An Act to Enhance
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2121
Committee Amendment CA_B_H914 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " % " to H.P, 1436, L.D. 2121, "An Act to Enhance
the Safety of Judicial and Elected Officials, Constitutional Officers and the State Auditor
by Allowing Certain Personal Information to Be Removed from Designated Public
Records"
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
'Resolve, to Convene a Working Group to Study Methods for Enhancing the Safety
of Judicial and Elected Officials'
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and insertmg the following:
'See. 1. Working Group. Resolved: That the Department of the Secretary of State
shall convene a working group, referred to in this resolve as "the working group," to study
methods for enhancing the safety of judicial officers and elected officials in accordance
with this section.
1. The working group must consist of at least the following 9 members:
A. The Secretary of State or the Secretary of State's designee;
B. A judge or justice of the District Court, the Superior Court or the Supreme Judicial
Court designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court;
C. A representative of the Administrative Office of the Courts designated by the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court;
D. The Commissioner ofPubUc Safety or the commissioner's designee;
E, The Chief Information Officer or the Chief Information Officer's designee;
F. The Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee;
G. A representative from the Maine Municipal Association designated by the Maine
Municipal Association;
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
c&
;^? ? COMMHTEE AMENDMENT "p^" to H.P. 1436, L.D. 212 1
•u -1
H. A representative from the Right to Know Advisory Committee who is not a member
of the Legislature designated by the Chair of the Right to Know Advisory Committee;
and
I. A representative of the media designated by the Secretary of State.
2. At a minimum, the working group shall examine threats of violence currently faced
by judicial officers and elected officials in the State; legislation enacted in other states to
enhance the safety of judicial officers and elected officials, including but not limited to
legislation directing the removal of the home addresses and other personally identifying
information of judicial officers and elected officials from publicly accessible government
websites and databases and other public records; fhe logistical, financial, technological and
other requirements for government entities in the State to remove home addresses and other
personally identifying information of judicial officers and elected officials from publicly
accessible government websites and databases and other public records; whether it is
necessary to continue to include home addresses and other personally identifying
mformation of judicial officers and elected officials in certain types of public records
maintained by government entities in the State; and whether and how the State may direct
data brokers and other private entities to remove home addresses and other personally
identifying information of judicial officers and elected officials from publicly accessible
websites and databases .
Sec. 2. Pilot project. Resolved: That, no later than January 15, 2027, the
Department of the Secretary of State shall establish a 2-year pilot project that provides each
qualifying official who applies to participate in the pilot project with a subscription to a
service that removes the qualifying official's personally identifying information from
publicly accessible websites and databases. For the purposes of this section, "qualifying
official" means a judge or justice of a county probate court, the District Court, the Superior
Court and the Supreme Judicial Court or a Legislator.
Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That the Department of the Secretary of State shall submit
a report to thejomt standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary
matters no later than Febmary 1, 2027 with an interim evaluation of the costs and
effectiveness of the pilot project under section 2. The interim evaluation must identify the
working group members, summarize the activities of the working group and set forth the
working group's findings and recommendations for enhancing the safety of judicial officers
and elected officials by protecting personally identifying ittformation of these officers and
officials in government records, includmg any suggested legislation. The joint standing
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary matters may report out
legislation to the 133rd Legislature in 2027 based on the report.
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. Resolved: That the following
appropriations and allocations are made.
SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF
Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions 0692
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for a subscription service to remove qualifying
information from publicly accessible websites.
GENERAL FUND 2025-26 2026-27
AUOther $0 $60,280
Page2-132LR2650(03)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMm-EE AMENDMENT "IA" to H.P, 1436, L.D. 2121
"6"'
^°>
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $60,280
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, replaces the bill with
a resolve directmg the Department of the Secretary of State to convene a working group of
at least 9 members to study methods for enhancing the safety of judicial officers and elected
officials and to establish a 2-year pilot project that provides each judge or justice and
Legislator who applies to participate in the pilot project with a subscription to a service that
removes that participant's personally identifying information from publicly accessible
websites and databases. The amendment directs the department to submit a report to the
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary matters no
later than February 1, 2027 with an interim evaluation of the costs and effectiveness of the
pilot project and setting forth the working group's findings and recommendations for
enhancing the safety of judicial officers and elected officials. The joint standing committee
of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary matters may report out legislation to
the 133rd Legislature in 2027 based on the report,
FISCAL NOTE REQmRED
(See attached)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Revised; 03/18/26 t-Kt-
LD 2121 LR 2650(03)
An Act to Enhance the Safety of Judicial and Elected Officials, Constitutional Officers and the State
Auditor by Allowing Certain Personal Information to Be Removed from Designated Public Records
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "^' ( ^ " C[ | -^
Committee: Judiciary
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Projections Projections
FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28 FY 2028-29
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund $0 $60,280 $60,280 $0
Appropriations/AlIocations
General Fund $0 $60,280 $60,280 $0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
The bill includes a one-time General Fund appropriation to the Department of the Secretary of State of $60,280 in
fiscal year 2026-27 for a subscription to remove qualifying information from internet websites,
Any additional costs to departments and agencies designated to participate in the working group are assumed to be
minor and can be absorbed with existing budgeted resources,
LR2650(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1