Title 5, Title 5

1. Program established. The land use mediation program is established to provide eligible private landowners with a prompt, independent, inexpensive and local forum for mediation of governmental land use actions as an alternative to court action. 2. Provision of mediation service…

1. Program established. The natural gas pipeline dispute resolution program is established to provide private landowners with a prompt, independent, inexpensive and local forum for mediation of disputes concerning acts or omissions occurring during the construction, maintenance o…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1991, c. 806, §3 (NEW).] 1. Board. "Board" means the Victims' Compensation Board as established in section 12004‑J, subsection 11. 2. Bodily injury. 2-A. Catastro…

1. Establishment and membership. There is established within the Department of the Attorney General the Victims' Compensation Board. The board consists of 5 members appointed by the Attorney General. One member must be a physician licensed to practice medicine in the State; one m…

1. Eligibility of victims. The board may award compensation to any individual who: A. Suffers personal injury as a direct result of a crime specified in section 3360, committed within the jurisdiction of the State; [PL 1999, c. 360, §4 (AMD); PL 1999, c. 360, §9 (AFF).] B. Has be…

1. Compensation. Compensation may not be paid for any crime unless: A. The crime was reported to a law enforcement officer within 5 days of the occurrence or discovery of the crime or of the resultant injury; and [PL 1991, c. 806, §3 (NEW).] B. The claim was filed with the board …

1. Submission of claims. Claims are submitted to the board as follows. A. Claims must be in writing. [PL 1999, c. 360, §5 (AMD); PL 1999, c. 360, §9 (AFF).] B. Claims must specify the date, the nature and circumstances of the crime and the law enforcement agency to which the crim…

Payments from the fund and limits on those payments are governed by this section. [PL 2023, c. 643, Pt. N, §2 (NEW).] 1. Compensation for victim of sexual assault or other specified crime. The board may award compensation to a claimant of up to $15,000 for actual and unreimbursed…

1. Hearings. The board may hold a hearing on any claim and the board shall hold a hearing if requested by the claimant. The claimant may address the board at a hearing on the claim and the board may take testimony under oath. 2. Information. In addition to the material and inform…

Only a claimant under this chapter may appeal a decision of the board. An appeal of the board's final decisions must be to the Superior Court as provided for other administrative actions under chapter 375, subchapter VII. Board decisions and the amount of awards must be upheld un…

There is created a special fund, known as the "Victims' Compensation Fund," for the purpose of providing for the payment of claims arising under this chapter and for the payment of all necessary and proper expenses incurred by the board. The Attorney General shall administer the …

As part of the sentence or fine imposed, the court shall impose an assessment of $70 on any person convicted of murder, a Class A crime, a Class B crime or a Class C crime and $40 on any person convicted of a Class D crime or a Class E crime, except that the court shall impose an…

1. Administrative expenses. Administrative expenses of the board may be paid from the Victims' Compensation Fund. 2. Judicial administrative expenses. Up to $10,000 may be used the first year to defray the programming costs to integrate the Victims' Compensation Fund into the Jud…

1. Penalty imposed. The assessments required by section 3360‑I apply to penalties imposed for criminal conduct alleged to have occurred on or after January 1, 1993. 2. Compensation awarded. Notwithstanding the effective date of this chapter, the board may not award compensation f…

The Attorney General shall develop a fact sheet for victims with information about the victim advocate and victim compensation programs and shall make copies available to all prosecutors' offices and law enforcement agencies who shall provide that fact sheet for distribution to a…

1. Payment. The board shall pay the costs of forensic examiner training as well as the costs of forensic examinations for victims of sexual assault from the Victims' Compensation Fund. The board shall track expenditures for forensic examinations separately from all other expendit…

1. Establishment and membership. The Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Advisory Board, referred to in this chapter as the "board," established under section 12004‑J, subsection 13, is established within the Department of Health and Human Services. The board consists of 15 members …

The board shall advise and assist the State in promoting and supporting the statewide creation, growth and sustainability of sexual assault forensic examiner programs. The board shall provide advice and assistance regarding training, technical assistance, standards and resources …

The Department of Health and Human Services shall provide general administrative oversight for the board's policies and responsibilities. When appropriate, the Department of Health and Human Services may employ personnel necessary to carry out the purposes of the board; lease, re…

1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Board" means the Victims' Compensation Board established in section 12004‑J, subsection 11. [PL 2019, c. 549, §5 (NEW).] B. "Crime" means a crimin…

1. Fund established; purpose; source of funds. The Maine Mass Violence Care Fund, referred to in this chapter as "the fund," is established within the Department of the Attorney General as an Other Special Revenue Funds account. The purpose of the fund is to provide a sustainable…

1. Commission established. The Maine Fire Protection Services Commission, referred to in this chapter as the "commission," is established to monitor and evaluate the State's fire protection services system on a continuing basis and to provide recommendations to the appropriate st…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Accrued service award" means the total value, as of a given date, of a participant's program account. [PL 2015, c. 352, §1 (NEW).] A-1. "Ambulance…

1. Fund established. The Firefighter Safety Equipment Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established under the commission as a nonlapsing fund to provide funds to allow fire departments to purchase and install diesel vehicle exhaust systems and heavy duty extract…

This Act may be known and cited as the Maine Human Rights Act.

