An Act to Ensure Consistency in the Records and Documents of State and Local Government
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1126
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: HEIDRICH, BLAIS, BERUBE, COLLINS, DUPREY, JOY, SHIELDS

Legislative Document 
No. 1126 
H.P.829 
House of Representatives, March 4, 2003 
An Act to Ensure Consistency in the Records and Documents of 
State and Local Government 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative HEIDRICH of Oxford. 
Cosponsored by Senator BLAIS of Kennebec and 
77l~ 
1?7.1llP£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BERUBE of Lisbon, COLLINS of Wells, DUPREY of Hampden, JOY of 
Crystal, McKENNEY of Cumberland, SHIELDS of Auburn. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. I MRSA §224 is enacted to read: 
§224. 
Designated language for documents and records 
1. 
Designated 
language. 
English 
is 
designated 
as 
the 
language of all public documents and records and of all public 
proceedings and executive sessions. 
2. 
Definitions. 
As 
used 
in this 
section, 
unless 
the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, 
the 
following 
terms 
have 
the 
following meanings. 
A. 
"Executive 
session" 
means 
a 
meeting at 
which 
only 
members of an elected or appointed public body and their 
legal counsel, authorized staff and invited witnesses may be 
present. 
B. 
"Public 
documents 
and 
records" 
means 
all 
documents 
officially compiled, 
published or recorded by the State. 
"Public documents 
and 
records" specifically includes all 
ballots used in statewide or local elections. 
C. 
"Public proceedings" has the same meaning as in section 
402, subsection 2 and includes the information recorded at 
such proceedings. 
3. 
Exemptions. The provisions of this section do not apply: 
A. 
To public proceedings between the State of Maine and 
Canada when, in the opinion of the state department head or 
representative involved in such proceedings, it is necessary 
to conduct those proceedings wholly or partially in French 
and to use public documents and records that are written 
wholly or partially in French during the proceedings; 
B. 
To 
instruction in foreign 
language 
courses 
or other 
reguirements 
of the University of Maine 
System 
and 
the 
State's public schools; 
C. 
To 
instruction designed to aid students with limited 
English integrating into the general education system; 
D. To the promotion of international commerce, tour ism and 
sporting events; 
E. 
When the provisions interfere with the needs 
of the 
justice system; 
Page l-LR0305(1) 
f. 
When public health, public safety or emergency services 
require 
the 
use 
of other languages, 
including, 
but not 
limited to, highway signs and other public signs; or 
G. 
When expert testimony or witnesses require a 
language 
other 
than 
English, 
except 
that, 
for 
purposes 
of 
deliberation, 
decision 
making 
or 
record 
keeping, 
the 
official version of such testimony or commentary must be in 
English. 
SUMMARY 
The purpose of this bill is to ensure consistency in the 
records and documents of state and local government. 
This bill 
designates 
English 
as 
the 
language 
of 
public 
records 
and 
documents, unless specifically exempted.