Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4005, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 1997, c. 715, Pt. A, §2, is further amended to read:

D. The guardian ad litem shall make a written report of the investigation, findings and recommendations, and shall provide a copy of the report to each of the parties reasonably at least 3 days in advance of the hearing, and to the court, except that the guardian ad litem need not provide a written report prior to a hearing on a preliminary protection order. The report must include an itemization of the time and services the guardian ad litem has performed. The failure of the guardian ad litem to comply with this paragraph precludes the court from considering the recommendations of the guardian ad litem.

Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4005, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 251, §2, is further amended by adding at the end a new paragraph to read:

The court may reject the guardian ad litem's report if it finds that the guardian ad litem failed to comply with this subsection or the guardian ad litem standards and rules adopted by the Supreme Judicial Court. The court shall remove from the proceeding a guardian ad litem who fails to substantially comply with responsibilities under this subsection or the standards and rules adopted by the Supreme Judicial Court.

Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §4005-A, sub-§4 is enacted to read:

4.__Intervention by long-term foster parents.__Long-term foster parents, under section 4064, subsection 1, may intervene in any proceeding in cases in which parental rights have been terminated.

Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §4007, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1985, c. 495, §17, is further amended to read:

1. Procedures. All child protection proceedings shall must be conducted according to the rules of civil procedure and the rules of evidence, except as provided otherwise in this chapter. All the proceedings shall must be recorded. All proceedings and records shall be closed to the public, unless the court orders otherwise. All proceedings and records are to be open to the public unless the court for good cause orders otherwise.__The court may not close the proceedings or records to the public solely for the purpose of maintaining confidentiality of conduct of the department.