APPROVED CHAPTER
JUNE 11, 2021 176
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
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H.P. 605 - L.D. 837
An Act To Amend the Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4002, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 360, §2, is further
amended to read:
1. Abuse or neglect. "Abuse or neglect" means a threat to a child's health or welfare
by physical, mental or emotional injury or impairment, sexual abuse or exploitation
including under Title 17‑A, sections 282, 852, 853 and 855, or deprivation of essential
needs, or lack of protection from these or failure to ensure compliance with school
attendance requirements, by a person responsible for the child. "Abuse or neglect" also
means truancy under Title 20‑A, section 3272, subsection 2, paragraph B C or section
5051‑A, subsection 1, paragraph C, or D when truancy is the result of neglect by a person
responsible for the child. "Abuse or neglect" also means a threat to a child's health or
welfare caused by child sex trafficking by any person, regardless of whether or not the
person is responsible for the child.
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4002, sub-§3-B is enacted to read:
3-B. Child sex trafficking. "Child sex trafficking" means the recruitment, harboring,
transportation, provision or obtaining of a child for the purposes of a commercial sex act
as defined in 22 United States Code, Section 7102(4).
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §4002, sub-§6, ¶B, as amended by PL 2007, c. 304, §11, is
further amended to read:
B. Deprivation of adequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision or care or education
when the child is at least 7 years of age and has not completed grade 6;
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §4002, sub-§6, ¶B-2 is enacted to read:
B-2. Truancy under Title 20-A, section 3272, subsection 2, paragraph C or section
5051-A, subsection 1, paragraph C or D;
Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §4008, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
Page 1 - 130LR0067(03)
 1-A. Disclosure. The department may determine that for the purposes of disclosure
under this section records are limited to only records created by the department in
connection with its duties under this chapter.
Page 2 - 130LR0067(03)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 837, HP 605: 22.4002
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 176: 22.4002