An Act To Provide Enhanced Enforcement of the Laws Governing Alcoholic Beverages
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1331
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: LUCHINI, CYRWAY, BEAR, HANINGTON, KINNEY, LONGSTAFF, SAUCIER, SCHNECK, TURNER
Amends: 28-A MRSA §2, 28-A MRSA §84, 28-A MRSA §2087

Legislative Document 
No. 1331 
H.P. 906 
House of Representatives, April 14, 2015 
An Act To Provide Enhanced Enforcement of the Laws Governing 
Alcoholic Beverages 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative LUCHINI of Ellsworth. 
Cosponsored by Senator CYRWAY of Kennebec and 
Representatives: BEAR of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, HANINGTON of Lincoln, 
KINNEY of Limington, LONGSTAFF of Waterville, SAUCIER of Presque Isle, SCHNECK 
of Bangor, TURNER of Burlington. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  28-A MRSA §2, sub-§15-B is enacted to read: 
15-B.  Liquor inspector.  "Liquor inspector" includes a person employed by the 
bureau who serves under the director of the bureau to enforce the laws relating to the 
manufacture, importation, storage, distribution, sale and consumption of alcoholic 
beverages under this Title, including but not limited to the administration of licenses and 
the collection of required taxes under this Title.  A liquor inspector may be a law 
enforcement officer as defined by subsection 13-A. 
Sec. 2.  28-A MRSA §84, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 373, §28 and 
amended by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. V, §61, is further amended to read: 
4.  Confer with commissioner.  Confer regularly as necessary or desirable and not 
less than once a month with the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services 
on the operation and administration of the bureau and make available for inspection by 
the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services, upon request, all books, 
records, files and other information and documents of the bureau; and 
Sec. 3.  28-A MRSA §84, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2013, c. 588, Pt. B, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
5.  Certification.  Certify monthly to the Treasurer of State and the Commissioner of 
Administrative and Financial Services a complete statement of revenues and expenses for 
liquor sales for the preceding month and submit an annual report that includes a complete 
statement of the revenues and expenses for the bureau to the Governor and the 
Legislature, together with recommendations for changes in this Title.; and 
Sec. 4.  28-A MRSA §84, sub-§6 is enacted to read: 
6.  Employ inspectors.  Appoint, subject to the Civil Service Law, as many liquor 
inspectors as may be found necessary.  The director may require a liquor inspector to 
complete relevant law enforcement training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy or 
require a liquor inspector to be qualified as a law enforcement officer as defined by Title 
25, section 2801-A, subsection 5. 
A.  A liquor inspector, as authorized by the director, may issue a written summons to 
a person who the liquor inspector has probable cause to believe has committed or is 
committing a crime or civil violation with regard to the enforcement of section 2051, 
2078 or 2081. 
B.  A liquor inspector who is qualified as a law enforcement officer as defined by 
Title 25, section 2801-A, subsection 5 has the powers and duties to enforce all the 
provisions of this Title, Title 17, chapter 69 and Title 29-A, section 2112-A with the 
same powers that a sheriff has in a county. 
Sec. 5.  28-A MRSA §2087, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 413, §2, is 
amended to read: 
1.  Refusal to provide proper identification prohibited.  A person may not 
intentionally refuse to provide a law enforcement officer or liquor inspector proper 
identification if: 
A.  The person is present on licensed premises at a time when minors are not 
permitted to be on the premises; 
B.  The officer or inspector has a reasonable and articulable suspicion that a violation 
of law has taken place or is taking place because a minor is present on licensed 
premises; 
C.  The officer or inspector has a reasonable and articulable suspicion that the person 
is a minor; and 
D.  The officer or inspector has informed the person that the officer or inspector is 
investigating a possible liquor violation involving the presence of minors on the 
licensed premises and that the officer or inspector believes that the person is a minor. 
For purposes of this section, "proper identification" means a person's correct name, 
address and date of birth except that, if a person has in the person's possession an 
identification card issued under Title 29-A, section 1410, or a motor vehicle operator's 
license bearing the photograph of the operator and issued under Title 29-A, chapter 11, 
proper identification  means that identification card or motor vehicle operator's license. 
Sec. 6.  Director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery 
Operations to require liquor inspectors to complete law enforcement training 
at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.  No later than July 1, 2016, the Director of 
the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations within the Department of 
Administrative and Financial Services shall ensure that no less than 1/3 of the positions 
for liquor inspector under the bureau include a requirement that the liquor inspector must 
complete training as a qualified law enforcement officer as defined by the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 25, section 2801-A, subsection 5. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides a definition of "liquor inspector" and provides that the Director of 
the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations within the Department of 
Administrative and Financial Services may require liquor inspectors to receive law 
enforcement training as a condition of employment.  The bill also requires the director to 
ensure that no less than 1/3 of the liquor inspector positions under the bureau include a 
requirement that the liquor inspector must complete law enforcement training.