Sec. 1. 18-A MRSA §1-112 is enacted to read:

§1-112.__Guardian ad litem

(a)__In any proceeding under this Title for which the court may appoint a guardian ad litem for a child involved in the proceeding, at the time of the appointment, the court shall specify the guardian ad litem's length of appointment, duties and fee arrangements.

(b)__A guardian ad litem appointed on or after October 1, 2005 must meet the qualifications established by the Supreme Judicial Court.

(c)__If, in order to perform the guardian ad litem's duties, the guardian ad litem needs information concerning the child or parents, the court may order the parents to sign an authorization form allowing the release of the necessary information.__The guardian ad litem must be allowed access to the child by caretakers of the child, whether the caretakers are individuals, authorized agencies or child care providers.

(d)__The guardian ad litem shall use the standard of the best interest of the child as set forth in Title 19-A, section 1653, subsection 3.__The guardian ad litem shall make the wishes of the child known to the court if the child has expressed them, regardless of the recommendation of the guardian ad litem.

(e)__If required by the court, the guardian ad litem shall make a final written report to the parties and the court reasonably in advance of a hearing.__The report is admissible as evidence and subject to cross-examination and rebuttal, whether or not objected to by a party.

(f)__A person appointed by the court as a guardian ad litem acts as the court's agent and is entitled to quasi-judicial immunity for acts performed within the scope of the duties of the guardian ad litem.

(g)__A guardian ad litem must be given notice of all civil or criminal hearings and proceedings, including, but not limited to, grand juries, in which the child is a party or a witness.__The guardian ad litem shall protect the best interests of the child in those hearings and proceedings, unless otherwise ordered by the court.

(h)__Guardians ad litem are not required to pay the following fees: