An Act to Require Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect to Military Family Advocacy Programs
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2095
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: JACKSON, DODGE, BEEBE-CENTER, INGWERSEN, MOORE, MEYER
Amends: 22 MRSA §4004, 22 MRSA §4008-A

Legislative Document
No. 2095
S.P. 888
In Senate, January 3, 2024
An Act to Require Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect to Military 
Family Advocacy Programs
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by President JACKSON of Aroostook.
Cosponsored by Representative DODGE of Belfast and
Senators: BEEBE-CENTER of Knox, INGWERSEN of York, MOORE of Washington, 
Representative: MEYER of Eliot.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §4004, sub-§2, ¶F, as amended by PL 2007, c. 586, §8, is further 
amended to read:
F.  File a petition under section 4032 if, after investigation, the department determines 
that a child is in immediate risk of serious harm or in jeopardy as defined in this chapter; 
and
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §4004, sub-§2, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 586, §9, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (2) to read:
(2)  The degree of threatened harm to any other child for whom the person or 
persons responsible for the deceased child may be responsible now or in the future.; 
and
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §4004, sub-§2, ¶H is enacted to read:
H. If an allegation of abuse or neglect against a parent or legal guardian of the child is 
investigated, collect information concerning the military status of the parent or legal 
guardian who is the subject of the allegation and share information about the allegation 
with the appropriate military authorities. 
Sec. 4.  22 MRSA §4008-A, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6.  Military family advocacy program.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the 
contrary, the department shall negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the military 
family advocacy program at a military installation, as defined in Title 20-A, section 20102, 
subsection 11, with respect to child abuse and neglect investigations.  The memorandum 
of understanding must establish procedures and protocols for:
A.  Identifying as military personnel a parent or legal guardian alleged to have 
committed abuse or neglect of a child;
B.  Reporting to a military family advocacy program when a child abuse and neglect 
investigation implicating military personnel has been initiated; and
C.  Maintaining confidentiality requirements under state and federal law.
For the purposes of this subsection, "military family advocacy program" means the 
program established by the United States Department of Defense and provided at a military 
installation to address child abuse and neglect in military families.
SUMMARY
If an allegation of abuse or neglect of a child against a parent or legal guardian of a 
child is investigated, this bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to 
collect information concerning the military status of the parent or legal guardian and share 
information about the allegation with the appropriate military authorities. It also directs the 
department to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with family advocacy programs 
at military installations.