An Act To Make the Reimbursement Rate for Transfers of Inmates from County Jails Equal to the Federal Reimbursement Rate
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0597
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: FARRIN, WHITTEMORE, ALLEY, AUSTIN, FOLEY, GRIGNON, STETKIS, STROM, CYRWAY, DAVIS
Amends: 30-A MRSA §1557-B

Legislative Document
No. 597
H.P. 413
House of Representatives, February 16, 2017
An Act To Make the Reimbursement Rate for Transfers of Inmates 
from County Jails Equal to the Federal Reimbursement Rate
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FARRIN of Norridgewock.
Cosponsored by Senator WHITTEMORE of Somerset and
Representatives: ALLEY of Beals, AUSTIN of Skowhegan, FOLEY of Wells, GRIGNON of 
Athens, STETKIS of Canaan, STROM of Pittsfield, Senators: CYRWAY of Kennebec, 
DAVIS of Piscataquis.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §1557-B, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 335, §16, is 
amended to read: 
3.  Reimbursement.  Reimbursement for the support of a prisoner who is transferred 
by a sending jail to a receiving jail or the Department of Corrections is subject to the 
provisions of this subsection. 
A.  During a state fiscal year in which at least $12,202,104 has been appropriated to 
the County Jail Operations Fund and disbursements have been made equal to that 
amount to the counties as required by Title 34-A, section 1210-D, the receiving jail or 
the department may not charge the sending jail a per diem rate for the transferred 
prisoner. 
B.  During a state fiscal year in which less than $12,202,104 has been appropriated to 
the County Jail Operations Fund or disbursements have not been made equal to that 
amount to the counties as required by Title 34-A, section 1210-D, the following 
provisions apply: 
(1)  The receiving jail may charge the sending jail a per diem rate for the 
transferred prisoner; 
(2)  The rate charged by the receiving jail must equal the per diem per prisoner 
amount calculated by the department in making the disbursement to the counties 
under Title 34-A, section 1210-D, subsection 4; and 
(3)  The department may charge the sending jail an amount that has been 
negotiated between the department and the jail that does not exceed $108 per 
diem per prisoner. 
B-1.  The sending jail shall reimburse the receiving jail or the department a fee equal 
to the amount of the federal reimbursement fee for housing prisoners, but no less than 
$90 per diem per prisoner. 
C.  The sending jail shall reimburse the receiving jail or the department for any costs 
incurred in the provision of extraordinary medical or surgical treatment for conditions 
of the prisoner that existed prior to transfer. 
D.  Payment amounts provided for in this subsection may be adjusted or dispensed 
with upon terms mutually agreeable to the sheriff of the sending jail and the sheriff of 
the receiving jail or the department. 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes the reimbursement rate for transfers of inmates from a county jail to 
another county jail or to the Department of Corrections equal to the federal 
reimbursement rate for housing prisoners, but no less than $90 per diem per prisoner.