An Act to Improve the Response to Complaints by Victims of Crime
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2163
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: GRAMLICH, BENNETT, FECTEAU
Amends: 17-A MRSA §2102, 17-A MRSA §2110, 17-A MRSA §2111

Legislative Document
No. 2163
H.P. 1452
House of Representatives, January 13, 2026
An Act to Improve the Response to Complaints by Victims of Crime 
and Enhance Victims' Rights
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.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach.
Cosponsored by Senator BENNETT of Oxford and
Representatives: Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford, LEE of Auburn, STOVER of Boothbay, 
Senators: DUSON of Cumberland, MOORE of Washington, TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA Pt. 9, headnote is amended to read:
PART 9
CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING AND ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIM 
RESPONSE 
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA c. 316-E is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 316-E
CRIME VICTIM COMPLAINT PROCESS
§3360-Y. Complaint process for violation of crime victims' rights
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Authority" means a governmental entity that has a victim rights obligation under 
this Title or Title 15, 16, 17-A or 30-A.
B. "Office" means the Office of the Attorney General.
C. "Rights" means statutory rights of a victim under this Title or Title 15, 16, 17-A or 
30-A.
D. "Victim" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2101, subsection 2.
2. Crime victim complaints. The office shall provide a centralized process for a victim 
to allege a violation of one or more rights by a state, county or municipal authority. The 
process must further uniformity, efficiency and compliance by state, county and local 
authorities responsible for ensuring victims' access to justice.
3. Crime victim complaint inquiry. The office shall develop a process for making 
inquiry into complaints made by victims. That process must include, but not be limited to, 
the following. 
A.  The office shall prescribe the methods by which complaints are made, received and 
acted upon. The office shall inform an individual that the filing of a complaint with the 
office does not guarantee a specific outcome for the individual making the complaint. 
The office may determine which complaints to pursue based on factors such as the 
severity of any alleged violation or the potential for repetition. 
B.  The office may make inquiry with any state, county or local authority that may have 
information relevant to any complaint. The office may determine the scope and manner 
of any inquiry made.
C.  The office may request and must be given access to information the office considers 
necessary to support the inquiry.
4. Recommendations after inquiry. On finding a complaint valid after duly 
considering the complaint and any material the office considers relevant, the office may 
recommend action to the appropriate authority. If the office makes a recommendation to an 
appropriate authority for action, that authority, within a reasonable time period not to 
exceed 30 days, shall inform the office of the action taken or the reasons for not taking any 
action responsive to the recommendation.
5. Other victim rights. This chapter does not prohibit a victim from exercising any 
other lawful action in response to the victim's complaint under subsection 2.
6. Office may not be compelled to testify or produce evidence. The office may not 
be compelled to testify or produce evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding 
with respect to matters involving the exercise of the duties described in this section. 
7. Rules. The office may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this chapter. Rules 
adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A.
8. Report. Beginning January 15, 2029, and biennially thereafter, the office shall 
provide to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House and the 
Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court a report that summarizes, at a minimum:
A.  The nature of the complaints received under this section since the last report, the 
measures taken to address those complaints and the outcome of those complaints;
B.  Aggregate data concerning the complaints received under this section since the last 
report, including, but not limited to, the number of complaints and to which public 
agencies and officials they were directed; and
C.  Recommendations by the office and public agencies and officials for improving the 
process under this section.
Sec. 3.  17-A MRSA §2102, sub-§1, ¶F-2, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 330, §6 and 
reallocated by RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. A, §14, is amended to read:
F-2.  The final disposition of the charges against the defendant, including the amount 
of deductions to time served that a defendant has accumulated as of the date of 
sentencing.  On or before the date of sentencing, the attorney for the State shall obtain 
information about the deductions to time served from each correctional facility at 
which a defendant was detained prior to sentencing on the relevant charges; and
Sec. 4.  17-A MRSA §2102, sub-§1, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2, 
is amended to read:
G.  The right to comment on the proposed early termination of probation, early 
termination of administrative release or conversion of probation to administrative 
release, pursuant to section 2105.;
Sec. 5.  17-A MRSA §2102, sub-§1, ¶H is enacted to read:
H.  The right to receive timely notice of and have an opportunity to be heard at any 
hearing or court proceeding concerning a subpoena issued for any record about or 
concerning the victim; and
Sec. 6.  17-A MRSA §2102, sub-§1, ¶I is enacted to read:
I.  The filing, scheduling and outcome of an appeal of a decision of the court by a 
defendant or the State involving a crime against the victim.
