An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1383
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: MACIAS
Amends: 5 MRSA §1524

Legislative Document
No. 1383
H.P. 905
House of Representatives, April 1, 2025
An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of 
International Human Rights Violations
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MACIAS of Topsham.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ABDI of Lewiston, DEBRITO of Waterville, DHALAC of 
South Portland, PUGH of Portland, RANA of Bangor, SATO of Gorham, YUSUF of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §1524 is enacted to read:
§1524.  State divestment from perpetrators of international human rights violations
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Crime of apartheid" has the same meaning as in the Rome Statute of the 
International Criminal Court, article 7, paragraph 2(h).
B. "Ethnic cleansing" means the systematic forced removal of an ethnic or religious 
group from a given territory by another ethnic or religious group, often with the intent 
to make the territory more ethnically or religiously homogeneous.
C. "Genocide" has the same meaning as in the Rome Statute of the International 
Criminal Court, article 6.
D. "Perpetrator state" means a state, country or governing body found by an 
independent and credible international body, including the United Nations, 
International Criminal Court or similar tribunal, to have committed the crime of 
apartheid, ethnic cleansing, genocide or a war crime.
E.  "War crime" has the same meaning as in the Rome Statute of the International 
Criminal Court, article 8, paragraph 2.
2. Prohibition on investments. The State may not invest funds, including any public 
funds managed by the Maine Public Employees Retirement System under chapter 421, in 
or enter into a procurement contract with a company, entity, person or financial institution 
that operates in, directly benefits from or is associated with a perpetrator state. The State 
shall divest all assets from a company, entity, person or financial institution that operates 
in, directly benefits from or is associated with a perpetrator state within 12 months of the 
determination of the perpetrator state's status as a perpetrator state by an independent and 
credible international body.
3. Monitoring and reporting. The Office of the Treasurer of State, in collaboration 
with human rights experts and organizations, shall establish a commission to monitor 
international human rights reports and identify potential perpetrator states. By January 1st 
of each year, the Office of the Treasurer  of State shall submit a report from the commission 
detailing the commission's activities and findings regarding compliance with this section 
to the Governor and the Legislature.
4. Exceptions; waiver.  This section does not apply to an investment or procurement 
contract related to the provision of humanitarian aid, food, medicine or other essential 
supplies aimed at alleviating the suffering of a population. The Governor may issue a 
waiver of the provisions of subsection 2 related to an investment, procurement or 
divestment if the Governor determines that the waiver will prevent significant harm to the 
residents of this State or that the operation of this section will undermine national security 
interests.
5. Legal challenges. The court shall address a legal challenge to the operation of this 
section in an expedited manner.
6. Enforcement. The Attorney General shall enforce violations of this section by any 
department, agency or other public or private person.
Sec. 2.  State to divest within 12 months of effective date of this Act.  Within 
months of the effective date of this Act, the Office of the Treasurer of State shall divest 
all public funds, including any public funds managed by the Maine Public Employees 
Retirement System under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 421, from a 
perpetrator state as defined in Title 5, section 1524, subsection 1, paragraph D.
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits the State from investing public funds or entering into procurement 
contracts with companies, entities, persons or financial institutions that operate in, directly 
benefit from or are associated with perpetrator states, countries or governing bodies that 
have been determined by independent and credible international bodies to have committed 
the crime of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, genocide or a war crime. The bill directs the Office 
of the Treasurer of State to create a commission to monitor human rights reports to identify 
potential perpetrator states, countries or governing bodies and to report the activities and 
findings regarding compliance with the provisions of this bill annually to the Governor and 
the Legislature. The bill creates exceptions for humanitarian aid and allows for a waiver 
related to an investment, procurement or divestment by the Governor in cases of significant 
harm to the residents of this State or that undermine national security interests.