An Act to Protect Maine's Transit Employees
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1796
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: JACKSON, MALON, BEEBE-CENTER, CHIPMAN
Amends: 17-A MRSA §752-F, 30-A MRSA §3520

Legislative Document
No. 1796
S.P. 721
In Senate, April 25, 2023
An Act to Protect Maine's Transit Employees
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by President JACKSON of Aroostook.
Cosponsored by Representative MALON of Biddeford and
Senators: BEEBE-CENTER of Knox, CHIPMAN of Cumberland, LaFOUNTAIN of 
Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  17-A MRSA §752-F is enacted to read:
§752-F.  Assault on a transit employee
1.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings.
A.  "Assault" means intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury or 
offensive physical contact to another person, including expectorating or flinging a 
bodily substance or other fluid at or onto another person.
B.  "Bodily substance" means a human secretion, discharge or emission, including, but 
not limited to, blood, saliva, mucus, semen, urine or feces.
C.  "Transit employee" means an employee of a transit district as defined in Title 30-A, 
section 3501, subsection 1.
2.  A person is guilty of assault on a transit employee if that person assaults a transit 
employee while the transit employee is performing official duties.
3.  Assault on a transit employee is a Class C crime.
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §3520 is enacted to read:
§3520.  Protection of transit employees
1. Posting of signs. A transit district shall post signs in conspicuous places in all transit 
district facilities accessible to the public, including a building, terminal, kiosk, shelter or 
passenger rail, ferry, bus, bicycle or pedestrian facility, informing the public of the penalties 
for assaulting a transit employee under Title 17-A, section 752-F.
2. De-escalation training.  All employees of a transit district must receive de-
escalation training upon commencement of employment with the transit district and at least 
once annually thereafter. The transit district shall jointly approve the de-escalation training 
curriculum with the labor organization representing a plurality of the employees of the 
transit district, except that if the transit district is party to a joint labor-management safety 
committee, the committee shall approve the curriculum. For purposes of this subsection, 
"de-escalation" means the reduction of violent or disruptive behavior and resolution and 
minimization of conflict through verbal engagement and calming techniques.
SUMMARY
This bill makes assault on a transit employee a Class C crime, including expectorating 
or flinging bodily substances or other fluids on or at a transit worker, and requires transit 
districts to post in conspicuous places in all transit district facilities, including buildings, 
terminals, kiosks, shelters and passenger rail, ferry, bus, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, 
informing the public of the penalties for assaulting a transit employee. This bill also 
requires transit employees to receive de-escalation training annually jointly approved by 
the labor organization representing a plurality of the transit district employees or a joint 
labor-management safety committee if it exists.