Maryland · Senate Bill 521 · 2025 Regular Session

Child Custody - Rebuttable Presumption of Joint Custody

SB 521 Sponsored by Nick Charles Died in committee

  1. Introduced Jan 23, 2025
  2. In committee Jan 24, 2025
  3. Died  
  4. Passed the House of Delegates  
  5. To the governor  
  6. Became law  

What it does

The legislature's own summary of the bill, or its official long title.

Establishing a rebuttable presumption in certain child custody proceedings that joint legal custody and joint physical custody for approximately equal periods of time are in the best interests of a child and establishing factors a court may consider when determining the best interests of the child; authorizing the court to award sole custody based on a preponderance of the evidence that a joint custody arrangement is not in the best interests of the child; requiring the court to enter certain factors on the record; etc.

Every action

4 steps, oldest first, as the legislature records them.

  1. CommitteeFirst Reading Judicial Proceedings · Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
  2. SenateHearing 2/07 at 1:00 p.m.
  3. SenateHearing canceled
  4. SenateHearing 2/07 at 10:00 a.m.

Roll calls

No recorded votes on this bill yet.

Sponsors

The member who introduced it.

From Maryland's official records (mgaleg.maryland.gov), checked Nov 14, 2026. Text links go to the official versions; LegiList does not copy bill text.