An Act To Aid Municipalities in the Issuance of Concealed Handgun Permits
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1446
Committee Amendment CA_A_H866 (House)
Amends: 25 MRSA §2002, 25 MRSA §2002-B

COI\1MITTEE AMENDMENT .. I}" to H.P. 1062, L.D. 1446, "An Act To Aid 
Municipalities in the Issuance of Concealed Handgun Permits" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2002, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2011, c. 366, §5, is further 
amended to read: 
9. Issuing authority. "Issuing authority" means the following: 
A. To a legal resident of a municipality with a full-time chief of police: 
(1) The mayor and Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the municipal 
officers or councilors of a city, the HHH1icipal officers or councilors of a town or 
the assessors of a plantation or, if they so choose, their full time chief of police as 
their designee of the municipality: er 
(2) The Chief of the State Poliee as the designee of the municipal officers under 
section 2002 A; 
(3) The chief of police of the municipality if the municipal officers of the 
municipality designate the chief as the issuing authority; 
( 4) The chief of police of an adjacent municipality if the municipal officers of the 
municipality designate the chief as the issuing authority and the chief agrees to the 
designation in accordance with section 2002-B; or 
(5) The sheriff of the county where the municipality is located if the municipal 
officers of the municipality designate the sheriff as the issuing authority and the 
sheriff agrees to the designation in accordance with section 2002-B: 
A-1. To a legal resident of a municipality without a full-time chief of police: 
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the municipal officers of the 
municipality: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ff" to H.P. 1062, L.D. 1446 
(2) The chief of police of an adjacent municipality if the municipal officers of the 
municipality designate the chief as the issuing authority and the chief agrees to the 
designation in accordance with section 2002-B: 
(3) The sheriff of the county where the municipality is located if the municipal 
officers of the municipality designate the sheriff as the issuing authority and the 
sheriff agrees to the designation in accordance with section 2002-B: or 
(4) The Chief of the State Police if the municipal officers of the municipality 
designate the chief as the issuing authority and the chief agrees to the designation 
in accordance with section 2002-A: 
B. To a resident of an un_organized territory: 
(1) The Chief of the State Police; 
C. To a nonresident: 
(1) The Chief of the State Police; and 
D. To a professional investigator licensed under Title 32, chapter 89: 
(1) The Chief of the State Police. 
Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §2002, sub-§10-B is enacted to read: 
10-B. Municipal officers. "Municipal officers" means the mayor. municipal officers 
or councilors of a city; the municipal officers or councilors of a town; or the assessors of a 
plantation. 
Sec. 3. 25 MRSA §2002-B is enacted to read: 
§2002-B. Assignment of authority; chief of police of adjacent municipality or county 
sheriff 
The municipal officers of a municipality may designate the chief of police of an 
adjacent municipality or the sheriff of the county in which the municipality is located as 
the issuing authority for that municipality if the chief or sheriff agrees to the designation. 
The designation must be made by written agreement with the chief or sheriff. The 
agreement must include provisions for termination of the agreement. During the term of an 
agreement, the chief or sheriff shall perform all the functions of the issuing authority, 
including suspension and revocation of permits. The chief or sheriff is entitled to receive 
any fees authorized for performing the functions of an issuing authority. The chief or sheriff 
continues to serve as the issuing authority until the chief or sheriff receives from the 
municipal officers written notice of cancellation or revocation of the designation. 
Sec. 4. State Police; stakeholder group; report. The Department of Public 
Safety, Bureau of State Police shall convene a stakeholder group to review the laws of this 
State regulating the issuance of permits to carry a concealed handgun and develop findings 
and recommendations for changes to those laws to improve the existing permitting process 
or to address other identified issues with the process. The stakeholder group must include, 
at a minimum, a representative of a statewide association of county sheriffs and a 
representative of a statewide association representing the interests of municipalities. On or 
before February 15, 2023, the Bureau of State Police shall submit to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice and public safety 
matters a report outlining the findings and recommendations of the stakeholder group, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT t• to H.P. 1062, L.D. 1446 
including any proposed legislation. 
After reviewing the report, the joint standing 
committee may report out related legislation to the 131 st Legislature in 2023.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and • makes the following changes to the law 
governing permits to carry a concealed handgun. 
1. 
It clarifies the law regarding the designation of the issuing authority by 
municipalities that have a full-time chief of police and by municipalities that do not have a 
full-time chief of police. It also provides a definition for "municipal officers." 
2. It authorizes the municipal officers of a municipality, regardless of whether the 
municipality has a full-time chief of police, to designate as the issuing authority the chief 
of police of an adjacent municipality or the sheriff of the county in which the municipality 
is located if the chief or sheriff agrees to that designation. 
The amendment also requires the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police 
to convene a stakeholder group to review the laws of this State regulating the issuance of 
permits to carry a concealed handgun and develop findings and recommendations for 
changes to those laws to improve the existing permitting process or to address other 
identified issues with the process. On or before February 15, 2023, the Bureau of State 
Police is required to submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over criminal justice and public safety matters a report outlining the findings 
and recommendations of the stakeholder group, including any proposed legislation, and the 
committee may report out related legislation. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/17 /22 fe'ae 
LD 1446 
LR 317(02) 
An Act To Aid Municipalities in the Issuance of Concealed Handgun Permits 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,jf,-{ If 'i & 0) 
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor cost increase - Highway Fund 
Additional costs to the Department of Public Safety associated with convening a stakeholder group and reporting f 
results can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR03 l 7(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1