An Act to Protect Municipalities' Investment in Law Enforcement
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0726
Sponsors: BOYER, HARRINGTON
Amends: 25 MRSA §2808

Legislative Document
No. 726
H.P. 465
House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act to Protect Municipalities' Investment in Law Enforcement 
Officers
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 20, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Criminal Justice and Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BOYER of Poland.
Cosponsored by Senator HARRINGTON of York and
Representatives: BISHOP of Bucksport, HASENFUS of Readfield, PERKINS of Dover-
Foxcroft, WHITE of Ellsworth, Senators: BEEBE-CENTER of Knox, BENNETT of Oxford, 
GROHOSKI of Hancock, TIPPING of Penobscot.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2808, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2023, c. 242, §1, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Reimbursement Liability for training costs.  Whenever a full-time law 
enforcement officer, trained at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy or the Indian police 
academy at the federal law enforcement training center at the expense of a particular 
governmental entity, is subsequently hired by another governmental entity as a full-time 
law enforcement officer within 5 years of graduation from the academy, the governmental 
entity shall reimburse is liable to the first governmental entity for the training costs 
according to the following formula, unless a mutual agreement is reached.
A.  If the officer is hired by the other governmental entity during the first year after 
graduation, that governmental entity shall reimburse pay the first governmental entity 
the full cost of twice the training costs.
B.  If the officer is hired by the other governmental entity during the 2nd year after 
graduation, that governmental entity shall reimburse pay the first governmental entity 
80% 160% of the training costs.
C.  If the officer is hired by the other governmental entity during the 3rd year after 
graduation, that governmental entity shall reimburse pay the first governmental entity 
60% 120% of the training costs.
D.  If the officer is hired by the other governmental entity during the 4th year after 
graduation, that governmental entity shall reimburse the first governmental entity 40% 
80% of the training costs.
E.  If the officer is hired by the other governmental entity during the 5th year after 
graduation, that governmental entity shall reimburse the first governmental entity 20% 
40% of the training costs.
F.  If the officer graduated more than 5 years before subsequently being hired by the 
other governmental entity, that governmental entity is not obligated to reimburse the 
first governmental entity.
If the officer is subsequently hired by additional governmental entities within 5 years of 
graduation from the academy, each of those governmental entities is liable to the 
governmental employer immediately preceding it for the training costs paid by that 
governmental entity under this subsection.  The extent of financial liability must be 
determined according to the formula established by this subsection.
The board shall, as necessary, incorporate the Indian police academy at the federal law 
enforcement training center into its basic law enforcement training program reimbursement 
rates.
SUMMARY
Current law requires that when a governmental entity hires a full-time law enforcement 
officer within 5 years of the officer's graduation from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy 
or the Indian police academy at the federal law enforcement training center, and that 
officer's training had been paid for by the officer's original governmental entity, the hiring 
governmental entity must pay the original governmental entity a designated portion of the 
officer's training costs.  This bill increases the amount of those payments.