---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Prevent Abandonment Of Children And Adults With Disabilities In Hospitals"
description: "An Act To Prevent Abandonment Of Children And Adults With Disabilities In Hospitals"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "131"
identifier: "LD 2009"
citation: "Maine LD 2009 (131)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["ABUSE AND NEGLECT", "CHILD ABANDONMENT", "CHILDREN AND FAMILIES"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Harold STEWART"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 26
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2023-06-06"
last_action: "2024-03-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/07b389a8-ffc1-482c-873c-b91dfedad32b"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280090028"
source_hash: "6a3c7bdc976031aaba5f9979e0638d6ca21463b0740aca09d44848c4724480c4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-me"]
---

# Maine LD 2009 (131) — An Act To Prevent Abandonment Of Children And Adults With Disabilities In Hospitals

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Adopted Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0830&item=2&snum=131)
2. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0830&item=1&snum=131)
3. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0830&item=3&snum=131)

## Sponsors

- Harold STEWART — primary (person)
- Austin THERIAULT — cosponsor (person)
- Russell BLACK — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-06-06** Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence
- **2023-06-06** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. `referral-committee`
- **2023-06-06** In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-07-26** CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 131st Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 847.
- **2024-02-21** Report READ and ACCEPTED
- **2024-02-21** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2024-02-21** Committee Amendment "A" (S-535) READ and ADOPTED `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-02-21** ASSIGNED FOR SECOND READING NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY.
- **2024-02-22** COMMITTEE ON BILLS IN THE SECOND READING REPORTS NO FURTHER VERBAL AMENDMENTS NECESSARY. REPORT ACCEPTED.
- **2024-02-22** READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-535) `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2024-02-22** Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence.
- **2024-02-27** CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAY
- **2024-02-27** Under suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.
- **2024-02-27** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-535). `reading-3`
- **2024-02-27** In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2024-02-28** This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.
- **2024-02-28** FINALLY PASSED. `passage`
- **2024-02-28** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2024-02-29** FINALLY PASSED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2024-03-06** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-06-07T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2023-06-07T04:00:00+00:00** Carry Over Requested
- **2023-07-25T04:00:00+00:00** Carry Over Approved
- **2024-01-25T05:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2024-01-25T05:00:00+00:00** Voted - OTP-AM
- **2024-02-20T05:00:00+00:00** Reported Out - OTP-AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/07b389a8-ffc1-482c-873c-b91dfedad32b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).