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LD1974 • 2025

An Act to Affirm Parental Rights

An Act to Affirm Parental Rights

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Representative Elizabeth Caruso
Last action
2025-06-09
Official status
Reports Read On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 422 Yeas 18 - Nays 16 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Affirm Parental Rights

An Act to Affirm Parental Rights Sponsor: Representative Elizabeth Caruso Reference committee: Judiciary Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Affirm Parental Rights Sponsor: Representative Elizabeth Caruso Reference committee: Judiciary Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Filed

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR1226(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR1226(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 1974 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • H- ) 3JUDICIARY 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Clerk of the House.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to H.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-09 House

    Reports READ . On motion of Representative KUHN of Falmouth, the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report was ACCEPTED . ROLL CALL NO. 373 (Yeas 75 - Nays 71 - Absent 3 - Excused 2) Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  2. 2025-06-09 Senate

    Reports Read On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 422 Yeas 18 - Nays 16 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

  3. 2025-06-06 Committee

    Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

  4. 2025-05-21 Committee

    Work Session Held

  5. 2025-05-21 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  6. 2025-05-13 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Affirm Parental Rights
Sponsor:
Representative Elizabeth Caruso
Reference committee:
Judiciary
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1974
H.P. 1318 House of Representatives, May 13, 2025
An Act to Affirm Parental Rights
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CARUSO of Caratunk.
Cosponsored by Representatives: BABIN of Fort Fairfield, CHAPMAN of Auburn,
FREDERICKS of Sanford, POIRIER of Skowhegan, Senator: TIMBERLAKE of
Androscoggin.

Page 1 - 132LR1226(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §14 is enacted to read:
3§14. Parents joint natural guardians; fundamental right
41. Parents joint natural guardians of children. Parents are the joint natural
5 guardians of their minor children and are jointly entitled to the care, custody, control and
6 services of their children. Neither parent has any rights paramount to the rights of the other
7 with reference to any matter affecting their children.
82. Fundamental right. The liberty of a parent to direct the upbringing, education and
9 care of the parent's child is a fundamental right.
103. Construction. This section may not be construed to affect the decision of a court
11 regarding parental rights and responsibilities or the termination of parental rights.
12Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4003-A is enacted to read:
13§4003-A. Parents joint natural guardians; fundamental right
141. Parents joint natural guardians of children. Parents are the joint natural
15 guardians of their minor children and are jointly entitled to the care, custody, control and
16 services of their children. Neither parent has any rights paramount to the rights of the other
17 with reference to any matter affecting their children.
182. Fundamental right. The liberty of a parent to direct the upbringing, education and
19 care of the parent's child is a fundamental right.
203. Construction. This section may not be construed to affect the decision of a court
21 regarding parental rights and responsibilities or the termination of parental rights.
22SUMMARY
23 This bill provides that parents are the joint natural guardians of their minor children
24 and are jointly entitled to the care, custody, control and services of their children. It also
25 provides that the liberty of a parent to direct the upbringing, education and care of the
26 parent's child is a fundamental right.
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