The LEAD Act: Protecting Loved Ones Across the Lifespan

What would you do if your autistic child wandered off of the playground? Or your father with dementia left the house in the middle of the night? When elopement happens, seconds count. That is why AARP Maryland is partnering with Laila’s Gift, the Alzheimer’s Association and a coalition of law enforcement and first responders on legislation to protect adults and children with cognitive disabilities.

On February 24, 2026 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.

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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.