An Act Regarding Certification Credentials for the Office of Sheriff
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1124
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: LAWRENCE
Amends: 30-A MRSA §371-B, 34-A MRSA §1208

Legislative Document
No. 1124
S.P. 458
In Senate, March 9, 2023
An Act Regarding Certification Credentials for the Office of Sheriff
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator LAWRENCE of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §371-B, sub-§3, ¶D, as amended by PL 2021, c. 202, §1, is 
further amended to read:
D.  The candidate submits written certification from the Maine Criminal Justice 
Academy that the candidate:
(1)  Is currently certified as a law enforcement officer and has met the basic law 
enforcement training standards under Title 25, section 2804‑C; or
(3)  Was previously certified as a law enforcement officer and agrees to meet the 
basic law enforcement training standards under Title 25, section 2804‑C within one 
year of taking office; and or
(4)  Is currently enrolled in a course of study providing preservice law enforcement 
training under Title 25, section 2804-B and meets the basic law enforcement 
training standards under Title 25, section 2804-C within one year of taking office; 
and
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §371-B, sub-§3-A, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 202, §2, is 
amended to read:
3-A.  Ongoing training.  A person newly taking office as sheriff shall enroll in a jail 
administration certification program administered by the Commissioner of Corrections 
under Title 34-A, section 1208, subsection 8 and obtain certification from the program 
within 6 months of taking office. A person appointed to the office of sheriff shall 
continually meet the in-service law enforcement training standards under Title 25, section 
2804‑E and any other statutory requirements of preservice, basic or in-service law 
enforcement training required for certification or continued certification as a law 
enforcement officer.
Sec. 3.  34-A MRSA §1208, sub-§8 is enacted to read:
8.  Jail administration certification program.  The commissioner shall administer a 
jail administration certification program for a sheriff under Title 30-A, section 371-B, 
subsection 3, paragraph D, subparagraph (4) and other jail administration personnel based 
upon the standards under this section and other jail administration practices and procedures 
the commissioner determines appropriate.  The commissioner shall adopt rules to carry out 
the purposes of this subsection.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine 
technical rules under Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill allows a person to be a candidate for sheriff who is not and has not been 
certified as a law enforcement officer as long as the person is enrolled in the Department 
of Public Safety's preservice law enforcement training and meets all required in-service 
law enforcement training standards within one year of taking office.  This bill also requires 
that a new sheriff under this provision enroll in a jail administration certification program 
administered by the Commissioner of Corrections and obtain certification from the 
program within 6 months of taking office.