# Maine LD 640: An Act Requiring That Certain Fees Charged by the Courts for Court-ordered Payments Be Capped and Paid by the Defendant Maine LD 640, An Act Requiring That Certain Fees Charged by the Courts for Court-ordered Payments Be Capped and Paid by the Defendant, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Rachel Henderson (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-06-11 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 260) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD640-132 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 640 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act Requiring That Certain Fees Charged by the Courts for Court-ordered Payments Be Capped and Paid by the Defendant - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-20 - Last action: 2025-06-11, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 260 - Sponsor: Rachel Henderson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: CIVIL PROCEDURE, CIVIL PROCEDURE - FORFEITURES - Touches household money: no - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Unclaimed court funds go to the State: cost, low. If money held by a court clerk is not claimed for 20 years from when it is payable, the clerk must get a court order. The clerk then publishes an abstract notice in a county newspaper for three weeks. If no one claims the money within 60 days after the last notice, the money goes to the State Treas… - Winners get interest; losing side pays capped fee: mixed, medium. When a court orders money to be paid, all interest earned goes to the person owed the money. The losing party must pay the court a fee equal to 5% of that accrued interest. The fee is capped at $1,000, unless the court orders otherwise. Before disbursing funds, the clerk tells the parties about the… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Rachel Henderson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Adam LEE - Cosponsor: Ann Fredericks (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Elizabeth Caruso (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Sheila Lyman (Republican), House - Cosponsor: William Bridgeo (Democratic), House ## Actions (7) - 2025-06-11: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 260 - 2025-06-05: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-04: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-03: Report READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-452) READ and ADOPTED, in concurrence.Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-452), in concurrence.Ordered sent down forthwith. (Senate) - 2025-06-03: CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAYUnder suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-452).Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-03-21: Carried over, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519. (House) - 2025-02-20: Received by the Clerk of the House on February 20, 2025.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-452), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0408&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0408&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0408&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (H-452), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0408&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0408&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0408&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD640-132 (as of 2026-10-17).