An Act To Require Education in Public Preschool Programs and Elementary Schools Regarding Child Sexual Abuse
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1180
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MAKER, DIAMOND, LUCHINI, NADEAU, TUELL, TURNER, WARD, BAKER, BURNS, HASKELL
Amends: 20-A MRSA §254, 20-A MRSA §4502, 20-A MRSA §4711, 20-A MRSA §4713, 20-A MRSA §6209

Legislative Document 
No. 1180 
H.P. 813 
House of Representatives, April 1, 2015 
An Act To Require Education in Public Preschool Programs and 
Elementary Schools Regarding Child Sexual Abuse 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative MAKER of Calais. 
Cosponsored by Senator DIAMOND of Cumberland and 
Representatives: LUCHINI of Ellsworth, NADEAU of Winslow, TUELL of East Machias, 
TURNER of Burlington, WARD of Dedham, Senators: BAKER of Sagadahoc, BURNS of 
Washington, HASKELL of Cumberland. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §254, sub-§18 is enacted to read: 
18.  Model policies and technical assistance for instruction in health education; 
child sexual abuse.  The commissioner shall develop model policies and a program of 
technical assistance for child sexual abuse response policies and reporting procedures and 
for age-appropriate instruction on child sexual abuse detection and prevention that may 
be used as part of the basic course of study in elementary schools required by section 
4711 for all students enrolled in kindergarten to grade 5 and the standards and best 
practices for public preschool programs operated in compliance with chapter 203, 
subchapter 3. 
A.  The commissioner, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human 
Services, organizations that have expertise in child sexual abuse and organizations 
representing school boards, administrators, teachers and parents, shall: 
(1)  Identify research and evidence-based model educational materials on child 
sexual abuse; and 
(2)  Develop a model for child sexual abuse response policies and reporting 
procedures. 
B.  Not later than March 1, 2016, the department shall make the model policies and 
program developed or identified under this section available to assist elementary 
schools with the implementation of: 
(1)  Child sexual abuse education programs in public preschool programs and 
kindergarten to grade 5; and 
(2)  Child sexual abuse response policies and reporting procedures. 
C.  The model educational materials on child sexual abuse identified or developed 
under paragraph A may include the following topics: 
(1)  Warning signs of a child who is being sexually abused; 
(2)  The basic principles of child sexual abuse prevention; 
(3)  Methods of student, teacher and parental education and outreach; and 
(4)  Accommodation provisions for instances in which educational materials 
conflict with sincerely held religious or philosophical beliefs of a student's parent 
or guardian. 
D.  The model child sexual abuse response policies and reporting procedures referred 
to in paragraph B may include the following topics: 
(1)  Actions that a child who is a victim of sexual abuse may take to obtain 
assistance; and 
(2)  Reporting procedures. 
E.  The department shall offer technical assistance to school administrative units that 
operate a public preschool program or an elementary school to aid in the 
establishment of child sexual abuse programs that are to be implemented as part of 
the health education curriculum. 
F.  A copy of the model policies and the program of technical assistance prepared by 
the commissioner pursuant to this subsection must be sent to each school 
administrative unit in the State and posted on the publicly accessible portion of the 
department's website along with any training and instructional materials related to the 
model policies that the commissioner determines necessary. 
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§5-C is enacted to read: 
5-C.  Detection and prevention of child sexual abuse.  Beginning in the 2016-2017 
school year, a school administrative unit that operates a public preschool program or an 
elementary school shall develop a plan that includes: 
A.  A written local policy for child sexual abuse prevention programs and child 
sexual abuse response policies and reporting procedures that are consistent with the 
model policies developed by the commissioner pursuant to section 254, subsection 
18; and 
B.  An implementation plan for age-appropriate instruction on the detection and 
prevention of child sexual abuse that may be used as part of the basic course of study 
in elementary schools required by section 4711 for all students enrolled in 
kindergarten to grade 5 and the standards and best practices for public preschool 
programs operated in compliance with chapter 203, subchapter 3. 
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §4711, as amended by PL 2009, c. 313, §11, is further 
amended to read: 
§4711.  Elementary course of study 
The basic course of study for the elementary schools must provide for the instruction 
of all students in career and education development, English language arts, world 
languages, health education and physical education, mathematics, science and 
technology, social studies and visual and performing arts, as described in the parameters 
for essential instruction and graduation requirements subject to the schedule specified in 
section 6209.  Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, the basic course of study must 
include as part of health education age-appropriate instruction on child sexual abuse 
detection and prevention for all students enrolled in kindergarten to grade 5. 
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §4713 is enacted to read: 
§4713.  Public preschool course of study 
The basic course of study for public preschool programs operated in compliance with 
chapter 203, subchapter 3 must provide all students in public preschool programs with the 
resources and comprehensive services necessary to meet the standards, best practices and 
assessment program as required by rules adopted by the department in accordance with 
section 4271, subsection 4 and section 4501, subsection 1.  Beginning in the 2016-2017 
school year, the basic course of study must include as part of health education age-
appropriate instruction on child sexual abuse detection and prevention for all students 
enrolled in the public preschool program. 
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §6209, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2013, c. 244, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
4.  Review cycle.  The commissioner shall conduct a review of the content standards 
and performance indicators by content area on a 5-year cycle beginning in the 2015-2016 
school year.  The review of the content standards and performance indicators for the 
content area of social studies, including student achievement of proficiency in personal 
finance, and the content area of health, physical education and wellness, including age-
appropriate instruction on child sexual abuse detection and prevention for all students 
enrolled in public preschool programs and kindergarten to grade 5, must be included in 
the commissioner's review during the 2015-2016 school year.  Any changes that are 
recommended must be approved through the same process used for establishment of the 
system of learning results. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to develop model policies and a 
program of technical assistance for child sexual abuse response policies and reporting 
procedures and for age-appropriate instruction on child sexual abuse detection and 
prevention that may be used as part of the basic course of study in public preschool 
programs and elementary schools.  The bill requires the Department of Education to make 
the model policies and technical assistance program available no later than March 1, 2016 
to assist school administrative units with the implementation of child sexual abuse 
education programs and child sexual abuse response policies and reporting procedures in 
public preschool programs and kindergarten to grade 5. 
The bill requires that, beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, the basic course of 
study for elementary schools must include age-appropriate instruction on child sexual 
abuse detection and prevention for all students enrolled in public preschool programs and 
kindergarten to grade 5.  The bill requires a school administrative unit that operates a 
public preschool program or an elementary school to develop a prevention plan, 
beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, that includes a written local policy and an 
implementation plan for the child sexual abuse education programs and child sexual 
abuse response policies and reporting procedures. 
The bill also requires the commissioner to review the content standards and 
performance indicators for the content area of health education, including age-appropriate 
instruction on child sexual abuse detection and prevention during the 2015-2016 school 
year as part of the commissioner's 5-year review cycle of the content standards and 
performance indicators required under the system of learning results.