An Act To Provide Anger Management Courses or Additional Imprisonment for Domestic Violence Offenders
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0150
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: HEAD, BUCKLAND, CRAFTS, DILLINGHAM, MALABY, PETERSON, TUELL, WADSWORTH, WOOD
Amends: 17-A MRSA §1160, 19-A MRSA §4015

Legislative Document 
No. 150 
H.P. 108 
House of Representatives, January 27, 2015 
An Act To Provide Anger Management Courses or Additional 
Imprisonment for Domestic Violence Offenders 
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative HEAD of Bethel. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BUCKLAND of Farmington, CRAFTS of Lisbon, 
DILLINGHAM of Oxford, MALABY of Hancock, PETERSON of Rumford, TUELL of East 
Machias, WADSWORTH of Hiram, WOOD of Sabattus. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  17-A MRSA §1160 is enacted to read: 
§1160.  Anger management 
1.  In addition to any sentence that the court orders pursuant to this Part, for a person 
convicted for the first time of a domestic violence offense under section 207-A, 209-A, 
210-B, 210-C or 211-A, the court shall enter the following orders for participation in an 
anger management course provided by an anger management program certified by the 
Department of Corrections, referred to in this section as "the department," pursuant to 
Title 19-A, section 4015: 
A.  An order that the offender must participate in a level one anger management 
course; and 
B.  An order that the offender is prohibited from all contact with the victim of the 
crime until the offender has completed the anger management course and the 
department has received notice of completion of the course from the anger 
management program. 
2.  In addition to any sentence that the court orders pursuant to this Part, for a person 
convicted for the 2nd domestic violence offense under section 207-A, 209-A, 210-B, 
210-C or 211-A, the court shall enter the following orders for participation in an anger 
management course provided by an anger management program certified by the 
department pursuant to Title 19-A, section 4015: 
A.  An order that the offender must participate in a level 2 anger management course; 
and 
B.  An order that the offender is prohibited from all contact with the victim of the 
crime until the offender has completed the anger management course and the 
department has received notice of completion of the course from the anger 
management program. 
3.  In addition to any sentence that the court orders pursuant to this Part, for a person 
convicted for a 3rd or subsequent domestic violence offense under section 207-A, 209-A, 
210-B, 210-C or 211-A, the court shall enter an order of imprisonment for 2 days per 
weekend for 6 consecutive weekends, which must commence upon completion of any 
other sentence of imprisonment. 
4.  Waiver of participation in an anger management course ordered under subsection 
or 2, waiver of  completion of a term of imprisonment ordered under subsection 3 and 
waiver of a fee under subsection 5 may be ordered by the court on the basis of undue 
hardship. 
5.  An offender who has been ordered to participate in an anger management course 
under subsection 1 or 2 must pay a fee in an amount to be established by rule of the 
Department of Corrections pursuant to Title 19-A, section 4015, which must be credited 
to the department and dedicated to cover the cost of the anger management course. 
Sec. 2.  19-A MRSA §4015 is enacted to read: 
§4015.  Certification of anger management programs 
The Department of Corrections, referred to in this section as "the department," shall, 
in consultation with the Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse under section 
4013, establish standards and procedures for certification of anger management programs 
to provide level one and level 2 anger management courses for persons convicted of 
domestic violence crimes under Title 17-A, sections 207-A, 209-A, 210-B, 210-C and 
211-A and ordered to participate in anger management courses pursuant to Title 17-A, 
section 1160.  The level one anger management course must be of a duration of 2 
weekends. The level 2 anger management course must be of a duration of 4 weekends.  
The department, in consultation with the commission, shall review and certify programs 
that meet the standards.  The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.  
Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 3.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2016. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides for anger management courses or specified jail time in addition to 
the sentences for certain domestic violence offenders.  The bill directs the Department of 
Corrections, in consultation with the Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse, 
to develop standards and procedures for certification of anger management programs and 
to certify those programs.  The bill has an effective date of January 1, 2016.