# Maine LD 1832: An Act to Clarify Available Relief for the Protection of At-risk Children Maine LD 1832, An Act to Clarify Available Relief for the Protection of At-risk Children, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Donna Bailey (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-06-17 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 347) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1832-132 - 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 1832 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Clarify Available Relief for the Protection of At-risk Children - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-04-30 - Last action: 2025-06-17, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 347 - Sponsor: Donna Bailey (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES - ABUSE AND NEGLECT - Touches household money: no - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Faster, safer court process for at-risk kids: benefit, high. Courts must hear and decide these requests as soon as possible and before the child turns 21. Hearings and records are confidential, with access limited to the parties, the child, parents, and their lawyers or designees. If a parent is unknown or lives outside the U.S., the court can use other noti… - Simple path to special findings for at-risk kids: benefit, high. An at-risk noncitizen child can petition the court for special findings and relief. The court must decide if the child is dependent or abused, if reunification with a parent is viable, and if return to a home country is in the child’s best interest. The child can also ask for these findings in a pa… - Courts can protect noncitizen youth under 21: benefit, medium. The law treats an unmarried person under 21 as a “child” for these protections. It defines “at-risk” as harm from abuse, neglect, abandonment, or similar, and when return to a home country is not in the child’s best interest. State courts, including District and Probate, can hear these protection a… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Donna Bailey (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Adam LEE - Cosponsor: Amy Arata (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Amy Kuhn (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Anne M. Carney (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: David Sinclair (Democratic), House ## Actions (7) - 2025-06-17: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 347 - 2025-06-11: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, 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-310) 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-310). In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-09: Reports READ Senator CARNEY of Cumberland moved to ACCEPT the Majority Ought to Pass As Amended Report. On motion by Senator STEWART of Aroostook Tabled until Later in Today's Session, pending Motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland to ACCEPT The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-310) Report. Taken from the table by the President Subsequently, The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-310) Report ACCEPTED. READ ONCE Committee Amendment "A" (S-310) READ and ADOPTED Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-310) Sent down for concurrence (Senate) - 2025-04-30: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY.In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-04-30: Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES suggested and ordered printed On motion by Senator INGWERSEN of York REFERENCE to the Committee on JUDICIARY Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-310), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0714&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0714&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0714&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-310), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0714&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0714&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0714&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) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1832-132 (as of 2026-10-17).