An Act To Allow Personal Representatives of Children Access to Certain Documents of the Department of Health and Human Services Regarding Child Protective Activities
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4008, sub-§2, ¶J, as amended by PL 2007, c. 140, §6, is further amended to read:
J. A person making a report of suspected abuse or neglect. The department may only disclose that it has not accepted the report for investigation, unless other disclosure provisions of this section apply; and
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4008, sub-§2, ¶K, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 140, §7 and amended by PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5, is further amended to read:
K. The local animal control officer or the animal welfare program of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry established pursuant to Title 7, section 3902 when there is a reasonable suspicion of animal cruelty, abuse or neglect. For purposes of this paragraph, "cruelty, abuse or neglect" has the same meaning as provided in Title 34-B, section 1901, subsection 1, paragraph B . ; and
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §4008, sub-§2, ¶L is enacted to read:
L. The personal representative of a child named in a record who is reported to be abused or neglected.
summary
This bill allows the Department of Health and Human Services to disclose information regarding the abuse and neglect of a child to the personal representative of the child.