An Act To Implement the Crisis Response Services Recommendations Identified Pursuant to Resolve 2021, Chapter 29
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 2016
Committee Amendment CA_A_H973 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "Ir" to H.P. 1498, L.D. 2016, "An Act To Implement 
the Crisis Response Services Recommendations Identified Pursuant to Resolve 2021, 
Chapter 29" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Implement the Crisis Response Services Recommendations Identified 
Pursuant to Resolve 2021, Chapter 29' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Working group to develop policies and procedures related to calls 
for crisis response services. Resolved: That the Public Utilities Commission, 
Emergency Services Communication Bureau shall convene a working group to develop 
policies and procedures to address the screening and transferring of calls for crisis response 
services. The working group, at a minimum, consists of the following members: 
1. The director of the Emergency Services Communication Bureau within the Public 
Utilities Commission or the director's designee; 
2. The director of the Office of Behavioral Health within the Department of Health 
and Human Services or the director's designee; 
3. The Director of Maine Emergency Medical Services within the Department of 
Public Safety or the director's designee; 
4. One member representing law enforcement; 
5. One member who provides emergency medical services; 
6. One member from a municipal public safety answering point; 
7. One member from a county public safety answering point; 
8. One member from a state public safety answering point; 
9. One member from a dispatch-only center; 
10. One member who provides mental health crisis services; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ff,, to H.P. 1498, L.D. 2016 
11. One member who provides community mental health services. 
As used in this resolve, "dispatch-only center" means an emergency communications 
center that does not receive 911 calls directly and performs only dispatch functions. 
Sec. 2. Working group duties. Resolved: That the working group convened 
pursuant t~ section 1 shall, at a minimum, determine the appropriate procedures for 
communicating and integrating each component of delivering crisis response services when 
calls are received by public safety answering points or dispatch-only centers, including, but 
not limited to, procedures for: 
1. The receipt, acknowledgment and transfer of crisis response services calls; 
2. The identification of the appropriate agency to receive calls; 
3. 
The transfer of a caller to higher levels of behavioral health care including 
safeguards such as obtaining the caller's telephone number and location prior to transfer in 
the event of a disconnected call; 
4. The assessment of scene safety and the coordination of responsibilities of public 
safety answering points and agencies providing crisis response services; 
5. Transferring persons with disabilities to the Maine Crisis Line, or conferencing with 
those persons, via voice, text message, teletypewriter or other technologies, including 
primary and backup procedures; and 
6. 
Accommodations such as interpreters to ensure universal access to services, 
including who is responsible for providing such accommodations and, when used, financial 
responsibility when calls are relayed or transferred. 
The Public Utilities Commission may hire a consultant to assist the working group with 
the development of the procedures required by this section. 
As used in this resolve, "crisis response services" means services offered to individuals 
experiencing mental health emergencies, emergencies relating to substance use disorder or 
other emergencies for which fire, emergency medical or law enforcement agency services 
are determined not to be required. 
Sec. 3. Public Utilities Commission, Emergency Services Communication 
Bureau; proposed legislation. Resolved: That the Public Utilities Commission, 
Emergency Services Communication Bureau, in consultation with the Department of 
Public Safety, shall develop proposed legislation to implement the protocol and procedure 
recommendations for the delivery of crisis response services under the State's E-9-1-1 
system as identified in the Emergency Services Communication Bureau report issued 
pursuant to Resolve 2021, chapter 29. The bureau shall provide the proposed legislation 
to the working group convened pursuant to section 1 and persons and entities affected by 
the proposal and allow at least 30 days for the submission of comments. 
Sec. 4. Report; draft legislation. Resolved: That, on or before February 1, 2023, 
the Public Utilities Commission shall submit a report detailing the results of the working 
group's activities under this resolve along with the proposed legislation developed under 
section 3, together with all comments received by the Public Utilities Commission, 
Emergency Services Communication Bureau, to the joint standing committee of the 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'fr" to H.P. 1498, L.D. 2016 
Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters. The 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 with a resolve. The amendment requires the Public 
Utilities Commission, Emergency Services Communication Bureau to convene a working 
group to develop policies and procedures to address the screening and transferring of crisis 
response services calls. The working group is required to determine appropriate procedures 
for delivering crisis response services. The amendment defines "crisis response services" 
as services offered to individuals experiencing mental health emergencies, emergencies 
relating to substance use disorder or other emergencies for which fire, emergency medical 
or law enforcement agency services are determined not to be required. 
The amendment directs the bureau, in consultation with the Department of Public 
Safety, to develop proposed legislation to implement the bureau's protocol and procedure 
recommendations for the delivery of crisis response services. The bureau must allow the 
working group and affected persons and entities to provide comments on the proposal. 
The amendment requires the commission, by February 1, 2023, to submit a report 
detailing the results of the working group's activities along with the proposed legislation 
developed by the commission, together with all comments received by the bureau, to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy 
matters. The committee may report out related legislation to the 131st Legislature in 2023. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/29/22 ;'!;Pae:. 
LD 2016 
LR2658(02) 
An Act To Implement the Crisis Response Services Recommendations Identified Pursuant to Resolve 
2021, Chapter 29 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,jf..{f/413) 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Additional costs to the Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Health 
and Human Services to participate in the working group and consult with the PUC on developing the required 
proposed legislation can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2658(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1