An Act To Implement a Recommendation of the Commission on Fatherhood Issues Related to Parental Notice of School Activities and Programs
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0641
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: CUMMINGS, PENDLETON, BLISS, SAMPSON, SUSLOVIC
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6001-A

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 641 
H.P.471 
House of Representati ves, February 11, 2003 
An Act To Implement a Recommendation of the Commission on 
Fatherhood Issues Related to Parental Notice of School Activities 
and Programs 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative CUMMINGS of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator PENDLETON of Cumberland and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BLISS of South Portland, SAMPSON of Auburn, SUSLOVIC of Portland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6001-A. as enacted by PL 1997, c. 415, 
§4, is amended to read: 
§600l-A. 
Parental access to information on school activities 
1. 
Parental 
parent, 
a 
notification 
school 
of all 
notification. 
Upon 
written 
request 
by 
a 
administrative 
unit 
may 
provide 
written 
school activities and programs 
for which 
parental participation, involvement, notification or awareness is 
in the best interest of the student. 
A noncustodial parent may 
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written notification of all school activities and programs after 
a 
copy 
of 
a 
court 
order 
awarding 
parental 
rights 
and 
responsibilities that includes a statement that the noncustodial 
parent must have access to records and information pertaining to 
the noncustodial parent's minor child's school records and other 
information on school activities, in accordance with Title 19-A, 
section 1653, subsection 2, paragraph D, 
subparagraph (4), has 
been submitted to and approved by the superintendent or the 
superintendent's designee in the school administrative unit where 
the noncustodial parent's minor child is enrolled. 
2. 
Exemption. 
This section does not apply to a parent 
denied parental rights and responsibilities in a court order. 
3. 
Exception. 
Upon written reguest by a custodial parent 
stating the 
reasons 
why 
written notification of all 
school 
activities and programs is not in the best interests of the 
child, the superintendent or the superintendent's designee in the 
school administrative unit where the child is enrolled may deny 
written notification of all school activities and programs to a 
noncustodial parent who has submitted a reguest for notification 
under this section. 
SUMMARY 
Current law provides that, upon written request and with the 
agreement 
of 
both 
the 
custodial 
parent 
and 
the 
school 
administrative unit, a school may provide written notification of 
all 
school 
activities 
and 
programs 
for 
which 
parental 
participation, involvement, notification or awareness is in the 
best interest of the student. 
This bill proposes to implement 
one of the recommendations of the Commission on Fatherhood Issues 
related to the notification provided to a noncustodial parent 
regarding that parent's child's school activities and programs. 
Under this bill, 
a 
school administrative unit must provide 
a 
noncustodial parent with written notification of 
the child's 
school 
activities 
and 
programs 
when 
the 
noncustodial 
parent 
submi ts a 
copy of a court order awarding parental rights and 
responsibilities that includes a statement that the noncustodial 
parent must have access to records and information pertaining to 
the minor child's school records and other information on school 
activities. 
The bill also includes an exception provision to providing 
notification to a noncustodial parent. 
Upon the written request 
of 
a 
custodial 
parent 
that 
states 
the 
reasons 
why 
written 
notification of school activities and programs is not in the best 
interests 
of 
the 
child, 
the 
superintendent 
or 
the 
superintendent's designee in the school administrative unit where 
the child is enrolled may 
deny providing notification to the 
noncustodial 
parent 
who 
has 
submitted 
a 
request 
for 
that 
notification.