An Act To Clarify the Disposition of Funds Presumed Abandoned in a Lawyer's Trust Account
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1483
Committee Amendment CA_A_H575 (House)
Committee: Judiciary

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "//," to H.P. 1085, L.D. 1483, Bill, "An Act To 
Clarify the Disposition of Funds Presumed Abandoned in a Lawyer's Trust Account" 
Amend the bill by adding after section 6 the following: 
'Sec. 7. Transfer of funds. The Treasurer of State shall transfer to the lawyer's 
trust account program manager as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 33, section 
1952, subsection 7-B an amount equal to funds held on the effective date of this Act in 
the Unclaimed Property Fund of this State attributable to funds presumed abandoned in a 
lawyer's trust account for which no identifying client information can be found that were 
delivered to the Treasurer of State before the effective date of this Act.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary. 
The bill directs lawyers, law firms and financial institutions to repo1t to the Treasurer 
of State when there are funds in a lawyer's trust account for which the owner cannot be 
identified and deliver those funds to the lawyer's trust account program manager 
designated by the Supreme Judicial Court for use for civil legal services. The amendment 
addresses such funds currently held as unclaimed property by requiring the Treasurer of 
State to transfer to the lawyer's trust account program manager all such funds held on the 
effective date of this legislation by the Treasurer of State that were delivered to the 
Treasurer of State before the effective date of this legislation. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached} 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/23/19 ;?.;::'ac:.. 
LD 1483 
LR 784(02) 
An Act To Clarify the Disposition of Funds Presumed Abandoned in a Lawyer's Trust Account 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,fl. 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Revenue 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Committee: Judiciary 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2019-20 
FY2020-21 
$13,558 
$0 
($13,558) 
$0 
Projections 
FY2021-22 
$0 
$0 
Projections 
FY2022-23 
$0 
$0 
The bill clarifies that funds presumed abandoned under the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act in a lawyer's trust 
account for which identifying client information can be found must be delivered to the Treasurer of State. Any such 
funds that cannot be identified must be turned over to the lawyer's trust account program manager to be used to 
provide funding to organizations that provide civil legal aid to low-income residents. The bill also requires the 
Treasurer to transfer to the lawyer's trust account program manager all funds that meet this criteria that are currently 
held in the Unclaimed Property Fund which cannot be identified. To the extent that revenue to the Treasurer is 
reduced, there would be a corresponding reduction in the amount of the annual transfer from the Treasurer's 
Unclaimed Property Fund to the General Fund. Any future General Fund reduction in revenue is expected to be minor 
not requiring any change to the budget. However, the $13,558 currently in the Unclaimed Property Fund from this 
source that cannot be identified will be turned over to the trust account program managers, reducing General Fund 
revenue by that amount in fiscal year 2019-20. 
LR0784(02) - Fiscal Note· Page 1 of 1