Sec. 7.  17-A MRSA §2102, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2, is 
amended to read:
2.  Pamphlets.   When providing notice under subsection 1, the attorney for the State 
shall offer to provide the victim with a pamphlet containing this chapter,; Title 5, chapter 
316‑A; Title 5, chapter 316-E; and Title 15, sections 812 and 6101.  In addition, the attorney 
for the State, as part of any victim and witness support program that attorney administers 
under Title 30‑A, section 460, shall provide the victim with a pamphlet outlining in 
everyday language the provisions set out in this chapter,; Title 5, chapter 316‑A; Title 5, 
chapter 316-E; and Title 15, sections 812 and 6101.  The attorney for the State may use the 
pamphlet printed and distributed by the Department of Corrections or another pamphlet 
that meets the criteria in this section.
Sec. 8.  17-A MRSA §2110 is enacted to read:
§2110.  Subpoenas for victim's records 
A victim has the right to timely notice and must be given an opportunity to be heard at 
any hearing or court proceeding concerning a subpoena issued for any record about or 
concerning that victim, including, but not limited to, medical or mental health counseling 
or treatment records, educational records or cellular telephone records.
Sec. 9.  17-A MRSA §2111 is enacted to read:
§2111.  Presence of victim's attorney or advocate 
At any point in a criminal proceeding, a victim has the right to retain a victim's attorney, 
who may be present and speak on behalf of the victim during all stages of any interview, 
investigation or other interaction with representatives of the criminal justice system. 
Treatment of the victim may not be affected or altered in any way because of the victim's 
decision to exercise this right. A victim witness advocate or victim witness coordinator, as 
defined in Title 16, section 53-C, subsection 1, paragraph C, may also be present and speak 
on behalf of the victim during any court proceeding.
SUMMARY
This bill strengthens compliance by state, county and local authorities with laws 
regarding crime victim rights and provides a complaint process for victims whose rights 
have been violated. Specifically, the bill does the following.
1. It directs the Office of the Attorney General to create a centralized complaint process 
and procedures for investigations of violations of crime victim rights, including a victim 
complaint notice process and an inquiry and investigative process that requires that the 
office be given access to necessary information to conduct investigations. If, after the filing 
of a complaint and investigation into that complaint, the office determines it appropriate to 
do so, the office must recommend that a state, county or municipal authority take action 
and that authority must report to the office within 30 days regarding the action taken or the 
reasons for not taking any action responsive to the recommendation.
2. It specifies that a victim who participates in the victim complaint process may also 
exercise any other legal rights and remedies available to the victim.
3. It clarifies that the office may not be compelled to testify or produce evidence in any 
judicial or administrative proceeding with respect to matters involving the exercise of the 
duties established in the bill.
4. It specifies that a victim has the right to receive timely notice of and have an 
opportunity to be heard at any hearing or court proceeding concerning a subpoena issued 
for any record about or concerning the victim, including, but not limited to, medical or 
mental health counseling or treatment records, educational records or cellular telephone 
records.
5. It specifies that a victim has a right to be notified of the filing, scheduling and 
outcome of an appeal of a decision of a court about a crime against that victim. 
6. It specifies that at any point in a criminal proceeding, a victim has the right to retain 
a victim's attorney, who may be present and speak on behalf of the victim during all stages 
of any interview, investigation or other interaction with representatives of the criminal 
justice system. Treatment of the victim may not be affected or altered in any way because 
of the victim's decision to exercise this right. A victim witness advocate or victim witness 
coordinator may also be present and speak on behalf of the victim during any court 
proceeding.