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An Act To Strengthen Enforcement of Support Orders
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §552, sub-§§2 and 3, as enacted by PL 1975, c. 499, §1, are amended to read:
 
2.    As used in this section, "support" includes but is not limited to food, shelter, clothing and other necessary care and "weekend" means any 48-hour period within a calendar week, as determined by the court.
 
3.    Nonsupport of dependents is a Class E crime.with the following mandatory minimum sentences:
 
A.  For the first offense, imprisonment for one weekend;
 
B.  For the 2nd offense, imprisonment for 4 weekends; and
 
C.  For the 3rd and subsequent offenses, imprisonment for 30 days under administrative release with imprisonment for no fewer than 8 hours per day.
 
SUMMARY
This bill establishes mandatory minimum sentences for the Class E crime of nonsupport of dependents, with one weekend of imprisonment for the first offense, 2 weekends of imprisonment for the 2nd offense and, for the 3rd and subsequent offenses, 30 days of imprisonment under administrative release in accordance with which the convict is required to report to a correctional facility of the court's designation with imprisonment for no fewer than 8 hours per day as designated by the court.