An Act to Improve Family Court Procedure
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0580
Committee Amendment CA_A_SA_B_S788 (Senate)
Amends: 4 MRSA §157

SENATE AMENDMENT" B" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 248, 
L.D. 580, "An Act to Improve Family Court Procedure" 
Amend the amendment by inserting after the title the following: 
'Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act to Improve Family Court Procedure and to Provide Drug Treatment Court 
Funding'' 
Amend the amendment by inserting after the first instructional paragraph the 
following: 
'Sec, 1. 4 MRSA §157, sub-§1, 1A, as amended by PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. ZZZZ, §2, 
is further amended to read: 
A. The Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over judiciary matters and to confirmation by the Legislature, shall 
appoint to the District Court 42 judges, except that, beginning July 1, 2024, the 
Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over judiciary matters and to confirmation by the Legislature, shall appoint 
to the District Court 44 45 judges. At least one judge must be appointed from each 
district who is a resident of a county in which the district lies, except that in District 3 
,there must be 2 judges appointed who are residents of a county in which the district 
lies; in District 6 there must be 2 judges appointed who are residents of a county in 
which the district lies; and in District 9 there must be 2 judges appointed who are 
residents of a county in which the district lies. Each District Court Judge has a term of 
office of 7 years. 
To be eligible for appointment as a District Judge, a person must be a member of the 
bar of the State. The term "District Judge" includes the Chief Judge and Deputy Chief 
Judge.' 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 4 and 5 and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 4. Transfer to Department of Health and Human Services, Office of 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Other Special Revenue Funds 
account. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, on or before June 30, 
Page l - 131LR0792(07) 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATEAMENDMENT"B "to COMMITTEEAMENDMENT"A" to S.P. 248, L.D. sso(S·lt<is"J 
2025, the State Controller shall transfer $561,283 from the Department of Health and 
Human Services, Opioid Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Fund, Other Special 
Revenue Funds account to the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Other Special Revenue Funds account. 
Sec. 5. Transfer to unappropriated surplus of General Fund. 
Notwithstanding any provision oflaw to the contrary, on or before June 30, 2025, the State 
Controller shall transfer $411,836 from the Department of Health and Human Services, 
Opioid Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Fund, Other Special Revenue Funds 
account to the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund. 
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ATTORNEY GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE 
District Attorneys Salaries 0409 
Initiative: Appropriates one-time funds to establish one limited-period Assistant District 
Attorney position to facilitate the creation of a drug treatment court in Aroostook County. 
GENERAL FUND 
Personal Services 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
ATTORNEY GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Z199 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
2024-25 
$140,500 
$140,500 
2024-25 
$140,500 
$140,500 
Initiative: Provides a one-time allocation for the Department of. Health and Human 
Services, Office of Behavioral Health to contract with an entity to provide the required 
pretrial services for the new drug court in Aroostook County. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
2023-24 
$0 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
2024-25 
$561,283 
$561,283 
2024-25 
$561,283 
l 
SENATE AMENDMENT "B" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 248, L.D. 580 ( s 
r 1 cSf>) 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
INDIGENT LEGAL SERVICES, MAINE COMMISSION ON 
Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services Z112 
$0 
$561,283 
Initiative: Appropriates one-time funds to provide legal representation to participants in the 
new drug court in Aroostook County. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
INDIGENT LEGAL SERVICES, MAINE 
COMMISSION ON 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
2024-25 
$39,000 
$39,000 
2024-25 
$39,000 
$39,000 
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT 
Courts - Supreme, Superior and District 0063 
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for printing costs to update A Guide to Family 
Separation in Maine. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Courts - Supreme, Superior and District 0063 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
2024-25 
$10,000 
$10,000 
Initiative: Establishes one Judge position, one Deputy Marshal position and one Assistant 
Clerk position effective January 1, 2025 and provides funding for related All Other costs. 
GENERAL FUND 
2023-24 
2024-25 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
0.000 
3.000 
Personal Services 
$0 
$190,476 
All Other 
$0 
$31,860 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
$0 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
$222,336 
2024-25 
$232,336 
$232,336 
~o'?> 
SENATE AMENDMENT"~" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 248, L.D. 580 ( ,5 -7 n) 
SECTION TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Sec. 7. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2025.' 
2024-25 
$411,836 
$561,283 
$973,119 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment amends Committee Amendment "A" by changing the title and 
requiring the State Controller to transfer $561,283 from the Department of Health and 
Human Services, Opioid Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Fund, Other Special 
Revenue Funds account to the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Other Special Revenue Funds account on or 
before June 30, 2025. 
The amendment requires the State Controller to transfer $411,836 from the Department 
of Health and Human Services, Opioid Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Fund, 
Other Special Revenue Funds account to the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund 
on or before June 30, 2025. 
The amendment increases the number of District Court Judges to 45. 
The amendment also changes the effective date to January 1, 2025 and replaces the 
appropriations and allocations section. 
SPONSORED BY: \.A/\-,,, 
____ ,,/ 
(Senator BAILEY, D.) 
COUNTY: York 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/10/24 ~ae!.. 
LD 580 
LR 792(07) 
An Act to Improve Family Court Procedure 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment "i' to Committee Amendment "A" ( S -7 W) 
Sponsor: Sen. Bailey of York 
• 
. 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2023-24 
FY 2024-25 
Projections 
FY 2025-26 
Projections 
FY 2026-27 
Net Cost (Savings) 
y~neral Fund 
($224,415) 
($396,881) 
$0 
' $0 
f)propriation~/ A,llocations . 
General Fund· 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
($224,415) 
$0 
$14,955 
$561,283 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Transfers 
General Fund 
Other Special Revenue· Funds 
$0 
$0 
$41-1,836 
($411,836) 
$0 
$0 
$0 
'$0 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This amendment delays the effective date from Januaiy 1, 2024 to January I, 2025 for the one Judge position, one 
Deputy Marshal position and one Assistant Clerk position within the Judicial Department to implement the new 
family court process. 
This amendment adds a one-time General Fund appropriation of $140,500 in fiscal year 2024-25 to the Office of the 
Attorney General for one limited period Assistant District Attorney position to serve the drug treatment court in 
Aroostook County and a one-time General Fund appropriation of $39,000 in the same year to the Maine Commission 
on Public Defense Services to provide legal representation services for that drug treatment court. 
The amendment also includes a transfer from the Department of Health and Human Services, Opioid Use Disorder 
Prevention and Treatment Fund, Other Special Revenue Funds account to the unappropriated surplus of the General 
Fund to offset the fiscal year 2024-25 General Fund costs to the Judicial Department related to the new family court 
process and to the Office of the Attorney General and the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services related to 
the drug treatment court. 
LR0792(07) - Fiscal Note - Page I of2 
~ 
( S·l t~?) 
This amendment adds a one-time Other Special Revenue Funds allocation to the Department of Health and Human 
Services of $561,283 in fiscal year 2024-25 for the Office of Behavioral Health to contract with an entity to provide 
required pretrial services for the drng treatment comi in Aroostook County. 
This amendment also includes a transfer from the Department of Health and Human Services, Opioid Use Dison 
Prevention and Treatment Fund, Other Special Revenue Funds account to the Depaiiment of Health and Human 
Services, Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Other Special Revenue Funds account to fund this 
contract. 
LR0792(07) - Fiscal Note - Page 2 of 2