An Act Regarding Recommendations for Changing Place Names in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1667
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: TALBOT ROSS, BALDACCI, BOYER, STOVER, DUSON, MOORE
Amends: 5 MRSA §1997, 5 MRSA §1998, 5 MRSA §12004-I

Legislative Document
No. 1667
H.P. 1065
House of Representatives, April 13, 2023
An Act Regarding Recommendations for Changing Place Names in 
the State
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Speaker TALBOT ROSS of Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator BALDACCI of Penobscot and
Representatives: BOYER of Poland, STOVER of Boothbay, Senators: DUSON of 
Cumberland, MOORE of Washington.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §1997 is enacted to read:
§1997.  State Names Authority
The Chief Information Officer shall appoint the State Names Authority to serve within 
the Office of Geographic Information Systems. The State Names Authority must be a 
qualified person and serves as a liaison to the United States Department of the Interior, 
United States Geological Survey, United States Board on Geographic Names and makes 
recommendations for renaming Maine features.
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §1998 is enacted to read:
§1998.  State Names Advisory Board
1.  Established.  The State Names Advisory Board, established by section 12004-I, 
subsection 75-D, shall serve to advise the State Names Authority in making 
recommendations for renaming Maine features under section 1997.
2.  Members.  The State Names Advisory Board consists of 7 members as follows:
A.  The State Archivist;
B.  The State Geologist;
C.  One member who represents a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or band in 
the State, appointed by the President of the Senate;
D.  One member with expertise in the study of cultural anthropology, appointed by the 
President of the Senate;
E.  One member who represents historically disinvested African American populations, 
appointed by the Speaker of the House;
F.  One member with expertise as a Maine historian, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House; and
G.  One member of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and 
Tribal Populations under section 25001, appointed by the Speaker of the House.
3.  Terms.  The members under subsection 2 serve 2-year terms and continue serving 
until either reappointed or replaced.  In case of the termination of a member's service during 
that member's term, the appointing authority shall appoint a successor for the unexpired 
term.
Sec. 3.  5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§75-D is enacted to read:
75-D.   
State 
Government
State Names Advisory Board
Expenses Only
MRSA 
§1998
Sec. 4.  Staggered terms.  Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, 
section 1998, subsection 3, initial appointments to the State Names Advisory Board must 
be staggered as follows:
1. Of the members appointed by the President of the Senate, one member must be 
appointed for a one-year term and one member must be appointed for a 2-year term; and 
2. Of the members appointed by the Speaker of the House, one member must be 
appointed for a one-year term and 2 members must be appointed for a 2-year term.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the position of State Names Authority. The State Names Authority 
is appointed by the Chief Information Officer within the executive branch and serves in the 
Office of Information Technology, Office of Geographic Information Systems. The State 
Names Authority is directed to serve as a liaison to the United States Department of the 
Interior, United States Geological Survey, United States Board on Geographic Names and 
make recommendations for renaming Maine features. The bill also establishes the State 
Names Advisory Board to advise the State Names Authority in making those 
recommendations.