An Act To Prohibit Female Genital Mutilation
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1778
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: SIMPSON, DOUGLASS, ADAMS, BLANCHETTE, DUDLEY, GERZOFSKY, HUTTON, LEMOINE, NORBERT, HALL
Amends: 17-A MRSA §8, 17-A MRSA §208-C

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1778 
H.P.1300 
House of Representatives, December 22, 2003 
An Act To Prohibit Female Genital Mutilation 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Recei ved by the Clerk of the House on December 17, 2003. Referred to the Committee on 
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401. 
Presented by Representative SIMPSON of Auburn. 
Cosponsored by Senator DOUGLASS of Androscoggin and 
/J(~ 
/J7.11!dC~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: ADAMS of Portland, BLANCHETTE of Bangor, DUDLEY of Portland, 
GERZOFSKY of Brunswick, HUTTON of Bowdoinham, LEMOINE of Old Orchard Beach, 
NORBERT of Portland, Senator: HALL of Lincoln. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §8, sub-§l, as amended by PL 1999, c. 438, 
§l, is repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
1. 
It is a defense that prosecution was commenced after the 
expiration of the app·licable period of limitations provided in 
this section, except that: 
A. 
A prosecution may be commenced at any time for: 
(1) 
Murder or criminal homicide in the first or 2nd 
degree; or 
(2) 
If the victim had not attained 16 years of age at 
the time of the crime, incest; unlawful sexual contact; 
sexual 
abusl~ of 
a 
minor; 
or 
rape 
or gross 
sexual 
assault, 
formerly 
denominated 
as 
gross 
sexual 
misconduct; ,and 
B. 
A prosecution for 
female genital mutilation may 
be 
commenced within 5 years after the victim attains the age of 
years. 
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §208-C is enacted to read: 
S20B-C. 
Female genital mutilation 
1. 
A person is guilty of female genital mutilation if that 
person for nonmedical purposes excises or infibulates the whole 
or any part of the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris or vulva 
of a 
female minor. 
Violation of this subsection is a strict 
liability crime as defined in section 34, subsection 4-A. 
2. 
It is not a defense to a violation of subsection 1 that 
the person believed that the violation was reguired by custom, 
ritual, religious practice or standard of practice, or that the 
minor on whom it is performed or the minor's parent or legal 
guardian consented to the procedure. 
3. 
Female genital mutilation is a Class C crime. 
Sec. 3. Educational and outreach activities. 
The Department of 
Human 
Services, 
in consultation with the appropriate 
federal 
agency or department, shall establish and implement appropriate 
education, preventive and outreach acti vi ties, focusing on the 
new 
immigrant 
populations 
that traditionally practice 
female 
genital mutilation. for the purpose of informing members of those 
communities of the health risks and emotional trauma inflicted by 
this practice and informing those communi ties and the medical 
Page l-LR2324(1) 
.. 
• 
community of 
the prohibition and 
ramifications 
of 
the 
Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 17-A, section 208-C. 
SUMMARY 
This 
bill 
prohibits 
the 
practice 
of 
female 
genital 
mutilation. 
The 
bill also 
directs 
the 
Department 
of 
Human 
Services 
to 
establish 
and 
implement 
education 
and 
outreach 
activities 
focusing 
on 
new 
immigrant 
populations 
that 
traditionally practice female genital mutilation .