In any custody or visitation proceeding, if the court has reasonable grounds to believe that a child has been abused or neglected by a party to the proceeding, the court shall determine whether abuse or neglect is likely to occur if custody or visitation rights are granted to the party. Unless the court specifically finds that there is no likelihood of further child abuse or neglect by the party, the court shall deny custody or visitation rights to that party, except that the court may approve a supervised visitation arrangement that assures the safety and the physiological, psychological, and emotional well-being of the child.

In this section, “abuse” has the meaning stated in § 4-501 of this article. In a custody or visitation proceeding, the court shall consider, when deciding custody or visitation issues, evidence of abuse by a party against: the other parent of the party’s child; the party’s spouse; or any child residing within the party’s household, including a child other than the child who is the subject of the custody or visitation proceeding. If the court finds that a party has committed abuse against the other parent of the party’s child, the party’s spouse, or any child residing within the party’s household, the court shall make arrangements for custody or visitation that best protect: the child who is the subject of the proceeding; and the victim of the abuse.

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, unless good cause for the award of custody or visitation is shown by clear and convincing evidence, a court may not award custody of a child or visitation with a child: to a parent who has been found by a court of this State to be guilty of first degree or second degree murder of the other parent of the child, another child of the parent, or any family member residing in the household of either parent of the child; or to a parent who has been found by a court of any state or of the United States to be guilty of a crime that, if committed in this State, would be first degree murder or second degree murder of the other parent of the child, another child of the parent, or any family member residing in the household of either parent of the child. If it is in the best interest of the child, the court may approve a supervised visitation arrangement that assures the safety and the physiological, psychological, and emotional well-being of the child.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. “Child abuse” has the meaning stated in § 5–701 of this article. “Domestic violence” has the meaning stated in § 4–701 of this article. The Maryland Judiciary, in consultation with domestic violence and child abuse organizations, shall develop and update as appropriate a training program for judges and magistrates presiding over child custody cases involving child abuse or domestic violence. The training program described under subsection (b) of this section shall include training on: the typical brain development of infants and children; the impact of adverse childhood experiences, trauma, complex trauma, and chronic toxic stress on a child’s brain development and the ways that a child’s response to trauma varies; the process for investigating a report of suspected child abuse or child sexual abuse, including: the role of child advocacy centers and forensic interviews; the role of local departments of social services in investigating reports of suspected child abuse and child sexual abuse; and that child abuse and child sexual abuse may have occurred even without an indicated finding of abuse, any physical evidence of abuse, or a verbal disclosure of abuse by the child; the dynamics and effects of child sexual abuse, including grooming behaviors and the disclosure of child sexual abuse; the dynamics and effects of physical and emotional child abuse; the dynamics and effects of domestic violence, including coercive control, and that domestic violence can occur without a party seeking or obtaining a protective order or without documented evidence of abuse; the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children and the importance of considering the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children when making child custody and visitation decisions; the potential impacts of explicit and implicit bias on child custody decisions; best practices to ensure that reasonable and feasible protective measures are taken to reduce the risk of traumatizing or retraumatizing a child through the court process, including available methods to obtain relevant information without the necessity of repeated, detailed testimony from the child; available protections for families, including the sealing of records; the benefits and limitations of sexual offender evaluations and risk assessments; the tools courts can use to assess the credibility of a child witness; standards for the knowledge, experience, and qualifications of child sexual abuse evaluators and treatment providers; and any other relevant subject matter. The Maryland Judiciary shall adopt procedures, including the uniform screening of initial pleadings, to identify child custody cases that may involve child abuse or domestic violence as soon as possible to ensure that only judges who have received training under this section are assigned those cases. Within a judge’s first year of presiding over child custody cases involving child abuse or domestic violence, the judge shall receive at least 20 hours of initial training approved by the Maryland Judiciary that meets the requirements of subsection (c) of this section.

An equity court may: consider a petition for reasonable visitation of a grandchild by a grandparent; and if the court finds it to be in the best interests of the child, grant visitation rights to the grandparent.

A child who is 16 years old or older and who is subject to a custody order or decree may file a petition to change custody. A petitioner under this section may file the proceeding in the petitioner’s own name and need not proceed by guardian or next friend. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, if a petitioner under this section petitions a court to amend a custody order or decree, the court: shall hold a hearing; and may amend the order or decree and place the child in the custody of the parent designated by the child.

