PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Criminalize the Failure To Make a Report of Child Abuse or Neglect as Required by Statute
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §4011-A, sub-§10  is enacted to read:
 
10.  Failure to report; penalty.     A person required by this section to report or cause a report to be made to the department or the appropriate district attorney's office who fails to make a report or cause a report to be made to the department or the appropriate district attorney's office is guilty of failure to report. Failure to report is a Class E crime that, notwithstanding Title 17-A, section 1252, is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 30 days or, notwithstanding Title 17-A, section 1301, a fine of not more than $500. The department shall refer any violations of this subsection to the appropriate district attorney's office.
 
SUMMARY
Current law requires certain persons to report or cause a report to be made to the Department of Health and Human Services or the appropriate district attorney's office when they know or have reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected or that a suspicious child death has occurred. This bill criminalizes the failure of a person to meet this requirement. Under current law, such a person commits a civil violation. Under this bill, failure to report or cause a report to be made is also a Class E crime, punishable by a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days.