level and in-service police training
to include certain training regarding individuals with dementia, autism, and intellectual
developmental disabilities (IDD). - HB1000, Public Schools – School Mapping Data, amends an existing act regarding the
school mapping data requirements for the School Mapping Data Program to ensure that
mapping not only includes detailed floorplans and labeled site features but also extends
labeling to cover the one-mile radius surrounding school grounds, including bodies of water,
roads, and neighboring properties - HB1117, Elopement Response Devices – Insurance and Maryland Medical Assistance
Program Coverage, requires the Maryland Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid), certain
State programs, and specified private insurers to cover approved elopement response
devices and related supports for eligible individuals at risk of wandering due to conditions
such as autism or Alzheimer’s disease - HB1182, Public and Nonpublic Schools – Student Elopement – Locative Devices, authorizes
public and nonpublic schools to coordinate the voluntary use of locative monitoring devices
for students at risk of elopement and to monitor those students’ locations under defined
conditions with school staff, guardians, and third-party vendors - HB1434, Maryland Department of Health – Caregiver Resource Webpage, requires
Maryland to develop and maintain a caregiver resource webpage with information and
resources to support certain caregivers in the State.
“The LEAD Act emerged as our understanding deepened that the challenges our family experienced were not isolated, but shared by many families and caregivers across the lifespan. From young children with autism to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and older adults living with dementia, elopement and wandering present evolving safety risks that no single caregiver, provider, or agency can manage alone,” shares Shari Bailey, Laila’s Gift Founder and mother of twin girls, one of whom has Jacobsen Syndrome, autism and is non-verbal.
“The LEAD Act is critical to strengthening support systems for families and improving public safety across our State. House Bill 1434 helps caregivers, who provide essential and often unseen care, have a clear and centralized online resource, streamlining access to information and services. Additionally, House Bill 1000 enhances the quality and precision of school mapping data to ensure that first responders, school personnel, and families have the information they need to act quickly and effectively during elopement emergencies. Having accurate, accessible mapping tools can make the difference between life and loss,” states Delegate Aletheia McCaskill, sponsor of Bills 1000, 1182, and 1434.
Nationally, nearly 50% of children with autism are likely to elope at least once, with some eloping as frequently as once a week. 1 in 3 of these children are non-verbal and unable to share personal identifiable information. 17% of elopements are fatal, mostly due to drowning, but other risks include traffic encounters, abduction and hypothermia.
With 1 in 43 children in Maryland diagnosed with autism, elopement risk is not rare—it is widespread. Current data estimations indicate that roughly 1 in 86 children is likely to elope, and nearly 1 in 5 of these incidents ends in tragedy.
Maryland ranks as the top state in Alzheimer’s prevalence among adults aged 65 and older. There is an estimated 127,000 Marylanders with Alzheimer’s.
Nationally, 7.2 million adults, age 65 and older, have dementia. Studies show that 60% of adults with dementia will wander at least once, and of them, search and rescue considerations in the first 24 hours could make the difference of life or death.
“We are thankful to be working with Laila’s Gift on this important legislation to raise awareness and educate the community about elopement over the lifespan. Elopement impacts many of our Marylanders living with dementia and their families and this legislation can help raise more awareness about how to prepare and respond,” shares Megan Peters, Director of Government Affairs, Alzheimer’s Association.
According to AARP Maryland, 24% of adults in Maryland, or 1.2 million people, are caregivers for a parent, spouse or loved one.
“Family caregivers express many different concerns that cover everything from medical, financial, legal to feelings of isolation but a primary universal concern is that of overall safety for their loved one. Passage of The LEAD Act would provide one level of critical support for first responders having a working knowledge about wandering or elopement across the lifespan,” states Dorinda Adams, Executive Council, AARP.
Many parents and caregivers are unaware of elopement or the associated risks until a tragedy occurs.
“Our law enforcement officers are called upon to respond to an extraordinary range of situations and make life-altering decisions in a matter of seconds. The LEAD Act strengthens their ability to serve by providing enhanced awareness and training when interacting with individuals with intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disabilities. By equipping officers with the right knowledge and tools, we build greater trust, improve communication, and create safer, more effective outcomes for families, first responders, and the entire community. This is a shared investment in safety, dignity, and mutual understanding,” states Reginald A. Lawson, Chair of the Prince George’s County NAACP Criminal Justice Committee, Former Senior Advisor to the superintendent for Maryland State Police, and Certified Dementia Trainer.
“I’m honored to be leading on this important bill that will save the lives of people with autism and dementia and other hidden disabilities at risk of elopement. Families across Maryland deserve to know that when a loved one wanders, our police are prepared to act quickly, compassionately, and effectively,” shares Delegate Aaron Kaufman, sponsor of Bills 634 and 1117.
The LEAD Act was designed to build on Maryland’s existing leadership by introducing a three-stage crisis management framework – Access, Coordination, and Training – that complements and enhances current efforts:
- Access ensures families receive timely education, tools, and safety planning early and proactively.
- Coordination establishes shared protocols so agencies are aligned before a crisis occurs, and during moments of crisis.
- Training creates consistency in how first responders, educators, and clinicians understand and respond to elopement behaviors.
Together, these stages help Maryland move from a primarily reactive model to a more prepared, connected, and prevention-oriented approach – strengthening systems, supporting caregivers, and ultimately helping save lives.
To learn more about The LEAD Act, visit LailasGift.org/lead.
About Laila’s Gift
Laila’s Gift is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Aberdeen, MD that advocates for, supports, and celebrates children with special needs and disabilities, and their families. Since 2022, they have served over 1500 families.
Led by Founder and CEO Shari Bailey, the organization was born from her personal journey as a mother to twin daughters, Laila and Lana, who were born on September 5, 2014. While Lana was healthy at birth, Laila was diagnosed with Jacobsen Syndrome, an extremely rare genetic condition with fewer than 100 known cases worldwide at the time. Because of the significant medical complications associated with the syndrome, approximately 20 to 25 percent of infants diagnosed do not survive past the age of two.
From her earliest days, Laila has faced profound medical challenges, yet she continues to demonstrate extraordinary strength and resilience. Through lived experience as a caregiver, Bailey recognized the urgent need to increase awareness, expand advocacy efforts, and build stronger systems of support for families navigating similar journeys, inspiring the establishment of Laila’s Gift.
Visit lailasgift.org for more information.
