An Act
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1322
Committee Amendment CA_A_H499 (House)
Amends: 25 MRSA §2804-D

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 916, L.D. 1322, 
Regarding Mental Health First Aid Training for Corrections Personnel" 
Bill, "An Act 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2804-D, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 147, §33, is 
further amended to read: 
1. Required. As a condition to the continued employment of any person as a 
corrections officer, that person must successfully complete, within the first 12 months of 
employment, a basic training course as approved by the board. Thereafter, as a condition 
of continued employment as a corrections officer, the officer must satisfactorily maintain 
the basic certification. The board, under extenuating and emergency circumstances in 
individual cases, may extend the 12-month period for not more than 180 days. The 
board, in individual cases, may waive basic training requirements when the facts indicate 
that an equivalent course has been successfully completed in another state or federal 
jurisdiction. A full-time correctional trade instructor hi-fed after Ja1n1ary 1, 2002 must 
meet the training requirements established under this subsection for corrections officers. 
Beginning January 1. 2018. the basic training course must include 8 hours of training in 
how to identify. understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use 
disorder that is provided by a trainer who is certified by a nationally recognized 
organization that provides evidence-based mental health first aid training. 
Sec. 2. Jails, prisons and correctional facilities to incrementally train 
corrections personnel in mental health first aid. 
Every jail, prison and state 
correctional facility shall ensure that 20% of corrections officers at the jail, prison or state 
correctional facility are trained in mental health first aid by 2022. For purposes of this 
section, "corrections officer
has the same meaning as in the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 25, section 2801-A, subsection 2. 
Sec. 3. Report. Every jail, prison and state correctional facility shall report to the 
Commissioner of Corrections when personnel at the facility have received mental health 
first aid training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as required by section 2. When 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ltd s. 
COMMlTIEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 916, L.D. 1322 
all jails, prisons and state correctional facilities in the State have reported to the 
commissioner, the commissioner shall report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice and public safety matters that the 
provisions of section 2 have been met. 
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Criminal Justice Academy 0290 
Initiative: Provides an allocation to provide 8 hours of mental health first aid training as 
part of basic corrections training. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2017-18 
$0 
$0 
2018-19 
$30,265 
$30,265 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. The amendment requires 
that the Maine Criminal Justice Academy provide 8 hours of mental health first aid 
training as part of basic corrections training. It also requires that each jail, prison and 
correctional facility in the State ensure that 20% of correctional officers are trained in 
mental health first aid by 2022. 
The amendment requires each jail, prison and 
correctional facility to report to the Commissioner of Corrections when corrections 
officers have received the required mental health first aid training at the Maine Criminal 
Justice Academy. 
The amendment requires the commissioner to report to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice and public 
safety matters after receiving the repo1t from all jails, prisons and correctional facilities. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/02/17 ;Jkrae 
LD 1322 
LR 2056(02) 
An Act Regarding Mental Health First Aid Training for Corrections Personnel 
Fiscal Note for Bill a, Amended by Committee Amendment •A• {Jl-lf qq \ 
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety 
/ 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
FY 2017-18 
FY 2018-19 
$0 
$30,265 
$0 
$39,504 
Projections 
FY 2019-20 
$30,265 
$39,504 
Projections 
FY 2020-21 
$19,012 
$24,816 
The bill includes an Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $30,265 in fiscal year 2018-19 to the Department of 
Public Safety to provide 8 hours of mental health first aid training as part of basic corrections training. Other Special 
Revenue Funds revenue to the Department of Public Safety would increase by $39,504 in fiscal year 2018-19 for 
training fees charged. 
The cost to provide mental health first aid training to state correctional staff is expected to be a significant General 
Fund cost. The Department of Corrections has estimated overtime costs of $420,000 and course, travel, meals and 
lodging costs in excess of $100,000 to move more than 700 employees through 8 hours of training. Due to uncertainty 
over the number of staff trained annually and the number of overtime hours required, the cost to the Department of 
Corrections by fiscal year is not estimated at this time. 
LR2056(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I