Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §8, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 438, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

1.__It is a defense that prosecution was commenced after the expiration of the applicable period of limitations provided in this section, except that:

A.__A prosecution may be commenced at any time for:

(1)__Murder or criminal homicide in the first or 2nd degree; or

(2)__If the victim had not attained 16 years of age at the time of the crime, incest; unlawful sexual contact; sexual abuse of a minor; or rape or gross sexual assault, formerly denominated as gross sexual misconduct; and

B.__A prosecution for female genital mutilation may be commenced within 5 years after the victim attains the age of 18 years.

Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §208-C is enacted to read:

§208-C.__Female genital mutilation

1.__A person is guilty of female genital mutilation if that person for nonmedical purposes excises or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris or vulva of a female minor.__Violation of this subsection is a strict liability crime as defined in section 34, subsection 4-A.

2.__It is not a defense to a violation of subsection 1 that the person believed that the violation was required by custom, ritual, religious practice or standard of practice, or that the minor on whom it is performed or the minor's parent or legal guardian consented to the procedure.

3.__Female genital mutilation is a Class C crime.

Sec. 3. Educational and outreach activities. The Department of Human Services, in consultation with the appropriate federal agency or department, shall establish and implement appropriate education, preventive and outreach activities, focusing on the new immigrant populations that traditionally practice female genital mutilation, for the purpose of informing members of those communities of the health risks and emotional trauma inflicted by this practice and informing those communities and the medical