Resolve, Changing the Identifying and Reporting Responsibilities and Extending the Reporting Deadline for the Identification of Places in the State with Offensive Names (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1934
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: TALBOT ROSS

Legislative Document
No. 1934
H.P. 1444
House of Representatives, January 25, 2022
Resolve, Changing the Identifying and Reporting Responsibilities 
and Extending the Reporting Deadline for the Identification of 
Places in the State with Offensive Names
(AFTER DEADLINE)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205.
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 21, 2022.  Referred to the Committee on 
Judiciary pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative TALBOT ROSS of Portland.
Sec. 1. Resolve 2021, c. 98, §1, amended. Resolved: That Resolve 2021, c. 98, 
§1 is amended to read:
Sec. 1. Identification of offensive names for geographic features and other 
places.  Resolved:  That the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations shall 
work jointly with the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and 
Maine Tribal Populations, jointly referred to in this resolve as "the department and 
commission," to review state law regarding offensive place names.  The department and 
commission shall:
1.  Review the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 1, section 1101 to determine and suggest 
any additional words to be included in the current definition of offensive name;
2.  Establish a uniform process for renaming geographic features and other places that 
have offensive names; and
3.  Explore the most effective methods of identifying the individuals, entities and 
institutions in the State that profited or benefited in any manner from the global economy 
of enslavement.; and
4. Create the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names within the 
commission, and appoint members to the advisory committee, in order to accelerate the 
process by which offensive place names in the State are identified and replaced.  This 
subsection governs the creation and activities of the advisory committee.
A. The commission may determine the number of members that will serve on the 
advisory committee.
B. The commission may determine the expertise of the members appointed to serve on 
the advisory committee, which may include representation from indigenous and tribal 
populations; members of the African American community; people with a deep 
knowledge of civil rights, anthropology or history; representatives of the Department 
of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Office of the Attorney General or Maine 
Human Rights Commission; and members of the public.
C. The advisory committee shall consult with local community representatives, 
municipalities, historically impacted populations, state, federal and local governments 
and the public in order to broadly solicit, review and recommend to the commission 
changes that will facilitate the proactive and systematic development and review of 
name-change proposals.
D. The advisory committee shall establish a process to solicit and assist with proposals 
to the United States Board on Geographic Names to change offensive place names.
It is the intent of this resolve that the department and commission Permanent 
Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations carry out their its 
responsibilities within the existing resources of the department and commission.  The 
department and commission may solicit, accept and expend funds to cover any expenses 
that are in excess of existing resources.
By December 1, 2021 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations shall 
submit a report pursuant to this section, including any suggested legislation, to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Judiciary joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over judiciary matters.  The joint standing committee may submit a bill related 
to the report to the Second First Regular Session of the 130th 131st Legislature.
SUMMARY
This resolve amends Resolve 2021, chapter 98 to extend from December 1, 2021 to 
December 1, 2022 the deadline for submitting the required report to the Legislature, 
removes the requirement that the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
work jointly with the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and 
Tribal Populations to review state law regarding offensive place names and authorizes the 
Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations to 
establish an advisory committee to facilitate the process of identifying offensive place 
names.