An Act to Prohibit the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0537
Committee Amendment CA_A_H604 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "^" to H P 356,L.D 537, "An Act to Prohibit the
Doxing of a Minor and to Authorize a Related Civil Action"
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and insertjug the
following:
'See. 1. 5MRSA§4651,sub-.§2,^C,asamendedbyPL2017,,.c.455,,§l,isfui-ther
amended to read;. : . ,. "' ""."^', ".^,.,•..".. ..•., . :•,.,•/
' C. A single act or course of conduct constituting a violation of section 468l;.'Title".14.
.16 ' section 9102; Title 17, section 2931; or Title 17-A, section 201, 202; 203,'204;;-207,
.208,209, 210, 210-A, 211, 253, 254, 255-A, 256, 258, 259-A,.259-B;,260, 261,282,
283,301, 302, 303, 506, 506-A, 511, 511-A, 556, 802, 805,-806, 852 QI-8,53., . , .,
Sec. 2. 14 MRSA c. 765 is enacted to read; .• , '
CHAPTER 765
BOXING OF MINOR PROHIBITED; CIVIL ACTION AUTHORIZED
§9101. Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms
have the following meanings.
1. Close relation. "Close relation" means, with respect to a person, a current or fomier
spouse or domestic partner. parent, child, sibling, stepchild. stepparent or grandparent of
that person; a person who regularly resides or within the prior 6 months resided in the same
household as that person; a person with a significant personal or professional relationship
with that oerson; or a net of that person or of that person's household or family,
2. Compensatory damaees, _"ComDensator/_'<iamaees" mcludes, but is not limited to,
past and future medical expenses, lost eammes. pain. sufferiue. mental aneuish. emotional
distress and loss ofeniovment of life.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
P.O5 i
-A''
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT « ^\" to H.P, 356, L.D. 537
3. Disclosure. "Disclosure" means the dissemination. distribution, circulation.
sharing, posting, publishing, transmittal or release of information through electronic 'or
other means. . • . .
4. Doxine of a minor. "Doxine of a minor" means the intentional, knowine or reckless
disclosure by a person of .personal identifymg information of a minor, when the person
making the disclosure consciously disregards a substantial risk that the disclosure.wjll
cause, and in fact the disclosure either directly or iridirectlv'causes :'•' . - •
,8 A. A course of conduct directed at or concemine the minor or a close relation of the
minor that constitutes stalldng under Title 17-A. section 210-A:
B. Physical harm to the mmor or a close relation of the minori
C. Serious damaee to the oronertv of the minor or a close relation of the minor; or •
D. The minor or a close relation of the minor to reasonably fear for the minor's physical
safety or to reasonably fear for the physical safety of a close relation of the minor
5. MEinor. "Minor means a oerson:
A. Who has not attained 18 years of age; or
B. Who is 18 years of aee or older. meets the aee requirement for enrollment under
' Title 20-A. section 5201. subsection 1 and is currently enrolled in a public or private
secondai-v_school_in the State,
(L Personal identifviue information. "Personal identifying information" means:
A, Any of the followme information concerning a minor that the minor has not made
andhas_nQtauthonzed another person to make readily aDoarent to thegeneral tmbUc:'
(I) Biometric data:
(2) Home address, personal e-mail address or personal telephone number; ' .
, f3) Employer's name. address or telephone number; address of employer's website:
the minor's work e-mail address; or the minor's work telephone, numbec
(4) School name. address or telephone number: address of the school's website; or
the minor's school e-mail address;
{51_Social security number, passtiort number, dfiver's license number or state-
issued identification card number:
{6)_Credit or debit card number; .
f7) Citizenship status;
C8) Medical. fmanciaL educational, consumer or employment information or
records; or
(91A photoeraoh that was not taken in a nublic place and that has not previously
been made available to the general public: or
B. A photoeraph or likeness of a minor, including a photoaraoh that was taken m a
, public place or that has previously been made available to the general public, in
combinatiQnwithL
d) The minor's leeal name. prior name. alias or date or place of birth;
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMHTEE AMENDMENT "^ " to H.P. 356, L.D. 537
"A"1
(VOS
(2) Information about the minor s relationship to a close relation; or
(3) Any item of information concemmg the minor specified in paragraph A.
