An Act To Improve Teacher Confidentiality Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1191
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MILLS
Amends: 20-A MRSA §13004

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAINELEGISLATU 
Legislative Document 
No. 1191 
S.P.439 
In Senate, March 25, 2009 
An Act To Improve Teacher Confidentiality Laws 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator MILLS of Somerset. 
Printed on recycled paper 
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JOY L O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §13004, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 666, §1, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
2-A. Confidentiality. Theprovisiohs of this subsection govern confidentiality. 
A. Complaints and responses pursuant to section 13020 and any other information or 
materials that may result in an action to deny, revoke or suspend certification 'are 
confidential, except' when submitted in court proceedings to revoke or suspend 
certification. 
' 
B. 
Except for infonnation designated confidential under section 6101 or section 
6103, information designated confidential under paragraph A may be released'or used 
, by the department as necessary to: 
(1) Complete its own investigations; , 
(2) Provide information to a national association' of state directors of teacher 
education and certification to which the State belongs; 
, (3) Assist other public authorities to investigate the same teacher's certification 
in another jurisdiction; 
(4) Report or preveIit criminal misconduct or assist law enforcement agencies in 
their investigations; or 
(5) Report child abuse or neglect under Title 22, section 4011-A. 
C. 
The department may publish and release as public information statistical 
summaries of complaints and dispositions as long as the release of such information 
does not jeopardize the confidentiality of individually identifiable information. 
SUMMARY 
This bill pennits access to confidential information on denials, revocations and 
suspensions of teacher certification to the extent that the informatioIi is needed by a 
national association of state directors of teacher education and certification, in aid of an 
investigation by other jurisdictions investigating qualifications for certification or 
considering reciprocal disciplinary action or by law enforcement agencies in aid of an 
investigation. 
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The bill also authorizes the Department of Education to disseminate as public 
information statistical summaries of complaints and dispositions as long as the 
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dissemination does not jeopardize the confidentiality of individually, identifiable 
information. 
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