An Act to Make Changes to the Laws Regarding the Department of
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2180
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: SALISBURY
Amends: 4 MRSA §807, 5 MRSA §7083, 5 MRSA §7084, 5 MRSA §11

Legislative Document
No. 2180
H.P. 1467
House of Representatives, February 3, 2026
An Act to Make Changes to the Laws Regarding the Department of 
Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Human Resources 
and the State Civil Service Appeals Board
Submitted by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services pursuant to Joint 
Rule 203.
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SALISBURY of Westbrook.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
PART A
Sec. A-1.  4 MRSA §807, sub-§3, ¶U, as amended by PL 2025, c. 97, §2, is further 
amended to read:
U.  Practice, pursuant to a rule of the Supreme Judicial Court, by a law student enrolled 
in a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; or
Sec. A-2.  4 MRSA §807, sub-§3, ¶V, as enacted by PL 2025, c. 97, §3, is amended 
to read:
V.  An attorney certified by the judge advocate general of that attorney's respective 
military branch representing Maine National Guard members in proceedings conducted 
pursuant to Title 37‑B, section 415‑A.;
Sec. A-3.  4 MRSA §807, sub-§3, ¶W is enacted to read:
W.  A person who is not an attorney but is representing the State before the State Civil 
Service Appeals Board as described in Title 5, section 7081 on a reclassification, 
reallocation or reorganization appeal; or
Sec. A-4.  4 MRSA §807, sub-§3, ¶X is enacted to read:
X.  A person who is not an attorney but is representing the State before an arbitrator 
related to a grievance filed under a collective bargaining agreement.
PART B
Sec. B-1.  5 MRSA §7083, as corrected by RR 2023, c. 2, Pt. B, §§73 to 76, is 
amended to read:
§7083.  Procedure for settlement
A grievance or dispute between a state employee and the agency of the State by whom 
the state employee is employed must be entertained by the appeals board upon the 
application of the employee, as long as there has been compliance with the following 
requirements:
1.  Adjust dispute.  That the employee aggrieved or the employee's representative, or 
both, have attempted to adjust the dispute through oral communication with the employee's 
immediate supervisor within 7 working days of the time that the employee is aware of the 
grievable incident.  The immediate supervisor is then required to render an oral decision to 
the employee within 3 working days;
2.  Grievance in writing.  If the employee is dissatisfied with the oral decision of the 
employee's immediate supervisor, the employee or the employee's representative, or both, 
may, before the end of the 10th working day following the day of the oral decision, present 
the grievance to the employee's supervisor again, this time in written form.  The supervisor 
is then required to make a decision in writing and present it to the employee within 10 
working days;
3.  Appeal Submission of grievance or dispute to department or agency head.  If 
the employee is dissatisfied with the supervisor's written decision, the employee or the 
employee's representative, or both, then may, before the end of the 20th working day 
following receipt of the decision, appeal in writing to the department head.  The Within 21 
days of the employee becoming aware of the grievance or dispute, the employee or the 
employee’s representative, or both, shall submit the grievance or dispute in writing to the 
department or agency head describing the employee’s desired resolution. Within 21 days 
of receiving the employee’s written notice of the grievance or dispute, the department or 
agency head shall meet with the employee or the employee's designated representative, or 
both, within 20 working days of receipt of the employee's notice of dissatisfaction and 
attempt to adjust the dispute.  Within 5 working days of meeting with the employee or the 
employee’s representative, or both, the department or agency head shall render a decision 
in writing to the aggrieved employee and or the employee's representative;, or both.
