An Act To Require Training in Racial Issues, Racial Justice and Social Issues at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and To Establish Additional Requirements for Law Enforcement Officers and Candidates
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1447
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: GRAMLICH, HARNETT, MORALES, PLUECKER, RECKITT, TALBOT ROSS, WARREN
Amends: 25 MRSA §2803-A, 25 MRSA §2804-C, 25 MRSA §2804-E

Legislative Document
No. 1447
H.P. 1063
House of Representatives, April 12, 2021
An Act To Require Training in Racial Issues, Racial Justice and 
Social Issues at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and To 
Establish Additional Requirements for Law Enforcement Officers 
and Candidates
Received by the Clerk of the House on April 8, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Criminal Justice and Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach.
Cosponsored by Representatives: HARNETT of Gardiner, MORALES of South Portland, 
PLUECKER of Warren, RECKITT of South Portland, TALBOT ROSS of Portland, WARREN 
of Hallowell.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2803-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2005, c. 331, §8, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Training and certification of all law enforcement officers in State.  In accordance 
with this chapter, to establish training and certification standards for all law enforcement 
officers, set requirements for board-approved courses, prescribe curriculum curricula and 
certify both graduates of board-approved courses and persons for whom the board has 
waived the training requirements of this chapter.  Certification must be based on the 
officer's demonstration of having acquired specific knowledge and skills directly related to 
job performance;.
Beginning January 1, 2022, for all law enforcement officers certified or recertified by the 
board, in addition to all other requirements set forth in this chapter, the certification 
standards adopted by the board must require that the applicant:
A.  Be legally authorized to work in the United States;
B.  Be at least 21 years of age;
C.  Possess a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma under Title 
20-A, section 257 and an associate degree in criminal justice, sociology, psychology, 
mental health, substance use disorder or implicit bias;
D.  Submit to an extensive criminal history record check and meet the standards for 
approval established by the board; and
E.  Have completed at least 60 credit hours of postsecondary education, which may be 
fulfilled by course work completed in earning an associate degree under paragraph C 
in criminal justice or a related field, including but not limited to courses in sociology, 
psychology, mental health, substance use disorder and implicit bias;
Sec. 2.  25 MRSA §2804-C, sub-§2-F, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 410, §3 and 
reallocated by RR 2019, c. 1, Pt. A, §27, is amended to read:
2-F.  Training regarding racial issues, racial justice and bias-based profiling.  The 
board shall include in the basic law enforcement training program a block of instruction 
aimed specifically at training in racial issues and racial justice and the prohibition of bias-
based profiling that prohibits stops, detentions, searches or asset seizures and forfeitures 
efforts based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, 
socioeconomic status, age, national origin or ancestry by members of a law enforcement 
agency, that provides that individuals may be stopped or detained only when legal authority 
exists to do so and that provides that members of a law enforcement agency must base their 
enforcement actions solely on an individual's conduct and behavior or specific suspect 
information.
Sec. 3.  25 MRSA §2804-C, sub-§2-G is enacted to read:
2-G.  Training regarding persons with substance use disorder.  The board shall 
include in the basic law enforcement training program a block of instruction aimed 
specifically at recognizing and responding appropriately to persons with substance use 
disorder in order to reduce their involvement with the criminal justice system.
Sec. 4.  25 MRSA §2804-C, sub-§2-H is enacted to read:
2-H.  Training regarding social issues and law enforcement responses.  The board 
shall include in the basic law enforcement training program a block of instruction aimed 
specifically at social issues and law enforcement responses to challenging social situations.
Sec. 5.  25 MRSA §2804-E, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2013, c. 147, §34, is further 
amended to read:
2.  Role of board.  The board shall establish in-service recertification training 
requirements, consistent with subsection 1, and coordinate delivery of in-service training.  
The in-service recertification training requirements must include information on new laws 
and court decisions and, on new enforcement practices demonstrated to reduce crime or 
increase officer safety and on behavioral health, substance use disorder, homelessness, 
racial issues and racial justice and other social situations that might be presented to a law 
enforcement officer.  The board shall consider and encourage the use of 
telecommunications technology in the development and delivery of in-service training 
programs.  In establishing the recertification training requirements, the board shall 
cooperate with the state and local departments and agencies to which the in-service 
requirements apply to ensure that the standards are appropriate.  In-service training may 
not be applied to satisfy in-service recertification training requirements unless it is 
approved by the board.
SUMMARY
This bill requires basic law enforcement training to include training in racial issues and 
racial justice, regarding persons with substance use disorder and regarding social issues 
and law enforcement responses to challenging social situations.  The bill requires in-service 
training for law enforcement officers to include information on behavioral health, 
substance use disorder, homelessness, racial issues and racial justice and other social 
situations that might be presented to a law enforcement officer. Beginning with applications 
for certification and recertification on January 1, 2022, this bill requires an applicant for 
certification or recertification as a law enforcement officer to be legally authorized to work 
in this country, to be at least 21 years of age, to possess a high school diploma or high 
school equivalency diploma and an associate degree in criminal justice, sociology, 
psychology, mental health, substance use disorder or implicit bias, to submit to an extensive 
criminal history record check and to meet the standards for approval established by the 
Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and to have completed at least 
credit hours of postsecondary education, which may be fulfilled by course work 
completed in earning an associate degree, in criminal justice or a related field, including 
but not limited to courses in sociology, psychology, mental health, substance use disorder 
and implicit bias.