An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Intergovernmental Pretrial Justice Reform Task Force
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1639
Committee Amendment CA_A_S453 (Senate)
Amends: 34-A MRSA §1210-D

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " A" to S.P. 666, L.D. 1639, Bill, "An Act To 
Implement the Recommendations of the Intergovernmental Pretrial Justice Reform Task 
Force" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 4 to 7. 
Amend the bill in section 8 in paragraph A in subparagraph (I) in the 12th and 13th 
lines (page 3, lines 12 and 13 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "defendant. If the 
judicial officer imposes this condition, the State shall reimburse the designated 
organization for costs of supervision of the defendant" and inserting the following: 
7 
'defendant' 
Amend the bill in section 14 in paragraph A in subparagraph (2) in the first line (page 
6, line 22 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "for a" the following: 'Class C,' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 14 the following: 
'Sec. 15. 34-A MRSA §1210-D, sub-§2, ,re, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 335, 
§23, is amended to read: 
C. Before distributing to a county that county's entire distribution under this section, 
the department shall require that county to submit appropriate documentation 
verifying that the county expended 30% of its prior distribution for the purpose of 
community corrections as required by this section. 
Sec. 16. 34-A MRSA §1210-D, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A. 
Pretrial release or conditional release oro!!rams. 
Using communitv 
corrections funds distributed under this section, each county shall provide a program, 
directly or through contract with an organization, to supervise defendants subject to a 
pretrial release condition imposed pursuant to Title 15, section 1026, subsection 3. 
paragraph A, subparagraph (1) and such requirements as may be established by rule or 
order of the Supreme Judicial Court.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
o~'b 
~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A 
"to S.P. 666,L.D. 1639 
SUMMARY 
This amendment removes from the bill the requirement that the Judicial Branch pay 
all bail commissioner fees. The Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court has 
committed to establishing a working group to address the challenges of the current bail 
system, including the issue of bail commissioner fees. 
This amendment deletes from the bill the proposal that jail employees can prepare 
and execute a personal recognizance bond when a bail commissioner orders bail. 
This amendment deletes from the bill the language eliminating the use of unsecured 
appearance bonds, therefore retaining the possibility that unsecured appearance bonds can 
be used. 
This amendment deletes from the bill the requirement that the State pay the costs of 
supervision of a defendant when a defendant is released pretrial under the supervision of 
an organization that provides supervision and ensures the appearance of the defendant, 
and instead requires each county to maintain a pretrial release program or contract with 
an organization to supervise defendants subject to a pretrial release condition using the 
community corrections funds provided from the County Jail Operations Fund. 
This amendment expands the opportunity for community service work for credit 
against unpaid fines to include Class C crime convictions. Current law allows public 
service work for credit against unpaid fines only for Class D and Class E crimes. 
This amendment requires counties to use at least a portion of the community 
corrections funds they currently receive under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 34-A, 
section 1210-D to provide pretrial and conditional release programs when imposed as a 
condition of pretrial bail. The programs may be conducted by the counties or under a 
contract with one or more organizations that provide such supervision. The Supreme 
Judicial Court may adopt rules or orders that establish the requirements of the programs 
to ensure that defendants have substantially equal access to pretrial and conditional 
release across the State. 
nsc.u.NOTE REQlllRED 
(leeafllelled) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/28/16 feac. 
LD 1639 
LR2729(02) 
An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Intergovernmental Pretrial Justice Reform Task 
Force 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ';A:' (s ...-ij5":)) 
Committee: Judiciary 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor revenue decrease - General Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
A reduction in fines may decrease General Fund revenue by minor amounts. 
LR2729(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I