An Act To Prohibit Public Employers from Acting as Collection Agents for Labor Unions
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0066
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: LOCKMAN, DAVIS, AUSTIN, GUERIN, PICCHIOTTI, SAMPSON, SIROCKI, STROM, VOLK, WHITTEMORE
Amends: 21-A MRSA §32, 26 MRSA §629

Legislative Document
No. 66
H.P. 53
House of Representatives, January 11, 2017
An Act To Prohibit Public Employers from Acting as Collection 
Agents for Labor Unions
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative LOCKMAN of Amherst.
Cosponsored by Senator DAVIS of Piscataquis and
Representatives: AUSTIN of Gray, GUERIN of Glenburn, PICCHIOTTI of Fairfield, 
SAMPSON of Alfred, SIROCKI of Scarborough, STROM of Pittsfield, Senators: VOLK of 
Cumberland, WHITTEMORE of Somerset.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §32, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2009, c. 144, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
3.  Class C crime.  A person commits a Class C crime if that person misuses a state 
government computer system.  For purposes of this subsection, a person is guilty of 
misuse of a state government computer system if that person knowingly uses a computer 
system operated by a state department or agency, the Judicial Department or the 
Legislature: 
A.  To prepare materials with the intent to expressly advocate, to those eligible to 
vote, for the election or defeat of any candidate for a federal office, a constitutional 
office or elective municipal, county or state office, including leadership positions in 
the State Senate and the State House of Representatives; or 
B.  With the intent to solicit contributions reportable under chapter 13. 
For purposes of this subsection, "computer system" has the same meaning as in Title 
17-A, section 431 and "leadership positions" means the presiding officers of each House 
of the Legislature, party leaders, the Clerk of the House, the Assistant Clerk of the House, 
the Secretary of the Senate and the Assistant Secretary of the Senate. 
This subsection may not be construed to prohibit a public employer from deducting dues 
or other funds from an employee's pay, as authorized by the employee and provided 
through a collective bargaining agreement, and remitting those funds to an account or 
fund owned by the employee's collective bargaining agent, even if the funds might be 
used for political or legislative purposes. 
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §629, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 2007, c. 524, §1, 
is amended to read: 
4.  Deduction of service fees.  Public employers may not deduct service fees or 
member dues owed by an employee to a collective bargaining agent from the employee's 
pay, without signed authorization from the employee, and remit those fees to the 
bargaining agent, as long as:. 
A.  The fee obligation arises from a lawfully executed and implemented collective 
bargaining agreement; and 
B.  In the event a fee payor owes any arrears on the payor's fee obligations, the 
deduction authorized under this subsection may include an installment on a payment 
plan to reimburse all arrears, but may not exceed in each pay period 10% of the gross 
pay owed. 
SUMMARY 
Current law allows a public employer to deduct service fees owed by an employee to 
a collective bargaining agent pursuant to a lawful collective bargaining agreement.  This 
bill prohibits a public employer from collecting those fees or collecting member dues. 
This bill also eliminates language from the election statutes allowing a public 
employer to deduct dues or other funds from an employee's pay and remit those funds to 
the employee's collective bargaining agent.