An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Membership of the Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0574
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: DANA, BEAR, CHAPMAN, MELARAGNO
Amends: 19-A MRSA §4013

Legislative Document 
No. 574 
H.P. 398 
House of Representatives, February 26, 2015 
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Membership of the 
Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse 
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative DANA of the Passamaquoddy Tribe. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BEAR of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, CHAPMAN 
of Brooksville, MELARAGNO of Auburn. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  19-A MRSA §4013, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 257, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
A.  The Governor shall name the chair from among the following members: 
(1)  Two members, appointed by the Governor, who are representatives of the 
statewide coalition of domestic violence projects; 
(1-A)  Two members, appointed by the Governor, who are representatives of the 
statewide coalition of sexual assault centers; 
(2)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is a representative of the 
mental health profession; 
(3)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is a representative of victims 
of domestic violence; 
(3-A)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is a representative of 
victims of sexual assault; 
(4)  Two members, appointed by the Governor, one of whom has experience 
representing victims of domestic abuse, who are attorneys with experience in 
domestic relations cases; 
(5)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who was a victim of domestic 
abuse and used the court system; 
(5-A)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who was a victim of sexual 
assault and used the court system; 
(6)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is a district attorney or 
assistant district attorney; 
(7)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is chief of a municipal police 
department; 
(8)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is a county sheriff or the 
sheriff's designee; 
(8-A)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is the statewide coordinator 
of a statewide coalition to end domestic violence; 
(8-B)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is the executive director of 
a statewide coalition against sexual assault; 
(8-C)  The Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee; 
(8-D)  The Chief of the Maine State Police or the chief's designee; 
(9)  The Commissioner of Public Safety or the commissioner's designee; 
(9-A)  The Commissioner of Health and Human Services or the commissioner's 
designee; 
(9-C)  The Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee; 
(9-D)  The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee; 
(9-E)  The Commissioner of Corrections or the commissioner's designee; 
(9-F)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who has experience working in 
batterers' intervention programs;  
(10)  Up to 6 5 members-at-large, appointed by the Governor; 
(11)  Up to 4 members, appointed by the Governor, representing underserved 
populations; and 
(12)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is a tribal member and 
provides services through a tribal program to tribal members who are victims of 
domestic or sexual violence.; and 
(13)  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is an executive director of a 
tribal coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence. 
Sec. 2.  Transition.  Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 19-A, 
section 4013, subsection 1, paragraph A, the members of the Maine Commission on 
Domestic and Sexual Abuse serving immediately prior to the effective date of this Act 
continue to serve as members of the commission for the terms for which they were 
appointed until the Governor appoints their successors. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows the designee of a county sheriff appointed to the Maine Commission 
on Domestic and Sexual Abuse to serve on the commission and replaces one at-large 
member with the executive director of a tribal coalition against sexual assault and 
domestic violence.  The current at-large member will serve until the expiration of that 
member's term.