An Act To Amend The Procedure For Filing A Petition To Terminate Parental Rights And Responsibilities

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Amy Kuhn

Maine LD 922 reforms the filing process for petitions to terminate parental rights and responsibilities, affecting petitioners, courts, and guardians ad litem.

Signed by Governor

#domesticrelations #parentalrights #terminationpetitions

Overview

LD 922 is a Maine Chapter bill titled “An Act To Amend The Procedure For Filing A Petition To Terminate Parental Rights And Responsibilities.” The bill focuses on changing the procedural process for initiating petitions to terminate parental rights and responsibilities. It is now law, having been signed by the Governor on April 11, 2025.

Introduced: March 5, 2025

Committee: Judiciary

Sponsor (noted in fiscal materials): Rep. Kuhn of Falmouth

Status: Signed by Governor (effective date not specified in available documents)

Legislative actions: Passed through the Judiciary Committee with an Ought To Pass (OTP) recommendation, moved through concurrence, and ultimately signed into law in April 2025.

What the bill does

The bill amends the procedure for filing a petition to terminate parental rights and responsibilities. The exact substantive changes to the filing process are not included in the materials provided here, so the precise alterations (e.g., required information, filing forms, service requirements, timelines, or court procedures) cannot be detailed from these documents alone.

The title indicates a focus on procedural reform rather than creating new grounds or changing the standards for termination of parental rights.

Key provisions and changes (as indicated by available materials)

Specific textual provisions are not provided in the documents you supplied. Therefore, the exact changes to how petitions are filed (forms, notice, service, scheduling, or associated court requirements) are not enumerated here.

Fiscal impact: Both fiscal notes indicate no fiscal impact. One note is labeled as a “Fiscal Note” (Approved 03/27/25) and another as a “Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement” (Approved 03/17/25). This suggests the proposal was not anticipated to impose new costs on the state or affected entities.

Who is affected

Primary participants: Individuals (parents or guardians) petitioning to terminate parental rights and those seeking to terminate or limit parental responsibilities.

Court system: Family or probate courts handling termination petitions.

Legal representatives and guardians ad litem: Attorneys and any court-appointed guardians ad litem or related parties involved in termination proceedings.

Children: The ultimate subject of these petitions, who may be affected by changes in procedural handling.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Legislative journey: Referred to the Judiciary Committee on March 5, 2025; work session and OTP review occurred March 17, 2025; reported out March 24, 2025; passed through consent calendar and concurrence in late March; sent for further concurrence and final action in early April; signed into law by the Governor on April 11, 2025.

Effective date: Not specified in the provided materials. (The bill's text would indicate effective dates, if any.)

Additional notes

The available materials emphasize that the bill addresses procedure rather than substantive grounds for termination.

Sponsor: Rep. Kuhn (Falmouth) is noted in the preliminary fiscal materials.

If you’d like, I can help locate the bill’s full text to extract and summarize the exact procedural changes it makes to filing petitions for termination of parental rights and responsibilities.

Bill