Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA c. 7 is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 7

DIVORCE EFFECTS PROGRAM

§401.__Court order

1. Court authority to order program attendance.__Except as provided in subsection 2, prior to a hearing under chapter 27, 29, 55 or 63, when there are minor children of the parties, the court shall refer each party to a divorce effects program described in sections 262 and 263.__The court shall determine whether the parties are to attend the program separately or together.

2.__Waiver.__The court may waive a party's attendance at a divorce effects program if, upon motion supported by affidavit, a party shows that:

A.__The party has attended a divorce effects program meeting the requirements of section 403; or

B__Other extraordinary cause exists for the court to waive attendance at a divorce effects program.

3.__Failure to appear.__The court may impose an appropriate sanction upon a party's failure without good cause to appear at or pay costs for a divorce effects program.

4.__Costs.__The court shall order each party to pay the costs of attendance at a divorce effects program as provided in section 402, subsection 2.

5. Temporary relief.__For good cause shown, the court, prior to referring the parties to a divorce effects program, may hear motions for temporary relief pending final judgment on an issue or combination of issues for which good cause for temporary relief has been shown.

§402.__Divorce effects program providers and fees

1.__Providers.__For the purposes of this chapter, a divorce effects program may be provided by one or more of the following:

A.__A psychiatrist licensed under Title 32, chapter 48;

B.__A psychologist licensed under Title 32, chapter 56;