If the department or agency head issues a written decision after conducting a due process 
meeting with the employee or the employee’s representative, or both, at which the 
employee was afforded an opportunity to present information relating to proposed 
disciplinary action issued by the department or agency head, the written decision must be 
treated as the final written decision of the department or agency head and may be appealed 
to the State Human Resources Officer pursuant to subsection 4 for classified employees or 
to the appeals board pursuant to subsection 5 for unclassified employees;
4.  Appeal to State Human Resources Officer.  If the classified employee is 
dissatisfied with the written decision following the meeting with of the department or 
agency head, the employee or the employee's representative, or both, may appeal in writing 
to the State Human Resources Officer within 7 working days of meeting with the 
department head 21 days of receiving the written decision.  The officer shall within 10 
working 21 days reply in writing to the aggrieved employee, or the employee's 
representative, or both, and the department or agency head involved stating the officer's 
decision, based on the Civil Service Law and rules;
5.  Submission to board.  In the event the grievance is not satisfactorily adjusted under 
subsections 1 to 3 and 4, within the time limits in those subsections, the dispute may be 
submitted to the appeals board within 10 working 21 days following receipt of the officer's 
written decision of the last relevant written decision from the employer pursuant to 
subsection 3 or 4.  The appeals board shall investigate the matters in controversy, shall hear 
all interested persons who come before it and shall make a written decision, which is 
binding on the parties involved.  The appeals board's written decision must be issued within 
working days after the hearing on the dispute is concluded, unless both parties agree 
that an extension of the time limit should be allowed; and
6.  Procedure.  Any member of the appeals board may administer oaths and subpoena 
and require the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, public records 
and other relevant documentary evidence or certified copies of the evidence by the 
department or agency head pertinent to the dispute and shall do so if requested in writing 
by any party to the dispute or the party's representative.  A witness summonsed by subpoena 
is entitled to witness fees and travel allowance in the amount allowed for appearance in 
District Court, the costs of which must be advanced by the party requesting the subpoena 
prior to issuance of the subpoena.  A state employee subpoenaed under this subsection may 
not lose pay to which the employee would otherwise be entitled.
Sec. B-2.  5 MRSA §7084, sub-§1, as corrected by RR 2023, c. 2, Pt. B, §77, is 
amended to read:
1.  Application for extension.  The chair of the appeals board may extend any time 
limit specified in section 7083, subsections 1 3 to 4 5, upon written application of either 
party, as long as the application is submitted within the time provided for in the applicable 
step.  Failure of an employee to pursue a grievance within the prescribed time limits 
constitutes an acceptance of the last response by the department or agency head.  Failure 
of the department or agency head to respond within the stipulated time limits provided for 
in the applicable step constitutes an automatic waiver of that step and the employee may 
proceed to the next step as outlined in this section.
A.  At least one day prior to the presentation submission of the employee's grievance 
to the employee's supervisor department or agency head, the employee's representative, 
if any, may have access to the work location of the employee involved during the 
working hours for the purpose of investigating the grievance.
B.  The department or agency head may designate a representative, with authority to 
take appropriate action, who must be at the deputy or assistant department or agency 
head or labor specialist level to represent the department or agency head in section 
7083, subsections 2 and 3 and 4.
PART C
Sec. C-1.  5 MRSA §11, 2nd ¶, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. BBB, §1, is 
further amended to read:
Any payment made in violation of the compensation plan or the rules pertaining thereto 
to the compensation plan or made to a person appointed or established in a position in a 
manner contrary to chapters 56‑A, 65, 67, 71 and 372 may be recovered from the appointing 
authority or the State Controller, whoever is culpable, or from the sureties on the official 
bond of such officer or person. Action for recovery may be maintained by the State Civil 
Service Appeals Board or any member thereof, any officer or employee of the state service 
or any citizen of the State. All money recovered under this section must be paid into the 
State Treasury and credited to the General Fund.
Sec. C-2.  5 MRSA c. 56-A, as amended, is repealed.
SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes to the laws related to the State Civil Service Appeals 
Board and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Human 
Resources and their functions.
Part A adds exemptions to the laws governing the unauthorized practice of law for a 
person who is not an attorney but is representing the State before the State Civil Service 
Appeals Board on a reclassification, reallocation or reorganization appeal or is representing 
the State before an arbitrator related to a grievance filed under a collective bargaining 
agreement. 
Part B amends the laws governing the procedure an aggrieved employee and a state 
department or agency head must follow in order for a dispute to be submitted to the State 
Civil Service Appeals Board. 
Part C eliminates the Employee Suggestion System.