Resolve, to Study the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1618
Committee Amendment CA_A_H199 (House)

COMMITTEEAMENDMENT",b.__,,to H.P. 1072, L.D. 1618, "Resolve, to Study the 
Feasibility of Establishing a Dedicat:d tamily Court in Maine" 
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Amend the resolve by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 2. Study group membership. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 
353, the study group consists of 13 members appointed as follows: 
1. Two members of the Senate, appointed by _the President of the Senate, including 
one member from . each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the 
Legislature; 
2. Two members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House, including one member from e~ch of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats 
in the Legislature; 
3. Three members representing the judicial branch, appointed by the Chief Justice of 
the Supreme Judicial Court; 
4. One member representing a child welfare advocacy organization, appointed by the 
President of the Senate; 
5. One member who is a guardian ad litem, appointed by the President of the Senate; 
6. One member who is an individual with personal experience with family law 
proceedings in court, appointed by the President of the Senate; 
7. One member representing the Family Law Advisory Commission under the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 19-A, chapter 5, appointed by the Speaker of the House; 
8. One member representing a statewide coalition of domestic violence projects, 
appointed by the Speaker of the House; and 
9. One member who is an individual with personal experience with family law 
proceedings in court, appointed by the Speaker of the House.' 
Amend the resolve by striking out all of section 5 and inserting the following: 
... 
Page I - 132LR1804(02) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A' to H.P. 1072, L.D. 1618 
'Sec. 5. Duties. Resolved: That the study group shall comprehensively evaluate 
the feasibility, potential benefits and challenges associated with establishing a dedicated 
family court system, which must include examination and consideration of: 
1. Best practices in other states with dedicated family courts; 
2. How best to structure a dedicated family court to ensure that it is available .and 
accessible to parties across all areas of the State, including rural areas. The study group 
shall consider whether specific judges, mediators and other court staff should be assigned 
to work exclusively on family matters cases and whether to require single-judge 
assignments for specific cases or specific families; 
3. What categories of legal proceedings should be within the exclusive jurisdiction of 
a dedicated family court, such as all divorce, legal separl:).tion and annulment proceedings 
or only those proceedings involving minor children; paternity, parental rights and 
responsibilities and child support proceedings; some or all protection from abuse 
proceedings; child protection proceedings; and some or all guardianship, adoption and 
related proceedings under the Maine Uniform Probate Code; 
4. Data on the volume of cases within the different categories identified in subsection 
currently handled'by the State's courts, the number of times individual cases are heard 
by multiple judges, the average time to resolution for these categories of cases and the 
potential for reducing delays and improving outcomes in these categories of cases through 
a dedicated family court; and 
5. The resources required to establish a dedicated family court system. 
In performing its duties under this section, the study group shall solicit the input, advice 
or participation of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and 
Family Services and the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Support 
Enforcement and Recovery, attorneys within the Office of the Attorney General with 
experienc.e in child protection proceedings and restorative justice professionals.' . 
Amend the resolve by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment requires that the legislative members of the Study Group to Research 
the Feasibility of Establishing a Dedicated Family Court in Maine, as established in the 
resolve, include members from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in 
the Legislature. It also provides that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court 
appoints the 3 representatives of the judicial branch who serve as members of the study 
group. Finally, it provides more specificity regarding the duties of the study group and 
directs that, when performing those duties, the study group must solicit the input, advice or 
participation of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family 
Services and the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Support 
Enforcement and Recovery, attorneys within the Office of the Attorney General with 
experience in child protection proceedings and restorative justice professionals. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/05/25 LRL 
LD 1618 
LR 1804(02) 
Resolve, to Study the Feasibility of Establishing a Dedicated Family Court in Maine 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Ame~ded by c.o~mittee Amendment "(S.._ ri 4 -(qlf) 
Comnnttee: Judiciary 
Lt 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Legislative Cost/Study 
Legislative Cost/Study 
The general operating expenses of this study are projected to be $3,050 in fiscal year 2025-26. The Legislature's 
proposed budget for the 2026-2027 biennium includes $22,196 in each of fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 for the 
costs of legislative studies, as well as $8,265 in projected balances from fiscal year 2024-25 and $33,073 of balances 
canied over from prior years for this purpose. Whether these amounts are sufficient to fund all studies will depend on 
the number of studies authorized by the Legislative Council and the Legislature. The additional costs of providing 
staffing assistance to the study during the interim can be absorbed utilizing existing budgeted staff resources. 
LRl 804(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1