| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 18-A MRSA §9-304, sub-§(b), ¶(6), as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, | | Pt. C, §7 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: |
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| | | (6) The department, the licensed child-placing agency or | | other person who acts to place or assist in placing the | | child for adoption shall file the information collected with | | the court and, if it appears that the adoption will be | | granted and this information has not previously been made | available to the adoptive parents pursuant to Title 22, | section 4008, subsection 3, paragraph G or | | 8205, the court shall make the information available to the | | adoptive parents, prior to issuing the decree pursuant to | | subsection (f), with protection for the identity of persons | | other than the child. |
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| | | Sec. 2. 18-A MRSA §9-305, sub-§(b), as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. | | C, §7 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: |
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| | | (b) The judge may conduct an inspection in camera of records | | of relevant child protective proceedings and may disclose only | | that information necessary for the determination of any issue | | before the court. Any disclosure of information must be done | pursuant to Title 22, section 4008, subsection 3 |
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| | | Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §4003, sub-§4, as amended by PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. AA, | | §4, is further amended to read: |
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| | | 4. Permanent plans for care and custody. Promote the early | | establishment of permanent plans for the care and custody of | | children who cannot be returned to their family. It is the intent | | of the Legislature that the department reduce the number of | | children receiving assistance under the United States Social | | Security Act, Title IV-E, who have been in foster care more than | | 24 months, by 10% each year beginning with the federal fiscal | year that starts on October 1, 1983; and |
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| | | Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §4003, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. AA, | | §5, is amended to read: |
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| | | 5. Report. Require the department to report monthly to the | | joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction | | over appropriations and financial affairs and health and human | | services matters, beginning in July 2000, on the status of | | children served by the Bureau of Child and Family Services. The | | report must include, at a minimum, information on the | | department's caseload, the location of the children in the | | department's custody and the number of cases of abuse and neglect |
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