§9102. Doxine of minor prohibited
A person may not. engage m conduct that constitutes doxing of a minor. A person that
violates this section may be subject to a civil action for damaees pursuant to section 9103.
§9103, Civil action for damages
Aminor may bring a civil action _against a person who violates section 9102 for
iniunctive relief, actual damages. compensatory damaees. any combination of those
remedies or any other appropriate relief.
1. Attorney's fees and costs. A plaintiff who prevails in a civil action under this
sectionjs. entitled to an award of attorney s fees and costs,
2. Punitive damages. A plaintiff who proves by clear and convincing evidencejhat
thedoxjng of a minor was committed with malice or motivated by the race. color, relifijon.
ethnicity, national orisin. citizenship status, sex. sender, sexual orientation. sender identity
or expression, pliysical or mental health condition or disability of the minor or of a close
relation of the_mmQrjs_entitledtQ^^^^^a^^^^^^ of punitive damages in addition to any other
remei
3. Defenses. It is a defense to a civil action brought pursuant to this section that a
person disclosed personal identifyine information of a minor for the sole purpose of:
A. Reoortine conduct that was reasonably believed to be unlawful or to constitute a
crime to a law enforcement officer or law enforcement agency;
.22 B. Publishine. disseminatine or reportme conduct by a public official, law
enforcement officer or law enforcement agency that was reasonably believed to be
unlawful, to constitute a crime or to constitute an abuse of authority: or
C, Eneaeine m lawful activity protected by the United States Constitution or the
Constitution of Maine pertaining tospeech, assembly, press or petition, including to
. 27 address a matter of public concern,
4. Minors as parties. A minor may be a party to an action under this chapter only
when the mmor_has a representative through whom the action is brought Qr_defended
pwsyantto the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 17fb'),'
Amend the bill by relettermg or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, makes the followmg
changes to the bill,
1, It clarifies that a person engages in doxing of a minor, if the person intentionally,
knowingly or recklessly discloses personal identifying information of the minor and
consciously disregards a substantial risk that the disclosure will cause, and m fact: the
disclosure either directly or indirectly causes, certain types of harm to the minor or a close
relation of the minor, including stalking, physical han-Hj serious damage to the minor's or a
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMHTEE AMENDMENT " A" to H.P. 356, L.D. 537
"/\''
close relation's property or that the minor or a close relation of the minor reasonably fears
for the minor's physical safety or the physical safely of a close relation.
2. It provides that a minor may obtain a protection from harassment order against a
person who doxes the minor. . ' .' •
3. It expands the definition of "personal identifying information" of a minor, including
by adding information about the minor's citizenship status or passport number.
4. It amends the definition of "personal identifying information" to provide that
disclosing a photograph of a minor that was taken in a public place or that has previously
been made publicly available does not constitute the disclosure of personal identifying
information unless the photograph is accompanied by the minor's' name, information
identifying the minor's close relations or other personal identifying information of the
minor.
5, It clarifies that a minor, may be a plaintiff or a defendant in a civil action involving
doxing of a minor only if the minor is represented as required by the Maine Rules of Civil
Procedure, Rule 17(b).
6. It clarifies that compensatory damages awarded in a civil action against a person
who doxes a rumor may include past and future medical expenses, lost earnings, pain,
suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.
7. It strikes the provision of the bill authorizing an award of treble damages and instead
provides that a plaintiff who demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that the doxing
of a minor was motivated by the race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship
status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental
health condition or disability of the minor or of a close relation is entitled to an award of
punitive damages,
8. It clarifies that a person is not liable in a civil action for doxing of the minor if the
person's conduct was protected either by the United States Constitution or by the
Constitution of Maine.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved: 05/05/25
i-RL.
LD 537 LR 650(02)
An Act to Prohibit the Doxing of a Minor and to Authorize a Related Civil Action
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment
Committee: Judiciary
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
'^-w)
Fiscal Note
Minor cost increase - General Fund
Minor revenue increase - General Fund
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements
This bill may increase the number of civil suits filed in the court system. The additional workload associated with the
minimal number of new cases filed in the court system does not require additional funding at this time. The collection
of additional filing fees will increase General Fund revenue by minor amounts,
LR0650(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1