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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="7-507" title_number="7" title_name="Developmental Disabilities Law" subtitle_number="5" subtitle_name="State Residential Centers for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to the limitations in this section, a petition for the release of an individual who is held under this subtitle from a State residential center may be filed, at any time, by:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The individual; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any person who has a legitimate interest in the welfare of the individual.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The petition shall be filed in a circuit court for the county:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Where the individual resides or resided at the time of the admission; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Where the State residential center is located.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Administration shall be the respondent in a petition under this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The petition shall be in the form and contain the information that the Maryland Rules require.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>If the petitioner requests trial by jury, the trial shall be held with a jury as in a civil action at law.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The trier of fact shall determine:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Whether the individual has an intellectual disability;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Whether for adequate habilitation, the individual needs residential services; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Whether there is a less restrictive setting in which the needed services can be provided that is available to the individual or will be available to the individual within a reasonable time.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The court shall remand the individual to the custody of the State residential center, if the trier of fact determines that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The individual has an intellectual disability;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For adequate habilitation the individual needs residential services; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>There is no less restrictive setting in which those services needed can be provided and which is available to the individual or will be available to the individual within a reasonable time.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The court shall order that appropriate less restrictive services be offered to an individual, if the trier of fact determines that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The individual has an intellectual disability;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For adequate habilitation the individual needs residential services; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>There is a less restrictive setting in which the service can be provided, and which from evidence submitted by the Director is available or will be available to the individual within a reasonable time.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The individual shall be released from the State residential center, if the trier of fact determines that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The individual does not have an intellectual disability;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For adequate habilitation the individual does not need residential services; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>There is a less restrictive setting in which the needed services can be provided that is available to the individual or will be available to the individual within a reasonable time.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>Any party may appeal from a decision on the petition as in any other civil case.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>Appropriate records of the proceeding under this section shall be made a permanent part of the individual’s record.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <level label="1">
      <text>After a determination on the merits of a petition under this section, a court may not hear a later petition for the individual within 1 year after that determination, unless:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The petition is verified, and alleges an improvement in the condition of the individual with an intellectual disability after the determination; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The court, after review of the verified petition, determines that the matter should be reopened.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the matter is reopened, the petition shall be heard as provided in this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
