An Act to Establish Procedures for Restricting Access to State
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2150
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: GROHOSKI, MILLIKEN
Amends: 5 MRSA §60, 5 MRSA §4651, 5 MRSA §4652, 5 MRSA §4653, 5 MRSA §4654, 5 MRSA §4655

Legislative Document
No. 2150
S.P. 871
In Senate, January 7, 2026
An Act to Establish Procedures for Restricting Access to State 
Property, Access to State Services and Communication with or 
Through State Entities
(EMERGENCY)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator GROHOSKI of Hancock.
Cosponsored by Representative MILLIKEN of Blue Hill and
Senators: BENNETT of Oxford, CARNEY of Cumberland, HICKMAN of Kennebec, 
TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland, Representatives: HASENFUS of Readfield, HENDERSON 
of Rumford, LEE of Auburn, SINCLAIR of Bath.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, the number of protests held on state properties and the need for services 
provided by state agencies are anticipated to increase in 2026 and coming years; and
Whereas, the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Capitol Police has expressed 
concern about the lack of specific statutory guidance regarding persons who have been 
restricted from accessing state properties or services provided by state entities; and
Whereas, providing specific and timely statutory guidance on the process of 
restricting a person from accessing state properties or services provided by state entities or 
communicating with or through state entities is necessary to address immediate public 
safety concerns and individual rights; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §60 is enacted to read:
§60.  Restriction of access to state property or services; restriction of communication 
with or through entities of the State
1.  Entity of the State; definition.  As used in this section, "entity of the State" means 
any office, department, agency, authority, commission, board, institution, hospital or other 
instrumentality of the State.
2.  Notice or communication of restriction.  An entity of the State that issues a notice 
or communication that restricts a person from accessing state property or services provided 
by the State or that restricts a person from communicating with or through the entity shall 
include in the notice or communication the factual basis for the entity's decision to restrict 
that person's access or communication, which must be provided to the person. Except as 
provided in subsection 3, an entity of the State may restrict a person's access to state 
property or services provided by the State or restrict a person from communicating with or 
through the entity through a notice or communication for a total period not to exceed 90 
days.
3.  Restrictions more than 90 days; protection from harassment.  An entity of the 
State that seeks to extend or renew a restriction issued by notice or communication under 
subsection 2 for a period exceeding 90 days shall, through the Department of Public Safety, 
Bureau of State Police, file a complaint for protection from harassment pursuant to chapter 
337-A and provide evidence to the court of the original notice or communication restricting 
the person from accessing state property or services provided by the State or restricting the 
person from communicating with or through the entity, along with the factual basis for the 
entity's original decision.
The court shall prioritize complaints filed for protection from harassment other than those 
filed pursuant to this subsection.
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §4651, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2025, c. 400, §1, is further 
amended to read:
A.  Three or more acts of intimidation, confrontation, physical force or the threat of 
physical force directed against any person, family or, business or, with respect to an 
action brought under section 60, subsection 3, an entity of the State that are made with 
the intention of causing fear, intimidation or damage to personal property and that do 
in fact cause fear, intimidation or damage to personal property;
Sec. 3.  5 MRSA §4652, first ¶, as amended by PL 1991, c. 760, §2, is further 
amended to read:
Proceedings under this chapter must be filed, heard and determined in the District Court 
of the division in which either the plaintiff or the defendant resides.  If the plaintiff has left 
the plaintiff's residence to avoid harassment, the plaintiff may bring an action in the division 
of the plaintiff's previous residence or new residence. In an action brought under section 
60, subsection 3 by an entity of the State and filed by the Department of Public Safety, 
Bureau of State Police, the proceedings may be filed, heard and determined in any division 
of the plaintiff's choice.
Sec. 4.  5 MRSA §4653, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2021, c. 634, Pt. B, §1, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Filing.  A person who, family, business or, with respect to an action brought under 
section 60, subsection 3, an entity of the State that has been a victim of harassment, 
including a business, may seek relief by filing in an appropriate court:
A.  A sworn complaint alleging harassment; and
B.  If the alleged harassment does not meet the definition in section 4651, subsection 
2, paragraph C or is not related to an allegation of domestic violence, violence against 
a dating partner, sexual assault, stalking or harassment as described in Title 17‑A, 
section 506, subsection 1, paragraph A‑1 or A‑2, a copy of a notice to stop harassing 
the plaintiff issued to the defendant pursuant to Title 17‑A, section 506‑A, subsection 
1, paragraph A, subparagraph (1), division (a) or subparagraph (3) or a statement of 
good cause why such a notice was not sought or obtained.  The court has discretion, 
based on the nature of the allegations as well as any further inquiry that the court may 
make of the plaintiff, to issue an order even if notice to stop harassing the plaintiff has 
not been issued to the defendant as described in Title 17‑A, section 506‑A, subsection 
1, paragraph A, subparagraph (1), division (a) or subparagraph (3).
Sec. 5.  5 MRSA §4653, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4.  Entity of the State.  An action brought under section 60, subsection 3 by an entity 
of the State must be filed by the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police on 
behalf of the entity pursuant to this chapter.
Sec. 6.  5 MRSA §4654, sub-§4, ¶F, as amended by PL 2015, c. 410, Pt. C, §2 and  
c. 443, §2, is further amended by amending subparagraph (2) to read:
(2)  Being at or in the vicinity of the plaintiff's home, school, business or place of 
employment or, in the case of an action brought under section 60, subsection 3 by 
an entity of the State, state property;
Sec. 7.  5 MRSA §4655, sub-§1, ¶C-1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 475, §2, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (2) to read:
(2)  Being at or in the vicinity of the plaintiff's home, school, business or place of 
employment or, in the case of an action brought under section 60, subsection 3 by 
an entity of the State, state property;
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits an entity of the State from restricting a person's access to state 
property or services provided by the State or restricting a person from communicating with 
or through the entity for a period of more than 90 days unless certain conditions are met. It 
requires an entity of the State to include on a notice or communication restricting a person's 
access or communication the factual basis for the entity's decision. The bill requires an 
entity of the State seeking to extend or renew a restriction issued by notice or 
communication for more than 90 days to file, through the Department of Public Safety, 
Bureau of State Police, a complaint for protection from harassment and provide evidence 
to the court of the original notice or communication restricting the person from accessing 
state property or services provided by the State or restricting the person from 
communicating with or through the entity, along with the factual basis for the entity's 
original decision. The bill requires the court to prioritize complaints filed for protection 
from harassment that are unrelated to the extension or renewal of a restriction for more than 
days.  The bill clarifies that an action brought by an entity of the State and filed by the 
Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police may be filed, heard and determined in 
any division of the District Court of the plaintiff's choice and that the court may direct a 
defendant to refrain from being in the vicinity of state property.