An Act Directing the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1856
Committee: Judiciary
Amends: 4 MRSA §1804

Legislative Document
No. 1856
H.P. 1240
House of Representatives, April 30, 2025
An Act Directing the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services 
to Assist Persons Filing Post-judgment Motions to Seal Criminal 
History Record Information
Reported by Representative KUHN of Falmouth for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Judiciary pursuant to Resolve 2023, chapter 103, section 8.
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  4 MRSA §1804, sub-§3, ¶O, as amended by PL 2023, c. 394, Pt. A, §2, is 
further amended to read:
O.  Establish a system to audit financial requests and payments that includes the 
authority to recoup payments when necessary.  The commission may summon persons 
and subpoena witnesses and compel their attendance, require production of evidence, 
administer oaths and examine any person under oath as part of an audit.  Any summons 
or subpoena may be served by registered mail with return receipt.  Subpoenas issued 
under this paragraph may be enforced by the Superior Court; and
Sec. 2.  4 MRSA §1804, sub-§3, ¶P, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 394, Pt. A, §3, is 
amended to read:
P.  Develop and maintain a registry of names, telephone numbers and other contact 
information for attorneys who provide legal services to persons who are incarcerated.  
The commission shall on a weekly basis provide these names, telephone numbers and 
other contact information to all sheriffs' offices and to the Department of Corrections. 
On the Monday following transmission of the information, the sheriffs' offices and the 
Department of Corrections have constructive notice that communications to and from 
these attorneys by residents of jails and correctional facilities are subject to the 
attorney-client privilege. The attorneys' names, telephone numbers and other contact 
information are confidential.; and
Sec. 3.  4 MRSA §1804, sub-§3, ¶Q is enacted to read:
Q.  Develop a procedure for assisting persons who file post-judgment motions to seal 
criminal history record information under Title 15, chapter 310-A.
SUMMARY
This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary to implement 
statutory changes recommended by the Criminal Records Review Committee established 
in Resolve 2023, chapter 103. The joint standing committee has not taken a position on the 
substance of this bill.  By reporting this bill out, the joint standing committee is not 
suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this 
bill; instead, the joint standing committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of 
having a bill printed that can be referred to the joint standing committee for an appropriate 
public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal course.  The joint standing 
committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative review 
of the proposals contained in the bill.
The bill implements a recommendation of the Criminal Records Review Committee.  
The bill requires the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services to develop a procedure 
for assisting persons who file post-judgment motions to seal their criminal history record 
information under Title 15, chapter 310-A of the Maine Revised Statutes.