Maryland lawmakers on Wednesday grilled Human Services Secretary Rafael J. López over how his agency handles hotel placements, medical exams and other services for foster children, highlighting frustration over long-standing problems that may have contributed to the death of a 16-year-old girl in state custody last month.

“You all knew that you had problems, and yet those problems continued for quite a long time,” said Del. Steven J. Arentz, a Republican who represents Kent, Queen Anne’s, and parts of Cecil and Caroline counties. “And we lost a life, and we don’t even know what happened to the other kids in hotels.”

Lawmakers from both parties asked López and other representatives of the Department of Human Services about 14 unsatisfactory findings from an audit published in September.

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