Bill
Bill > LD592
summary
Introduced
02/19/2025
02/19/2025
In Committee
02/19/2025
02/19/2025
Crossed Over
06/12/2025
06/12/2025
Passed
06/13/2025
06/13/2025
Dead
Introduced Session
Potential new amendment
132nd Legislature
Bill Summary
The current Class D crime of endangering the welfare of a child under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 17-A, section 554, subsection 1, paragraph C is established when a person violates a duty of care or protection to a child and thereby recklessly endangers the child. This bill amends the provision to describe the crime by attaching the culpable mental state element of recklessness to the violation of the duty. The bill amends the laws governing the crime by enacting more serious penalty provisions if a person's reckless violation of the duty of care or protection results in serious bodily injury to or death of a child. If the child suffers serious bodily injury as a result, the crime is a Class C crime; if the child dies, the crime is a Class B crime.
AI Summary
This bill amends Maine's existing law on endangering the welfare of a child by clarifying and expanding the legal definitions and penalties for such offenses. Currently, recklessly endangering a child's health, safety, or welfare is a Class D crime, but the bill refines this by explicitly stating that the recklessness must be tied to violating a duty of care or protection. Moreover, the bill introduces more severe penalty provisions based on the consequences of the reckless act: if the child suffers serious bodily injury, the offense becomes a Class C crime, and if the child dies as a result of the reckless violation, it becomes a Class B crime. These changes aim to provide more precise legal language around child endangerment and establish graduated criminal penalties that reflect the severity of harm caused to the child, thus potentially offering stronger legal protection for children and more appropriate consequences for those who recklessly endanger their welfare.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 800. (on 06/25/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=592&snum=132 |
| Senate: C-A (S-385) | https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0276&item=2&snum=132 |
| Fiscal Note: C-A (S-385) | https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/bills_132nd/fiscalpdfs/FN059202.pdf |
| Fiscal Note: Text | https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/bills_132nd/fiscalpdfs/FN059201.pdf |
| BillText | https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0276&item=1&snum=132 |
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