Resolve, Establishing a Committee To Study the Legislative Confirmation Process
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1232
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: HASKELL

Legislative Document 
No. 1232 
H.P.852 
House of Representatives, March 26, 2009 
Resolve, Establishing a Committee To Study the Legislative 
Confirmation Process 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative HASKELL of Portland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
114~ 
1/7. 7l!!LC~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
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Sec. 1. Committee·established. Resolved: That the Committee To Study the 
Legislative Confirmation Process, referred to in this resolve as "the committee," is 
established; and be it further 
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Sec. 2.' Committee membership. Resolved: That the committee consists of 12 
members appointed as follows: 
1. Three members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate; . 
2. Five member!;> of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House; 
3. Two members of the public, appointed by the President of the Senate; 
4. 'One member of the public, appointed by the Speaker of the House; and 
5. One member ofthe·public, appointed by the Governor; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Chairs. Resolved: That the first-named Senate member is the Senate 
chair and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair of the 
committee; and be it further 
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Sec. 4. 
Appointments; convening of committee. 
Resolved: 
That, 
notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, section 7, all appointments must be made prior to 
December 31, 2009. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the 
Legislative Council once all appointments have been made. When ~he appointment of all 
members has been completed, the chairs of the committee shall call and convene the first 
meeting of the committee by January 15,2010; and be it further 
Sec. 5. 
Duties. Resolved: 
That the committee shall thoroughly review the 
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legislative confirmation process with the goal of reporting on the best' ways to streamline 
and improve the process. In reviewing the process, the committee shall: 
I. 
Review the final report of the Committee To Develop a Total Quality 
Management Plan from September I, 1992 concerning the legislative confirmation 
process that resulted in new legislation concerning the subject. The committee shall also 
review. the reasons given for the need for improving the process and what was 
recommended and what was implemented; 
2. Identify the existing issues surrounding the nomination and confirmation process, 
such as time constraints, the number of confirmations required, background checks and 
dealing with negative information and confid~mtiality, and identify ways to improve· 
problems within the process that have been discovered; and b~ it further 
Sec. 6. Report. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, section 7, the 
committee shall submit a report no later than March 15, 2010 that includes its findings 
and recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee 
on State and. Local Gove~ment. Pursuant to Joint Rule 353, the com'mittee is not 
authorized to introduce legislation. Upon receipt of the report required by this section, the 
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Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government may, pursuant to Joint Rule 
353, introduce a bill during the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature to which 
the report is submitted to implement its recommendations on matters relating to t~e study. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve establishes a committee to examine the legislative confirmation process 
with the goal of reporting on the best ways to streamline and improve the process. The 
committee will review the final report of the Committee To Develop a Total Quality 
Management Plan from September 1, 1992 concerning the legislative confirmation 
process that resulted in new legislation concerning the subject and review the reasons 
given for the need for improving the process and what was recommended and what was 
implemented. The committee will identify the existing issues surrounding the nomination 
and confirmation process, such as time constraints, the number of confirmations required, 
background checks and dealing with negative information and confidentiality, and 
identify ways to improve problems within the process that have been discovered. 'The 
committee will repOli t6 the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government in 
.the Second Regular Session with recommendations and suggested legislation. The joint 
standing committee is authorized to report out a bill on this subject.