An Act To Facilitate Recovery of Debts Owed to the State for Indigent Legal Services
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1659
Committee Amendment CA_A_S455 (Senate)
Amends: 4 MRSA §1806

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 558, L.D. 1659, Bill, "An Act To 
Facilitate Recovery of Debts Owed to the State for Indigent Legal Services" 
Amend the bill by inserting before section 1 the following: 
'Sec. 1. 4 MRS A §1806, sub-§l, ~ 
is enacted to read: 
D. "Case infonnation" means: 
(1) The court in which a caSe is brought; 
(2) Any criminal charges or juvenile crime charges and the type, but not the 
contents, of any petition giving rise to a case; 
(3) The docket number; 
(4) The identity of assigned counsel and the date of assignment; 
(5) The withdrawal of assigned counsel and the date of withdrawal; and 
(6) Any order for reimbursement of assigned counsel fees. 
Sec. 2. 4 MRSA §1806, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. Confidential information disclosed by the Judicial Department. The Judicial 
Department may disclose to the commission confidential infonnation necessary for the 
commission to carry out its functions, including the collection of amounts owed to 
reimburse the State for the cost of assigned counsel, as follows: 
A. 
Case infonnation and individual client infonnation with respect to court 
proceedings that are confidential by statute or court rule in which one or more parties 
are represented by assigned counsel; and 
B. The name, address, date of birth and social security number of any person ordered 
by the court to reimburse the State for some or all of the cost of assigned counsel. 
This infonnation remains confidential in the possession of the commission and is not 
open to public inspection, except that the names of criminal defendants and the nameS of 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 558, L.D. 1659 
juvenile defendants charged with offenses that if committed by an adult would constitute 
murder or a Class A, Class B or Class C crime are not confidential.' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in subsection 8 in the last line (page 1, line 14 in L.D.) by 
inserting after the following: "owed." the following: 'A person who has access to or 
receives social security numbers or other financial information under this subsection shall 
maintain the confidentiality of the information and use it only for the purposes for which 
it was disclosed and may not further disclose it.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment amends the laws governing the Maine Commission on Indigent 
Legal Services to define "case information" and to provide for the sharing of information 
by the Judicial Department with the commission. 
The information to be shared is 
necessary for the cOlmnission to keep track of the assignment of attorneys to indigent 
defendants and to collect reimbursement when the court orders the defendant to 
reimburse some or all of the cost of the representation. The infonnation shared with the 
commission remains confidential, except that the names of criminal defendants and 
juvenile crime defendants charged with offenses that if committed by an adult would 
constitute murder or a Class A, Class B or Class C crime are not confidential. 
The amendment provides that if a person receives social security numbers or other 
financial infonnation for the purpose of collecting amounts owed to the State or any 
agency or department of the State, that person must keep the information confidential and 
use it only for the purposes for which it was disclosed and not further disclose it. 
FISCAL NOTE REQU~ 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/05112 
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LD 1659 
LR 2425(02) 
An Act To Facilitate Recovery of Debts Owed to the State for Indigent Legal Services 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A-" S .. ;.f$5 
Committee: Judiciary 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor revenue increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
This bill may result in a minor increase in Other Special Revenue Funds revenue collected by the Maine Commission 
on Indigent Legal Services. 
LR2425(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1