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LD922 • 2025

An Act to Amend the Procedure for Filing a Petition to Terminate Parental Rights and Responsibilities

An Act to Amend the Procedure for Filing a Petition to Terminate Parental Rights and Responsibilities

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Representative Amy Kuhn
Last action
2025-04-11
Official status
Signed by the Governor
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 Amend the Procedure for Filing a Petition to Terminate Parental Rights and Responsibilities

An Act to Amend the Procedure for Filing a Petition to Terminate Parental Rights and Responsibilities Sponsor: Representative Amy Kuhn Reference committee: Judiciary Governor action: Signed by the Governor

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Amend the Procedure for Filing a Petition to Terminate Parental Rights and Responsibilities Sponsor: Representative Amy Kuhn Reference committee: Judiciary Governor action: Signed by the Governor

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.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-11 Governor

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2025-04-08 Senate

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.

  3. 2025-04-01 House

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  4. 2025-03-24 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP

  5. 2025-03-17 Committee

    Work Session Held

  6. 2025-03-17 Committee

    Voted; OTP

  7. 2025-03-05 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Amend the Procedure for Filing a Petition to Terminate Parental Rights and Responsibilities
Sponsor:
Representative Amy Kuhn
Reference committee:
Judiciary
Governor action:
Signed by the Governor

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR0455(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 587 - L.D. 922
An Act to Amend the Procedure for Filing a Petition to Terminate Parental
Rights and Responsibilities
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §1658, sub-§1-A, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 340, §2, is
amended to read:
1-A. Filing and contents of petition. A petition to terminate parental rights and
responsibilities must be filed in the District Court and in the same case as a prior
adjudication of parental rights and responsibilities, if any. The petition must be sworn and
must include at least the following:
A. The name and date and place of birth of the child;
B. The name and address of the petitioner and the nature of the petitioner's relationship
to the child;
C. The name of each of the child's parents;
D. A summary statement of the alleged facts that the petitioner believes constitute
grounds for termination under subsection 2;
E. A statement of the effects of a termination order; and
F. A statement that the parent whose rights and responsibilities are the subject of the
petition to terminate parental rights and responsibilities is entitled to legal counsel in
the termination proceedings and that, if the parent wants an attorney and is unable to
afford one, the parent should contact the court as soon as possible to request appointed
counsel.
APPROVED
APRIL 11, 2025
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
20
PUBLIC LAW