| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §1503, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 581, §1, is amended | | to read: |
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| | | §1503. Court appointed special advocates |
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| | | The Director of the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program | | shall recruit the services of qualified persons to serve as | | volunteer court appointed special advocates. The volunteer court | appointed special advocates shall not be considered employees of | the State for any purpose are considered employees of the State | only for the purposes of the Maine Tort Claims Act and shall are | not entitled to receive no compensation, but shall be are | | reimbursed for their actual, necessary and reasonable expenses | | incurred in the performance of their duties, consistent with | | policies established by the Administrative Office of the Courts. |
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| | | Sec. 2. 4 MRSA §1506, as amended by PL 1997, c. 393, Pt. C, §2, is | | further amended to read: |
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| | | §1506. Immunity from civil liability |
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| | | A person serving as a court appointed special advocate for the | | Judicial Department or as Director, deputy director or regional | | volunteer coordinator of the Court Appointed Special Advocate | | Program is immune from any civil liability, as are employees of | | governmental entities, under the Maine Tort Claims Act, Title 14, | | chapter 741, for acts performed within the scope of that person's | | administrative duties, and is entitled to quasi-judicial immunity | | for acts performed within the scope of the person's duties as a | | guardian ad litem. |
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| | | Sec. 3. 19-A MRSA §1507, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, | | §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed and the following | | enacted in its place: |
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| | | 5.__Written report.__A guardian ad litem shall make a final | | written report to the parties and the court reasonably in advance | | of the hearing.__The report is admissible as evidence and subject | | to cross-examination and rebuttal, whether or not objected to by | | a party. |
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| | | Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §4005, sub-§1, ¶G is enacted to read: |
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| | | G.__A person serving as a guardian ad litem under this | | section acts as the court's agent and is entitled to quasi- | | judicial immunity for acts performed within the scope of the | | duties of the guardian ad litem. |
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