An Act to Strengthen Protections of Persons After a Mame Human Rights Commission Investigation Finds No Reasonable Grounds Exist to Beheve Unlawful Discnmmat10n Occurred
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0967
Committee Amendment CA_A_H116 (House)

COMIV1ITTEE AlvlENDMENT ,A, " to HP 614, L D 967, "An Act to Strengthen 
Protections of Persons After a Mame Human Rights Commission Investigation Finds No 
Reasonable Grounds Exist to Beheve Unlawful Discnmmat10n Occurred'' 
Amend the btll m section 2 m subsection 4 m paragraph C by msertmg after 
subparagraph (3) the followmg 
'The commission's response to a subpoena, response to a request for a public record 
under the Freedom of Access Act or prov1S1on of assistance to a federal agency m that 
agency's response to a reguest for a public record under the federal Freedom of 
Infonnat10n Act, 5 Umted States Code, Section 552, does not constitute assistmg a 
complamant or expendmg commission resources to assist a complamant withm the 
meamng of subparagraphs (2) and (3) ' 
Amend the bill by relettermg or renumbermg any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively 
SUMMARY 
The bill provides that the Mame Huma~ Rights Commission must pay defendant's 
attorney's fees if the commission finds, after mvesttgatmg a discnmmat10n complamt, that 
no reasonable grounds exist to believe that discrimmation occurred and the commission 
either files a c1vtl action on behalf of the complamant or provides assistance to a 
complamant who files the complamant's own civil action 
This amendment, which is the mmonty report of the committee, clarifies that the 
commission's response to a subpoena, response to a request for a public record under the 
Freedom of Access Act or prov1S1on of assistance to a federal agency m responding to a 
request under the federal Freedom of Infonnat10n Act does not constitute assistmg a 
complainant for purposes of that prov1s10n m the bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved 04/13/23 ;:/:Pac:.. 
LD967 
LR 1698(02) 
An Act to Strengthen Protections of Persons After a Maine Human Rights Commission Investigation 
Finds No Reasonable Grounds Exist to Believe Unlawful Discrimination Occurred 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'A' 
Committee: Judiciary 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential current blenmum cost mcrease - General Fund 
Potential current bienmum revenue decrease - Federal Expenditures Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
G-116) 
This bill prohibits the Mame Human Rights Commiss10n from takmg certam act10ns related to a complamt d1smL __ 
by the Commiss10n based on a findmg that no reasonable grounds exist to believe that unlawful d1scnmmat10n 
occuned While 1t is ant1e1pated that compliance will mean no addit10nal costs will be mcurred for new cases m the 
future, it is estimated that there may be 17 housmg d1s cnmmat10n lawsuits pendmg on the effective date of this bill 
that v10late the prov1s10ns of this bill Backmg away from these pendmg cases may mean the Comm1ss10n will be 
required to pay certam court costs, reasonable attorney's fees and costs to defendants No estimate of these potential 
costs can be made at this time 
The Commiss10n anticipates that the prohibitions m the bill may reduce federal fundmg 1t receives from the U S 
Department of Housmg and Urban Development 
LR1698(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1