Unless otherwise ordered by a court, access to medical, dental, and educational records concerning the child may not be denied to a parent because the parent does not have physical custody of the child.

In any custody or visitation proceeding, if the court determines that a party to a custody or visitation order has unjustifiably denied or interfered with visitation granted by a custody or visitation order, the court may, in addition to any other remedy available to the court and in a manner consistent with the best interests of the child, take any or all of the following actions: order that the visitation be rescheduled; modify the custody or visitation order to require additional terms or conditions designed to ensure future compliance with the order; or assess costs or counsel fees against the party who has unjustifiably denied or interfered with visitation rights.

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, in any custody or visitation proceeding the court may include as a condition of a custody or visitation order a requirement that either party provide advance written notice of at least 90 days to the court, the other party, or both, of the intent to relocate the permanent residence of the party or the child either within or outside the State. The court may prescribe the form and content of the notice requirement. If the court orders that notice be given to the other party, a mailing of the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the other party shall be deemed sufficient to comply with the notice requirement. If either party files a petition regarding a proposed relocation within 20 days of the written notice of the relocation required by paragraph (1) of this subsection, the court shall set a hearing on the petition on an expedited basis. If either party files a petition regarding a proposed relocation that would significantly interfere with the other parent’s ability to maintain the predetermined parenting time schedule, the court shall set a hearing on the petition on an expedited basis. On a showing that notice would expose the child or either party to abuse as defined in § 4–501 of this article or for any other good cause the court shall waive the notice required by this section. If either party is required to relocate in less than the 90–day period specified in the notice requirement, the court may consider as a defense to any action brought for a violation of the notice requirement that: relocation was necessary due to financial or other extenuating circumstances; and the required notice was given within a reasonable time after learning of the necessity to relocate. The court may consider any violation of the notice requirement as a factor in determining the merits of any subsequent proceeding involving custody or visitation.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. “Disability” means: a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of an individual’s major life activities; a record of having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of an individual’s major life activities; or being regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of an individual’s major life activities. “Disability” shall be construed in accordance with the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, P.L. 110–325. “Supportive parenting services” means services that may assist an individual with a disability in the effective use of techniques and methods to enable the individual to discharge the individual’s responsibilities to a child as successfully as an individual who does not have a disability, including nonvisual techniques for individuals who are blind. In any custody or visitation proceeding, the disability of a party is relevant only to the extent that the court finds, based on evidence in the record, that the disability affects the best interest of the child. The party alleging that the disability of the other party affects the best interest of the child bears the burden of proving that the disability of the other party affects the best interest of the child. If the burden of proof is met, the party who has a disability shall have the opportunity to prove that supportive parenting services would prevent a finding that the disability affects the best interest of the child. If the court finds that the disability of a party affects the best interest of the child and denies or limits custody or visitation, the court shall specifically state in writing: the basis for the finding; and the reason that the provision of supportive parenting services is not a reasonable accommodation to prevent the finding.

In this section, “deployment” means compliance with official orders received by a service member to report for combat operations or other active service for which the service member is required to report unaccompanied by any family member or that is classified by the service member’s branch as remote. “Deployment” does not include reserve component annual training, inactive duty days, or drill weekends. Any order or modification of an existing child custody or visitation order issued by a court during a term of a deployment of a parent shall specifically reference the deployment of the parent. A parent who petitions the court for an order or modification of an existing child custody or visitation order after returning from a deployment shall specifically reference the date of the end of the deployment in the petition. If the petition under paragraph (1) of this subsection is filed within 30 days after the end of the deployment of the parent, the court shall set a hearing on the petition on an expedited basis. If the court finds that extenuating circumstances prohibited the filing of the petition within 30 days after the end of the deployment of the parent, the court may set a hearing on the petition on an expedited basis whenever the petition is filed. Any custody or visitation order issued based on the deployment of a parent shall require that: the other parent reasonably accommodate the leave schedule of the parent who is subject to the deployment; the other parent facilitate opportunities for telephone and electronic mail contact between the parent who is subject to the deployment and the child during the period of deployment; and the parent who is subject to the deployment provide timely information regarding the parent’s leave schedule to the other parent.