Maine § 22 §4008 Records; confidentiality; disclosure

Maine Statutes

§ 22 §4008 — Records; confidentiality; disclosure

Maine § 22 §4008

Title 22HEALTH AND WELFARE

Part 3CHILDREN

Ch. 1071CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES AND CHILD PROTECTION ACT

This text of Maine § 22 §4008 (Records; confidentiality; disclosure) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 22, § 22 §4008 (2026).

Text

1.Confidentiality of records and information. All department records that contain personally identifying information and are created or obtained in connection with the department's child protective activities and activities related to a child while in the care or custody of the department, and all information contained in those records, are confidential and subject to release only under the conditions of subsections 2 and 3. 1-A. Disclosure. The department may determine that for the purposes of disclosure under this section records are limited to only records created by the department in connection with its duties under this chapter.

2.Optional disclosure of records. The department may disclose relevant information in the records to the following persons:

3.Mandatory disclosure of recor

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1.
Confidentiality of records and information.
All department records that contain personally identifying information and are created or obtained in connection with the department's child protective activities and activities related to a child while in the care or custody of the department, and all information contained in those records, are confidential and subject to release only under the conditions of subsections 2 and 3.
1-A.
Disclosure.
The department may determine that for the purposes of disclosure under this section records are limited to only records created by the department in connection with its duties under this chapter.
2.
Optional disclosure of records.
The department may disclose relevant information in the records to the following persons:
3.
Mandatory disclosure of records.
The department shall disclose relevant information in the records to the following persons:
3-A.
Confidentiality.
The proceedings and records of the child death and serious injury review panel created in accordance with section 4004, subsection 1, paragraph E are confidential and are not subject to subpoena, discovery or introduction into evidence in a civil or criminal action. The commissioner shall disclose conclusions of the review panel upon request and recommendations pursuant to section 4004, subsection 1, paragraph E, but may not disclose data that is otherwise classified as confidential.
4.
Unlawful dissemination; penalty.
A person is guilty of unlawful dissemination if the person knowingly disseminates records that are determined confidential by this section, in violation of the mandatory or optional disclosure provisions of this section. Unlawful dissemination is a Class E crime that, notwithstanding Title 17‑A, section 1604, subsection 1, paragraph E, is punishable by a fine of not more than $500 or by imprisonment for not more than 30 days.
5.
Retention of unsubstantiated child protective services records.
Except as provided in this subsection, the department shall retain unsubstantiated child protective services case records for no more than 5 years following a finding of unsubstantiation and then expunge unsubstantiated case records from all departmental files or archives unless a new referral has been received within the 5-year retention period. An expunged record or unsubstantiated record that should have been expunged under this subsection may not be used for any purpose, including admission into evidence in any administrative or judicial proceeding.
6.
Disclosing information; establishment of fees; rules.
The department may charge fees for searching and disclosing information in its records as provided in this subsection.
7.
Appeal of denial of disclosure of records.
A parent, legal guardian, custodian or caretaker of a child who requests disclosure of information in records under subsection 2 and whose request is denied may request an administrative hearing to contest the denial of disclosure. The request for hearing must be made in writing to the department. The department shall conduct hearings under this subsection in accordance with the requirements of Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 4. The issues that may be determined at hearing are limited to whether the nondisclosure of some or all of the information requested is necessary to protect the child or any other person. The department shall render after hearing without undue delay a decision as to whether some or all of the information requested should be disclosed. The decision must be based on the hearing record and rules adopted by the commissioner. The decision must inform the requester that the requester may file a petition for judicial review of the decision within 30 days of the date of the decision. The department shall send a copy of the decision to the requester by regular mail to the requester's most recent address of record.

Legislative History

PL 1979, c. 733, §18 (NEW). PL 1983, c. 327, §§3-5 (AMD). PL 1983, c. 354, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1983, c. 470, §§12,13 (AMD). PL 1983, c. 783, §4 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 495, §18 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 506, §§A43-45 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 739, §§5,6 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 511, §§A3,B1 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 714, §§5-7 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 744, §§3-7 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 118 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 270, §§2-5 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 483, §A33 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 502, §§A76,77,D18 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 700, §A89 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 857, §58 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 878, §§A62,63 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 630, §§2-4 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 294, §§3, 4 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 686, §8 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 686, §13 (AFF). PL 1995, c. 391, §2 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 694, §§D38,39 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 694, §E2 (AFF). PL 2001, c. 439, §X2 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 696, §§17-20 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 673, §§W1,Z2-4 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 300, §§2-9 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 140, §§5-7 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 335, §1-3 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 335, §5 (AFF). PL 2007, c. 371, §§3-6 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 473, §1 (AFF). PL 2007, c. 485, §1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 485, §2 (AFF). PL 2009, c. 38, §1 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5 (REV). PL 2013, c. 293, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 194, §§1-4 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 198, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 381, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 494, Pt. A, §§21-23 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 501, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. C, §§60, 61 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. F, §1 (AFF). PL 2017, c. 472, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §67 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF). PL 2021, c. 148, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 176, §5 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 550, §2 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 647, Pt. B, §50 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 647, Pt. B, §65 (AFF). RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §181 (COR). PL 2023, c. 39, §1 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 151, §§6-9 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 359, §7 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 638, §§27-29 (AMD).