# Maine LD 1544: An Act to Support Families by Improving the Court Process for Child Protection Cases

Maine LD 1544, An Act to Support Families by Improving the Court Process for Child Protection Cases, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Donna Bailey (Democratic); status became law, last action 2026-04-26 (ACTPUB Chapter 774) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1544-132
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maine LD 1544
- State: Maine
- Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act to Support Families by Improving the Court Process for Child Protection Cases
- Status: became law
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-04-10
- Last action: 2026-04-26, ACTPUB Chapter 774
- Sponsor: Donna Bailey (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Subjects: ABUSE, ABUSE - PROTECTION ACTIONS
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Stronger court checks on child removal: benefit, low. The law tightens the first steps in child protection cases. Any request for a preliminary protection order must be sworn. It must include facts, how the department weighed the child’s removal trauma against the immediate risk, and what services were offered to avoid removal. When deciding a tempora…
- Old child protection clause removed: mixed, low. The law repeals a specific paragraph of Maine’s child protection law (22 M.R.S.A. §4002, sub-§1‑B, ¶C). This removes that text from the rules courts and the state use in these cases. The summary does not state the direct effect on families.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Donna Bailey (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Amy Kuhn (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Anne M. Carney (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: David Sinclair (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Holly Stover (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Marianne Moore (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Michele Meyer (Democratic), House

## Actions (12)

- 2026-04-26: ACTPUB Chapter 774
- 2026-04-13: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate)
- 2026-04-13: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2026-04-13: The House RECEDED and CONCURRED to PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-683) thereto.ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2026-04-13: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table On motion by Same Senator the Senate SUSPENDED THE RULES to RECONSIDER their actions whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) in concurrence. On further motion by Same Senator the Senate SUSPENDED THE RULES to RECONSIDER their actions whereby Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) was ADOPTED. On further motion by Same Senator Senate Amendment "A" (S-683) to Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) READ and ADOPTED. Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-683) thereto ADOPTED. PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-683) thereto in NON-CONCURRENCE. Sent down for concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-06-25: CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 800. (Senate)
- 2025-06-11: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending ENACTMENT in concurrence (Senate)
- 2025-06-10: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-10: Reports READ.On motion of Representative KUHN of Falmouth, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) was READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-328). In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-09: Reports ReadOn motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED. READ ONCE Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) READ and ADOPTED. Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-328) Sent down for concurrence (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY.In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-04-10: Committee on JUDICIARY suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on JUDICIARY Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence (Senate)

## Bill text

- Amendment C-A (S-328), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0628&item=2&snum=132)
- Amendment S-A to C-A (S-683), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0628&item=4&snum=132)
- Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0628&item=5&snum=132)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0628&item=1&snum=132)

## Related bills

- LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed)
- LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed)
- LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed)
- LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed)
- LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed)
- LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed)

## Sources
- [Amendment C-A (S-328), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0628&item=2&snum=132)
- [Amendment S-A to C-A (S-683), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0628&item=4&snum=132)
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0628&item=5&snum=132)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0628&item=1&snum=132)

## Related
- [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132)
- [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132)
- [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132)
- [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132)
- [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132)
- [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132)
- [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills)
- [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1544-132 (as of 2026-10-17).