| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 5 MRSA Pt. 28 is enacted to read: |
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| | | §31101. Maine Children's Bureau |
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| | | 1.__Establishment; composition.__The Governor shall establish | | within the Executive Department the Maine Children's Bureau, | | referred to in this section as "the bureau," to serve the | | Department of Human Services, the Department of Mental Health, | | Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, the Department | | of Corrections and the Department of Education, referred to in | | this section, as "the 4 departments."__The commissioners of the 4 | | departments shall employ and assign to the bureau such employees | | as are required to perform the duties of the bureau. |
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| | | 2.__Purpose.__The purpose of the bureau is to provide assigned | | staff to each open case within the jurisdiction of the bureau to | | provide information, referral and coordination services to the | | family and the 4 departments. |
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| | | 3.__Jurisdiction of the bureau.__The jurisdiction of the | | bureau includes all cases involving child abuse, child neglect | | and children's mental health and educational and juvenile | | corrections issues for children within the care or custody of the | | 4 departments. |
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| | | 4.__Services.__The bureau shall provide services to children | | and families through a 24-hour toll-free telephone line and | | through assigned caseworkers.__A caseworker or the caseworker's | | successor assigned as staff for a case is responsible for a case | | until its completion. |
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| | | This bill establishes the Maine Children's Bureau within the | | Executive Department to serve the Department of Human Services, | | the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance | | Abuse Services, the Department of Corrections and the Department | | of Education. The bureau will provide care management services |
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