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From Maine Disability Alerts:
Dear Friends of Mainers with Disabilities, Sorry for this late request for action, but please act on it TODAY (Wed 10/22) - and please feel free to forward to allies who might also act today. Rep Sean Faircloth has introduced a "bill request" LR 2694 "An Act to Criminalize Intentional or Knowing Failure to Make a Report, Preventing a Report and Making a False Report of Abuse or Neglect". The bill will be considered at 9 am Thursday, 10/23, by Maine's Legislative Council for whether they will admit its introduction in the 2026 legislative session. In order for them to admit it, they have to deem it an emergency. This bill was inspired directly by Hampden case - and in particular by reports that some mandated reporters failed to report abuse. (See the Bangor Daily News article from earlier this year for more information on the case: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/05/13/bangor/bangor-police-courts/lee-residential-care-hampden-maine-concealed-abuse-victims-family-says-lawsuit-joam40zk0w/) Maine currently has NO CRIMINAL PENALTY for a mandated reporter failing to report abuse and NO CRIMINAL PENALTY for blocking a report of abuse of children or adults w disabilities. (The only penalty is a $500 civil fine.) Rep Faircloth's bill would fix that. (It would also create a penalty for false report.) Please email EVERY MEMBER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY to ask them to vote in favor of introducing LR 2694 "An Act to Criminalize Intentional or Knowing Failure to Make a Report, Preventing a Report and Making a False Report of Abuse or Neglect" as an emergency bill in the upcoming 2026 legislative session. Please also briefly explain why this bill is important to you. Please also ask your own senate and rep to contact members of legislative council from their own party to request that they support introduction of this important bill. thank you! Contact info for the 10 legislature council members: House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D) [email protected] Senate President Mattea Daughtry (D) [email protected] Sen Teresa Pierce (D) [email protected] Sen Jill Duson (D) [email protected] Sen Trey Stewart (R) [email protected] Sen Matt Harrington (R) [email protected] Rep Matt Moonen (D) [email protected] Rep Lori Gramlich (D) [email protected] Rep Billy Bob Faulkingham (R) [email protected] Rep Katrina Smith (R) [email protected] You can get email addresses of your own rep at https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/ListEmail You can get email addresses of your own senator at https://legislature.maine.gov/senate-home-page/find-your-state-senator |
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