An Act To Transfer Responsibility for the Enforcement of Liquor Laws to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0821
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: CAREY, PATRICK, BEAULIEU, DAMON, FITTS, RUSSELL, VALENTINO, PLOWMAN
Amends: 28-A MRSA §2, 28-A MRSA §82, 28-A MRSA §82-A

Legislative Document 
No. 821 
H.P. 617 
House of Representatives, March 3, 2011 
An Act To Transfer Responsibility for the Enforcement of Liquor 
Laws to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, 
Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CAREY of Lewiston. 
Cosponsored by Senator PATRICK of Oxford and 
Representatives: BEAULIEU of Auburn, DAMON of Bangor, FITTS of Pittsfield, RUSSELL 
of Portland, VALENTINO of Saco, Senator: PLOWMAN of Penobscot. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  28-A MRSA §2, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 373, §10, is 
amended to read: 
2-A.  Alcohol bureau.  "Alcohol bureau" means the Department of Administrative 
and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations and has 
the same meaning as "bureau" defined in subsection 6. 
Sec. 2.  28-A MRSA §2, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2003, c. 451, Pt. T, §7, is 
further amended to read: 
6.  Bureau.  "Bureau" means the division alcohol bureau within the Department of 
Public Safety Administrative and Financial Services designated by the commissioner to 
enforce the law relating to the manufacture, importation, storage, transportation and sale 
of all liquor and to administer those laws relating to licensing and collection of taxes on 
malt liquor and wine. 
Sec. 3.  28-A MRSA §2, sub-§9-A, as amended by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. ZZ, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
9-A.  Commissioner.  "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Public Safety 
Administrative and Financial Services. 
Sec. 4.  28-A MRSA §82, sub-§8, ¶A-1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. X, 
§1, is amended to read: 
A-1.  The bureau shall provide notification to licensees that the provisions of this 
Title are available on the Department of Public Safety's bureau's website as described 
in subsection 8-A and that the bureau will provide a paper copy of the Title to any 
licensee at no charge, upon request from that licensee. 
Sec. 5.  28-A MRSA §82, sub-§8-A, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. X, §2, is 
amended to read: 
8-A.  Post laws and rules.  Post on the Department of Public Safety's bureau's 
publicly accessible website this Title, other laws concerning liquor and all rules adopted 
under this Title.  The bureau shall notify all licensees of changes in the law and rules via 
a publicly accessible website posting within 90 days of adjournment of each regular 
session of the Legislature.  The bureau shall update the posting on the Department of 
Public Safety's bureau's publicly accessible website to reflect new laws and rules; and 
Sec. 6.  28-A MRSA §82-A, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 139, §4, is 
amended to read: 
2.  Commissioner.  The commissioner shall consult with the Commissioner of Public 
Safety, who 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. 
Sec. 7.  28-A MRSA §82-A, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 139, §4, is 
amended to read: 
3.  Contract officers.  The commissioner may shall inform the Commissioner of 
Public Safety of the need for law enforcement officers to carry out the purposes of this 
chapter.  The Commissioner of Public Safety 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. 
Sec. 8.  Report; legislation.  The Director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages 
and Lottery Operations within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services 
and the Commissioner of Public Safety shall review the laws governing the 
administration and enforcement of the laws governing alcoholic beverages and submit a 
report by February 1, 2012 to the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal 
Affairs.  The report must include recommendations for legislation to amend the laws 
governing alcoholic beverages to ensure that the bureau is vested with the authority to 
administer those laws and that the Commissioner of Public Safety will provide law 
enforcement assistance as necessary.  The Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and 
Legal Affairs is authorized to submit legislation in relation to this report to the Second 
Regular Session of the 125th Legislature. 
Sec. 9.  Effective date.  Those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 28-A take effect July 1, 2012. 
SUMMARY 
This bill transfers the responsibility of liquor licensing and enforcement to the 
Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages 
and Lottery Operations.  It provides that the Department of Public Safety may provide 
assistance when personnel with law enforcement authority are required to enforce the 
laws governing alcoholic beverages.