To protect the public health, safety and welfare, it is declared to be the policy of this State to keep continually in review all practices infringing on the basic human right to a life with dignity, and the causes of these practices, so that corrective measures may, where possib…

As used in this Act, unless the context or subchapter otherwise indicates, the following words have the following meanings. [PL 1995, c. 393, §1 (AMD).] 1. Commission. "Commission" means the Maine Human Rights Commission established by this Act. 1-A. Commercial facilities. "Comme…

1. Physical or mental disability, defined. "Physical or mental disability" means: A. A physical or mental impairment that: (1) Substantially limits one or more of a person's major life activities; (2) Significantly impairs physical or mental health; or (3) Requires special educat…

1. Relationship to other laws. Nothing in this Act may be construed to invalidate or limit the remedies, rights and procedures of any law of any state or political subdivision of any state or jurisdiction that provides greater or equal protection for the rights of individuals wit…

The Maine Human Rights Commission, established by section 12004‑G, subsection 15, shall be an independent commission of no more than 5 members. No more than 3 of the members may be of the same political party. The members shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to review by t…

The members of the commission must be appointed for terms of 5 years each, except that of those first appointed, the Governor shall designate one whose term is only one year, one whose term is only 2 years, one whose term is only 3 years and one whose term is only 4 years. [RR 20…

Three members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. A vacancy in the commission shall not impair the power of the remaining members to exercise all the powers of the commission.

Each member of the commission shall be compensated as provided in chapter 379. All members of the commission shall be eligible for reappointment subject to section 4561.

Any member of the commission may be removed by the Governor for inefficiency, neglect of duty, misconduct or malfeasance in office, after being given a written statement of the charges.

The commission has the duty of investigating all conditions and practices within the State which allegedly detract from the enjoyment, by each inhabitant of the State, of full human rights and personal dignity. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it has the duty of …

1. Certification of state law. The commission shall take all steps required under 29 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 36, Subpart F to request federal certification that the State's laws concerning accessibility and usability of places of public accommodation meet or exceed the …

The opportunity for an individual to secure employment without discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin or familial status is recognized as and declared to be a civil…

1. Unlawful employment discrimination. It is unlawful employment discrimination, in violation of this Act, except when based on a bona fide occupational qualification: A. For any employer to fail or refuse to hire or otherwise discriminate against any applicant for employment bec…

1. Sex defined. For the purpose of this Act, the word "sex" includes pregnancy and medical conditions that result from pregnancy. 2. Pregnant persons who are able to work. It is unlawful employment discrimination in violation of this Act, except where based on a bona fide occupat…

It shall not be unlawful employment discrimination: [PL 1971, c. 501, §1 (NEW).] 1. Age. 1-A. Age. To discriminate on account of age to: A. Comply with the state or federal laws relating to the employment of minors; [PL 1979, c. 350, §3 (NEW).] B. Observe the terms of any bona fi…

1. General provisions. It is a defense to a charge of discrimination under this subchapter that an alleged application of qualification standards, tests or selection criteria that screen out or tend to screen out or otherwise deny a job or benefit to an individual based on protec…

1. Definition. As used in this section and section 4573, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms shall have the following meanings. A. "Employer" shall mean any individual or type of organization, including domestic and foreign corporations and partnerships, d…

1. Legislative findings and intent. The Legislature finds that many older Maine citizens are pushed out of the work force solely because of their age. The Legislature further finds that many older Maine residents who have been pushed out of the work force are fully capable of car…

The commission shall promote gender equity in the hiring of public school administrators in cooperation with the Commissioner of Education and investigate all human rights complaints associated with the public school system.

1. Legislative findings and intent. The Legislature finds that despite requirements regarding equal pay having been a part of the laws of Maine since 1965, wage inequality is an ongoing issue in the State. Wage inequality causes substantial harm to the citizens and to the economy…

The opportunity for an individual to secure housing in accordance with the individual's ability to pay, and without discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin or familial st…