Resolve, Directing the Attorney General to Convene a Working
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1266
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: HASENFUS, TALBOT ROSS

Legislative Document
No. 1266
H.P. 841
House of Representatives, March 25, 2025
Resolve, Directing the Attorney General to Convene a Working 
Group to Propose a Plan for Expanding the Reach of Treatment 
Courts
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HASENFUS of Readfield.
Cosponsored by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland and
Representatives: LEE of Auburn, MILLIKEN of Blue Hill, SINCLAIR of Bath.
Sec. 1.  Adult treatment courts. Resolved:  That the Attorney General shall 
establish a working group to develop a plan for expanding the availability of adult drug 
treatment courts, family treatment courts and veterans treatment courts across the State by 
ensuring that defendants in each prosecutorial district and county have access to these 
specialty court dockets.  As used in this resolve, "adult drug treatment courts" and "family 
treatment courts" mean specialty court dockets that serve adult criminal defendants whose 
involvement with the criminal justice system has been caused, at least in part, by a serious 
substance use disorder and that allow those defendants, upon successful completion of a 
program involving multidisciplinary supports, services and requirements, to have all or 
most of their pending criminal charges dismissed.  The Attorney General shall invite a 
multidisciplinary group of stakeholders to participate in the working group including 
probation and parole officers from the Department of Corrections as well as representatives 
from the Judicial Department; the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency 
Management; the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health; 
the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services; the 
Maine Commission on Public Defense Services; a statewide association of prosecutors; 
local law enforcement agencies; organizations that provide pretrial supervision to 
defendants under pretrial release pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 15, section 
1026; and a statewide organization that advocates for reentry services for current and 
formerly incarcerated individuals in the State.  The Attorney General shall submit a report 
of the working group's activities, including any recommendations and suggested legislation 
developed by the working group, to the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary no later 
than January 1, 2026.  The joint standing committee may report out legislation related to 
the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.
SUMMARY
This resolve requires the Attorney General to establish a working group comprised of 
a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders to develop a plan for expanding the availability 
of adult drug treatment courts, family treatment courts and veterans treatment courts across 
the State by ensuring that defendants in each prosecutorial district and county have access 
to these specialty court dockets.  The Attorney General is required to submit a report, 
including any recommendations from the working group, to the Joint Standing Committee 
on Judiciary no later than January 1, 2026.  The committee may report out legislation 
related to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.