An Act To Enhance Enforcement of Liquor Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0777
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: FISHER, MITCHELL, BARSTOW, HOTHAM
Amends: 25 MRSA §2801-B, 28-A MRSA §82-A, 28-A MRSA §706

Legislative Document 
No. 777 
H.P.554 
House of Representatives, February 15,2005 
An Act To Enhance Enforcement of Liquor Laws 
Submitted by the Department of Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative FISHER of Brewer. 
Il/~ 
frI· 7l!t!£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Senator MITCHELL of Kennebec and 
Representatives: BARSTOW of Gorham, HOTHAM of Dixfield. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2801-B, sub-§l, ,H, as amended by PL 2003, c. 
688, Pt. A, §25, is further amended to read: 
H. 
The State Fire Marshal; 
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Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §2801-B, sub-§l, 1fJ, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
400, §4, is amended to read: 
J. 
A court security officerT~ 
Sec.3. 25 MRSA §2801-B, sub-§l"K is enacted to read: 
K. 
A contract officer appointed by the 
Commissioner of 
Public Safety pursuant to Title 28-A, section 82-A. 
Sec. 4. 28-A MRSA §82-A is enacted to read: 
S02-A. 
Enforcement of licensing 
1. 
Authority. 
In 
addition 
to 
any 
authority 
a 
law 
enforcement officer has to enforce the laws , 
a law enforcement 
officer may, subject to subsections 2 and 4 , enforce this Title 
or the rules adopted pursuant to this Title against violations 
that may result in an administrative sanction against a licensee 
or the licensee's agents or employees. 
2. 
Co ..... issioner. 
The commissioner may by agreement, with 
the consent and approval of the affected law enforcement agency, 
designate the law enforcement agency's officers to exercise the 
enforcement authority identified in subsection 1. 
3. 
Contract 
officers. 
The 
commissioner 
may 
appoint 
contract officers for the purpose of enforcing this Title and the 
rules adopted pursuant to this Title against specific violations 
that may result in an administrative sanction against a licensee, 
or the licensee's agents or employees. 
4. 
Limitation. 
The commissioner may limit the authority 
granted by this section to specific sections of this Title and 
rules adopted pursuant to those sections. 
Sec. 5. 28-A MRSA §706, sub-§2 is enacted to read: 
2. 
Age 
requirement for identification. 
A 
licensee 
or 
licensee's employee or agent may not sell, furnish, 
give or 
deliver liquor or imitation liquor to any person under 27 years 
of 
age 
unless 
the 
licensee or 
licensee's employee 
or 
agent 
Page l-LR0414(l) 
verifies the person's 
age 
by 
means 
of 
reliable photographic 
identification containing the person's date of birth. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows the Commissioner of Public Safety to reach 
e 
agreements with law enforcement agencies to authorize them to 
enforce administrative sanctions against liquor licensees and the 
licensees' agents and employees. 
It also allows the commissioner 
to authorize contract officers to perform the same function. 
The 
contract officers are 
exempt 
from 
the basic 
law enforcement 
training requirements. 
The bill also prohibits the sale or service of 
imitation liquor to a person less than 27 years of age 
person presents reliable photographic identification 
the person's date of birth. 
liquor or 
unless the 
containing