An Act to Require Public Health Warnings to Be Posted and
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1379
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: STOVER
Amends: 25 MRSA §2017

Legislative Document
No. 1379
H.P. 901
House of Representatives, April 1, 2025
An Act to Require Public Health Warnings to Be Posted and 
Provided by Firearm Dealers and Gunsmiths
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative STOVER of Boothbay.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ARFORD of Brunswick, BRENNAN of Portland, 
GRAHAM of North Yarmouth, GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach, KUHN of Falmouth, 
MEYER of Eliot, MOONEN of Portland, ZAGER of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2017 is enacted to read:
§2017.  Public health warning
1. Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Firearm" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2, subsection 12-A.
B. "Firearm dealer" means a person that is licensed as a dealer under 18 United States 
Code, Section 923(a)(3) or that is required to be licensed as a dealer under that section. 
C. "Gunsmith" means a person who designs, repairs or modifies firearms.
2. Public health warning sign and brochure.  A firearm dealer or a gunsmith shall 
prominently display a sign with the public health warning under subsection 3 at the business 
premises of the firearm dealer or gunsmith where firearms are displayed, sold or transferred 
and provide a purchaser or transferee of a firearm with a brochure containing the public 
health warning.  A public health warning sign under this subsection must be at least 11 
inches by 17 inches and printed in large, bold font written in English and any other 
predominant language in the community where the business premises are located. The 
public health warning brochure must include additional information about firearm safety, 
secure storage practices and resources for suicide prevention and domestic violence support 
as developed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
3. Public health warning.  A public health warning under this section must state: 
"WARNING: Firearms pose a significant risk to public health and safety. Access to a 
firearm in the home increases the risk of suicide, domestic violence fatalities and 
unintentional deaths, particularly among children. Keep firearms locked and unloaded 
when not in use. For help, contact the Maine Crisis Line at [insert telephone number 
provided by the Department of Health and Human Services for a hotline for suicide and 
crisis services]." 
4. Department of Health and Human Services support.  The Department of Health 
and Human Services shall develop standardized public health warning signs and brochures 
under subsection 2 and distribute the signs and brochures to all firearm dealers and 
gunsmiths in the State. The Department of Health and Human Services shall collaborate 
with firearm dealers and related business owners, public health experts and suicide 
prevention advocates, including representatives of a gun shop project under section 2015, 
to ensure all public health warning materials are accurate and effective.
5. Enforcement and penalties.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall 
monitor compliance with this section and may conduct an inspection of the business 
premises of a firearm dealer or gunsmith to determine compliance. A person that violates 
this section is subject to:
A. For a first offense, a written warning; or
B. For a 2nd or subsequent offense, a penalty not to exceed $500.
6. Rules.  The Department of Health and Human Services may adopt rules to carry out 
this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined 
in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 2. Department of Health and Human Services to implement guidance 
within 90 days of effective date.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall 
perform the department's duties under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 2017, 
subsection 4 within 90 days of the effective date of this Act.
Sec. 3. Effective date.  That portion of this Act that enacts the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 25, section 2017, subsection 2 takes effect 180 days after the effective date 
of this Act.
SUMMARY
This bill requires firearm dealers and gunsmiths to post public health warning signs on 
their business premises and provide public health warning brochures to purchasers and 
transferees of firearms stating the significant risk of firearms to public health and safety 
and that access to firearms increases the risk of suicide, domestic violence fatalities and 
unintentional deaths, particularly among children.  The bill authorizes the Department of 
Health and Human Services to enforce these provisions and to develop standardized public 
health warning signs and brochures.