WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

LD 99

An Act To Clarify Information Sharing Between The Department Of Health And Human Services And Schools With Respect To Investigations Of Child Abuse Or Neglect

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Kelly Murphy

Clarifies DHHS and school information sharing in child abuse investigations, limiting data to what’s necessary to protect children, coordinate safety plans, and preserve privacy.

Signed by Governor
#childrenandfamilies #disclosure #protectiveservices(child)
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · LD 99

Summary — LD 99

An Act To Clarify Information Sharing Between The Department Of Health and Human Services and Schools With Respect To Investigations of Child Abuse or Neglect

Purpose / Intent

The bill clarifies how the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and local schools may share information when DHHS is conducting investigations of child abuse or neglect. Its stated objective is to ensure that school personnel and DHHS caseworkers can exchange necessary information to protect children’s safety, support safety planning, and minimize disruption to a child’s education while preserving confidentiality protections.

Key provisions (summary)

The enacted law (as amended by Committee Amendment “A” (H‑700)) primarily does the following:
- Clarifies statutory authority and procedures governing the disclosure of information between DHHS and schools during child abuse/neglect investigations.
- Limits information sharing to what is necessary for purposes such as assessing immediate risk, coordinating safety plans, and addressing the child’s educational and welfare needs.
- Reflects and preserves confidentiality safeguards and compliance with applicable state and federal privacy laws (e.g., protections around student records and child welfare records).
- Directs that information be provided only to appropriate school staff (e.g., administrators, designated student support staff) on a need‑to‑know basis.

(Note: The bill text available to this summary is limited to title and legislative actions; specific statutory language, definitions, or procedural detail in the amendment are not reproduced here.)

Who is affected

  • Students who are subjects of or involved in DHHS child abuse/neglect investigations.
  • Families and caregivers of those students.
  • DHHS caseworkers and investigators.
  • School districts, school administrators, counselors, nurses and other designated staff.
  • Potentially law enforcement and other service providers when coordination is required.

Fiscal impact

  • Multiple fiscal notes (4/14/25, 4/23/25, 6/13/25) indicate no fiscal impact to the State.

Legislative and procedural timeline

  • Introduced: January 8, 2025 (Sponsor: Rep. Murphy of Scarborough).
  • Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services; work session held April 16, 2025; committee recommended OTP‑AM.
  • Committee Amendment “A” (H‑700) adopted June 13, 2025; bill passed and sent for concurrence June 13–16, 2025.
  • Signed by the Governor: June 18, 2025.
  • Effective date: not specified in summary documents (effective date will be as provided in the enacted law).

Implications for stakeholders

Schools and DHHS may need to review and (if applicable) update memoranda of understanding, disclosure protocols, and staff training to reflect the clarified information‑sharing rules while maintaining compliance with privacy laws.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.