Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1449
Committee Amendment CA_B_S212 (Senate)
Amends: 25 MRSA §1501

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "8,, to S.P. 481, L.D. 1449, Bill, "An 
Act Regarding the State Police Command Staff" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
'Sec. I. 25 MRSA §1501, as amended by PL 1997, c. 657, §I, is 
further amended to read: 
§ISOI. Chief; deputy; members of force: rules and regulations 
The 
Commissioner of Public Safety, with the advice and 
consent of the Governor and subject to review by the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
criminal justice matters and to confirmation by the Legislature, 
shall 
appoint 
a 
Chief 
of 
the State Police, 
as 
heretofore 
appointed, to serve for a term of 4 years unless removed for 
cause. 
The 
appointment 
must 
be 
made 
from 
the 
commissioned 
officer ranks of the State Police. 
The Chief of the State Police 
may be removed by impeachment or by the Governor on the address 
of both branches of the Legislature. 
The Chief of the State Police shall-he i§ the executive head 
of the Bureau of State Police, as heretofore established, and 
shall execute the duties of his ~ 
office under the direction 
and 
subject to the 
approval 
of the 
Commissioner 
of Public 
Safety. 
In the absence of the Commissioner of Public Safety, the 
Page l-LRI877 (2) 
COMM/rrEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" g .. to S.P. 481, L.D. 1449 
Chief of the State Police shall assume the duties and shall-have 
has the authority of the commissioner, except that he-shall-have 
the Chief of the State Police has no authority to change any 
general rules and regulations unless he the Chief of the State 
Police is serving in the capacity of acting commissioner as a 
result of the death, 
removal, 
extended leave of 
absence 
or 
resignation of the commissioner. 
SQa~ee~--~e--~he--app~eval--e~--~he--GemmissieBe~--e~--PQalie 
Sa~e~YT-~~-£~~--~ay-~~-~--eemmissieBeQ-~~~~r~-~--~he 
S~a~e-~~~~-~-~£~-~-ehe-~~~~~~a&i&&-~£e-~-eemmissieBeQ 
e~~iee~s-ef-~he-~~~~~~~£~~~~-~~~~i&~~~a~~&r-all-ef 
whe~-se£ve-~-~~~~~~~-&&e-ehiefT The chief may hire from 
within the membership of the State Police one officer to serve as 
the chief's deputy and 2 other officers to serve as the chief's 
majors. 
Promotion to the positions of deputy and major must be 
based on merit. 
Subject to the Civil Service Law, the Chief of 
the State Police may enlist suitable persons as members of the 
State Police to enforce the law and employ such other employees 
as may be necessary. 
The Chief of the State Police shall make 
rules, subject to the approval of the State Civil Service Appeals 
Board, for the discipline and control of the State Police. 
If a 
deputy chief or major is removed e~-~~~£-~~-&&-~eappeiBeeQ for 
any reason other than malfeasance of office and, at that time, 
does not have at least ~g-yea~s the number of years of creditable 
service wi~R--t~-St.-at.-e--Peliee necessary for a service retirement 
benefit pursuant to Title 5, section 17851. subsection 4, the 
deputy chief or major must be reinstated at the commissioned rank 
held at the time 
ef-~-he--appeiB~~eB~ the officer was hired as 
deputy or major with all the rights and privileges as provided by 
law and personnel rules. 
It is the intent of the Legislature that the Governor may in 
his the Governor's discretion appoint the same person to serve as 
Commissioner of Public Safety and Chief of the Maine State 
Police. 
In this event, the Governor shall appoint the Chief of 
the State Police s&all-ee-~~~~-&&e-geve~BeF, subject to 
review by the JeiBe-8~~£e~£~-~~~~~~-S&a&e-geve~~eBe joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
criminal justice and public safety matters and to confirmation by 
the Legislature, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. Such 
appointment may be made from the commissioned officer membership 
of the State Police. In the event that the Commissioner of Public 
Safety and the Chief of the State Police are the same person, the 
commissioner shall may receive only the salary designated for the 
Commissioner of Public Safety.' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" B" to S.P. 481, L.D. 1449 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing 
Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety and replaces the 
bill. 
The amendment maintains the language from the bill that 
reflects the number of years of creditable service for a full 
service retirement benefit has increased from 20 to 25 years. 
The amendment also amends the law to reflect that only one chief 
deputy may be hired and that the chief deputy and 2 majors are to 
be hired based on merit, instead of being appointed by the Chief 
of the State Police. 
It is intended that the change from an 
appointment process to one of promotions based on merit applies 
to the next officers hired to these positions and not to the 
current chief deputy 
and majors. 
The 
amendment 
also 
makes 
technical changes. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT